Well, so things are plugging along. I’ve survived blog entry #1, as well as race #3. It’s neat to see a growing number of people stopping by to read my yakkings. Oohhh, and a comment! Thanks, Michelle!
I guess I’ll talk about my second and third races. I really dove in feet first, signing up for more running so quick. Three weekends in a row! Well, the second race was much closer, and a bit smaller….and shorter. It was a choice between a 20K (ahem..maybe next year) and a 2 mile. After an 8K, I figured two miles would be pretty easily managed, right? I forgot one critical point…this is Minnesota, and it’s only April. Snow, icy wind, and open fields on either side of the route can tip things a bit! Go on, have a laugh, I sure did! But it’s all good, I learned a couple things..
1) Have some kind of hat or earmuffs for occasions like this.
2) It’s ok to want to grab your t-shirt and sneak away…but get to the starting line and do it anyway.
3) Even sneakers with good tread have limitations on a slick road. I managed to not wipe out, but it was a near thing…
I also learned just what a beginner I am. Out of the 20 people who finished before me, almost a dozen were pre-teenage kids! What a hoot it was to watch those squirts, with their spidery little legs cranking along. Tomorrow’s marathon runners? I bet there were a few there.
I met a nice lady at the finish line. I’d seen her during the run, and she had a smile on her face, despite the cold and wind. That smile was still there when we dug into the free Propel and Clif bars that awaited us, and it wasn’t long before we were making small talk. That day was her first race. Her sister had long been an avid runner, and had tried to get her to come along for years, to no avail. Three months prior to our race, that sister had been killed in a car wreck. Now she was running for her sister’s memory. I bet that sister is smiling down and saying “I finally got you out there!” I suppose it’s a reminder to never assume that we always have tomorrow, cause you never know… I didn’t find out the woman’s name, but I’m sure I won’t forget her. Hopefully we’ll meet at another race soon…
My third run was just this past weekend, April 19. My co-workers were good enough to let me leave a few minutes early to get to the park where the run was to start in just a short time. I had just worked a 12 hour shift, so they did think I was off my kicker for doing it (no arguments from me!) This was to be a 5K, with proceeds going to support the local youth orchestra. There was a little havoc just before the start, as my number bib had been misplaced, but that was soon sorted out. While it was pretty wet and chilly, there was no snow on the ground this time, so my feet stayed where I put them, and my dignity stayed more or less intact. Oh, and I learned yet another practical and handy tip…pace yourself!
(I will now pause for a moment so that other runners can slap my forehead and say DUH!)
It really made a difference! I think that in the first and second race, I had been exceeding my training pace, so I would fizzle out and have to walk for short stretches. This time, I had a better feel for what I could maintain. I was able to run the whole 5K without walking breaks, and shaved about 25 seconds off my one-mile pace, though I was striving for a slower speed.
While I didn’t meet any new people or hear any life stories this time, it was another fun race, and I walked away with a door prize. A one day pass for the athletic club! While I enjoy the more *affordable* gym that I’m in, this place is fairly spendy and fancypants, so I’m looking forward to the visit.
No race this weekend coming up…I think a trip to the park with the rugrats is in order. The following weekend is the Spring Classic, and I’m going to try and shave a few more seconds off my pace. We’ll see what happens!
This entry was posted
on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 6:38 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Digg! this story.
Entries (RSS)