Category: running

Race: Shamrock 2 Miler

Place: Downtown Jeffersonville, IN

Date: March 13, 2012

Time: 16:25

Wait?  What?

A road race on a Tuesday night?

You aren’t imagining things, it happened, friends.  Last night, Jeffersonville, Indiana hosted a great 2 mile run in fantastic 77 degree weather. Actually, after I got moving it seemed too hot for the run, but it was a beautiful night and a great night to run.

This isn’t the first time I’ve run a race that was hosted by the Fast Freddie people.  I ran the Fast Freddie Five Mile Foot Feast on Thanksgiving this year and absolutely loved it.  If there is anyone in this area who knows how to put on a race, it’s this group.

I actually heard about this race from the race flyer at the YMCA where I go to workout.  After some consideration, as it is also my roommate’s birthday, I decided to go ahead and give it a whirl.  Afterwards, we’d go home and celebrate with some gluten-free lemon chiffon cake (homemade by me!) and kick back the rest of the evening.  It couldn’t have been a nicer day.

The sun was out.  The March weather felt like summer.  And after a four mile run that morning, I was ready for a quick two mile road race.  And why not?  I mean…it was a great way to wrap up a Tuesday night for sure.  I changed at the office into my running clothes and we headed down to the race.  Packet pickup was in a little banquet hall, and the start and finish lines were just outside.  No confusion.  No problems.  Just a simple race.  And, as a bonus, the top 100 male and 100 female finishers received a medal.  Awesome.  I got my bib number, bought my t-shirt, and got pinned up so I’d be ready when race time came.

We were in town early, not knowing what the traffic situation might be like.  So, we killed a bit of time at a local novelty store before heading over to where some of the runners and walkers were milling about outside.  I was watching a couple of “running diva’s” (my own little name for them) begin their stretching routines an hour before the race.  While I admired quite a few of these stretches and could see the benefit of it…we’re talking two miles here.  An hour of stretching for two miles on a flat course seemed a bit…well…excessive to me.  In addition to the stretching, these two running divas had their trainer there, who was helping them flex and bend and stretch as well.  I remind me you again…this is a flat course and only two miles.  I was in awe.

But…with a shake of my head, I ducked inside to cool off and eventually start limbering up a little myself.  Before I could even start though, a coworker’s mom found us and introduced herself and her husband (my coworker’s stepdad) to us, and we talked a little bit about races.  He and I are both running in all three of the Louisville Triple Crown of Running races, so that was fun to discuss a little.  My roommate was asked where her sign was…which we had inadvertently left at home in our mega rush out the door that morning before hitting the gym and heading into the office.  It was her birthday, we had a lot of stuff going on!  So, we were sans sign on a beautiful day, but it was okay.

With about 20 minutes to race time, I went through a couple of quick stretches, just to get the leg muscles working.  And then we were all told to head up to the start line for the race.  I managed to snag a pretty close spot to the front.  I was just behind these two little preteen girls who were just running in the race because they wanted a medal.  Neither were runners and both were a little overweight, but they seemed determined.  It sort of made me happy to see them out and working towards something they really desired.

Before I knew it…the whistle was blown and we were off.  They weren’t kidding when they said that this was a flat, fast course.  No hills or anything.  The only hindrance I found, aside from the unseasonable weather, was the freshly cut grass, or lawn mowing going on during the race.  Nothing like breathing some of the worst allergens on a run.  Ah well…it happens.

I felt I went out slow…probably from my four miles I put in that morning.  But I picked it up as the race went on, and at mile 1 I was just past 8 minutes.  Not too bad.  I had made the turn at that point and was heading back toward the finish line.  As I’m making my way down the path, lo and behold, right there in front of me was the younger of the running divas.  Her sister was probably close to the finish…as I had seen her make the turn as I was coming around to that point.  As I’m running, I see her begin to slow down and then…she started walking.  And I passed her.  I know it is probably not very sportsman like of me, but I smiled a little as I did it.

Despite the music playing in my iPod, I could now hear the announcer near the finish.  I was getting close.  So, I pushed harder, digging in with each step to propel myself just a little bit faster.  My roommate was jumping up and down at the finish and I hurried in, a woman sprinting behind me trying to get ahead of me…which she didn’t…and finished my first 2 mile race in 16:25.  Not too bad considering I had run about 12 hours earlier.  I felt great and went immediately to grab some water because…yeah…it was a hot day to run.

I stretched out a little and downed a few bottles of water afterwards.  And as we were getting ready to leave, we spot one of the preteen girls, the one who desperately wanted to win a medal, sprinting with all she had in her, toward that finish line.  And she crossed it…and received one of the medals.  I went over and high-fived her.  She earned that.  That’s what the running spirit is all about.  Determination.

After that, it was time to head home for some birthday celebrations.  But it was a fun little race and a great way to spend a beautiful Tuesday evening.  I hope to run it again next year.

Race: Hope for the Children 5K

Place: Sam Peden Community Park, New Albany, IN

Date: March 10, 2012

Time: 25:36

It was one of those mornings.  I don’t know what it was because normally on race mornings I’m out of bed like a shot and going through my routine of getting dressed, lacing shoes, eating a light breakfast and getting a couple things done before heading out the door.  But I was not in the mood to run this morning and it was really showing.

Reluctantly, however, I hauled myself out of bed and checked the weather.  Below 32 degrees.  I thought about wearing my shorts, then some sense kicked in and I decided on knee socks and my capri running shorts instead.  This turned out to be one of the smartest things I’ve done because it was bitter, bitter cold out in the park with nothing really to act as a windbreak.  I was cold.  No…I was freezing.

My roommate had told me she checked the race time the night before, saying it was 8:00 a.m.  So, I set my alarm for the appropriate time to allow me to wake up, get stuff in order, eat, and hydrate properly prior to the race, as well as throw something together for her to eat before we headed out the door.  I got up with my alarm, and, as mentioned, very reluctantly got moving.  Then, after I logged on line to catch up on some e-mails and the like, I checked the race information again and…I was almost fuming to see that the race started at 9:00 a.m.  So, when her alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. and she finally staggered out into the living room, I was quite cranky and informed her that the race time was really 9:00, not 8:00 like she said.  To which she informed me she didn’t actually find a time online the night before and just assumed.  So yeah…I wasn’t a happy camper going into this race.

We arrived for packet pick-up at about 8:30 a.m.  This gave me time to not only walk stuff back to the car, but properly stretch out as well.  I kept my jacket on for as long as possible because I was shivering and cold.  But the announcement soon came for all the runners and walkers to make their way over to the start line…which was a short walk up a path to a line painted across the road.  We made the short trek and I saw all the ‘elite’ runners at this race doing their jogging in place, knee lifts, butt kicks, and little sprints to warm up.  The organizers came over to kick us off with some course information, like how the roads were not closed to traffic, but there would be a police presence throughout.  How our lead vehicle was this guy on a bike with bunny ears.  And ran through the course.  Then, the National Anthem was beautifully sang and a little prayer was given.  I shed my jacket and gloves and shivered near the start with other runners.  Then, the starting gun was fired and off we went.

I took off faster than I intended.  This has been a trending cycle for me and one I am trying to break, but not being very successful at it.  I was in the front group as we headed out of the park and onto the streets.  I was behind these two little girls, maybe about 10 years of age, and they sort of kept me moving.  I mean, granted, there are plenty of 10-year-olds and younger who run faster than me, but I was just doing my best to keep up.  They were barely breaking a sweat.  And at mile marker 1, my time of 7:49 was called out and my immediate thought was, “Crap, I went out too fast.  I’m booking it.”  And I knew, from running these roads before, the hills and inclines were about to hit.

I have made it a goal of mine, with the exception of one race (which was the first one back from a bad foot and knee injury) that I would run every race and not walk.  So, despite the hills and my slowing pace, I pushed on, up the inclines, through the neighborhoods, waiting on cars to drive by or perhaps stop to let the runners through first.  Mile 2 came about just as we were about to reenter the park for the final leg.  The little girls had taken a bit of a lead, but I could still see them.  Through the park, around a turn, and onto the little paved track there and I was off into the last mile.  This was tough.  The hills weren’t as much, but they were there.  And I passed one of the girls, who fell off of her running buddy’s pace.  The other one was zooming on ahead.  One other person passed me, but that was it.  I knew as I was running around the little lake in that park that the finish was just another song on my iPod away.

Actually, I could see the yellow and blue flags of the finish area out of the corner of my eye.  Just a little more pushing, one more curve around the lake and it was straight on to the finish.  I gave it all I had left, which, after not feeling like running and with the cold, wasn’t much.  But I pressed on, and when I crossed that finish line, I knew I was so close to what my 5K PR was.  I either barely beat it, tied it, or came damn close to it.  It was the latter of the three, but I was pretty damn proud of that time, since there were rolling hills, some of which are pretty steep, and for using so much of my energy up at the start of the race, rather than holding it back for the finish.  In the end, I crossed the finish line 3 seconds shy of my PR, which was achieved on a flat course, the 36th finisher overall out of 147, and 3rd in  my age division.

I was cold.  The ladies at the finish wanted us to tear the bottom part of our number off, but I couldn’t feel my fingers at this point, so they helped.  I was given my medal for finishing and met with my roommate for a couple of pictures before being graced with my jacket, gloves, and some water.  Hydration is always important.  We stuck around for the awards, which I love to do even if I don’t place or receive anything, as well as the random raffle for prizes.  I walked away empty-handed, but I was okay with that.  I had a fantastic race and now I was riding high on that.

This week I have four races ahead of me.  One tomorrow, two on Saturday, and an indoor triathlon on Sunday.  I’m doing my best not to overdo it, but also keep up with my half marathon training.  With all these races I took on, sometimes that can be a task.  But I wouldn’t change any of this for the world.

 

Race: Anthem 5K Fitness Classic

Place: Downtown Louisville, KY

Date: March 3, 2012

Time: 25:33

So, it finally happened.  I finally set a new PR for a 5K race.  And, believe it or not, it once again happened while running a race in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.  My previous PR was set at the Louisville Komen Race for the Cure back in October 2011.

It was, by no means, a large margin of time that I beat it by.  But it was a full 26 seconds, which, in a road race…is awesome!

During the week, the weather had been absolutely stunning.  We were in the 60s most of the days.  But then came Friday, the day before the race, and things got a little crazy.  That morning we were greeted with some heavy rain.  But it moved out of the area rather quickly.  That being said, on lunch, I darted down to Louisville Slugger Field to pick up my race packet so it was one less line to stand in on race morning and one less thing to worry about.  That was an easy trip.  Over and back in record time.

Then, that afternoon, a storm front moved through.  Crazy storms.  Strong winds.  Hard rain.  Tornadoes touched down in some areas.  Most of the people in my office scattered like leaves in the wind when they heard of the potential for tornadoes.  My opinion still stands.  If there is a tornado near where I live…why hop in my car and go toward it?  Myself, my roommate, and the receptionist stuck it out at the office during the worst of it.  We got strong winds and hard rain, but not much else.

Of course, the storm brought a nice cold front with it, which meant my mild weather was gone again.  Right in time for race morning.  Because that is Mother Nature’s mojo this winter.  Nice weekdays…freezing weekends.  Why?  Because I slip into running shorts and race.  It’s a cruel joke, really, since I hate cold weather.

That being said, it was in the low 30s that morning when I put on my running shorts and sat down to have a quick bite of Honey Nut Chex cereal before heading out to the race.  My roommate scarfed down a breakfast and got dressed in record time (for her).  I got my number pinned onto my jacket, which given the temperature I would be wearing, and we headed out.  We stopped off at the gas station for her to grab some much needed Diet Mt. Dew and I snagged a Smart Water for after the race.

Downtown we went, earlier than we needed to, but knowing that this race was a big freakin’ deal and parking might be hard to come by.  It wasn’t.  We got to Slugger Field and parked in their lot without an issue at all.  It’s nice to have the car so close when the race is done and the cool down is over.  My roommate grabbed my sign and we headed inside to where people were milling about, runners were stretching, or signing up, or getting their packets.  We found a clear space along the wall and took up residence there.  I stretched a little, then decided to go use the bathroom.  Good thing I decided that then because the line was stupid long and Slugger Field only opened up one of their bathrooms for the thousands of race participants there.  And the bathroom only had four stalls in it.  So it was a slow line, but I stuck it out.

Upon returning, I shed my long pants to acclimate myself to the cooler weather.  I had time for a couple more stretches, but then we decided to start toward the finish line.  We had about 20 minutes to race time, but my roommate wanted to get a good spot to cheer for me as I went through the start.  This, despite being freezing cold out, was also a good idea.  The start line was already swimming with runners lining up to get their spots.  Including a team from Kenya (of which one would walk away the winner).  It was craziness.  So, I found a nice spot under an overpass in the mid-front of the pack and took up residence there while music played, announcements were made, and the National Anthem was sung.  After that, we had about 5 minutes where the announcer went through some stats, like how over 9000 people signed up to participate in this race.  Amazing.  This was bigger than I thought.  And I absolutely love big races!

I got my iPod ready to go and just as I did, we were off.  It took about a minute or so to get to the start itself, despite not being that far away from it.  But as soon as I was through, I was off with the crowd, setting a good, but challenging pace, and taking part in the first race of my first ever Louisville Triple Crown of Running.

What I love about running in downtown Louisville is that it means the inclines are minor and the path is usually pretty flat.  Perhaps that has attributed to my fastest times being run on courses down there.  Whatever it was, I know my legs were stiff from the cold so my first mile I pushed, but not too hard, in an attempt to warm them up.  They finally got there, even in the cold weather and the very strong gusts of wind that met us as we churned through the course.  After what seemed like an eternity, mile marker 2 came into view.  My time said 17 minutes and some-odd seconds.  Wow.  I really did go out like a shot.  And between that and my body trying to compensate for the cold by using more energy to keep it warm…this is about where I started to get hungry.  So now, instead of focusing on my stride, my pace, my run, I was focusing on how completely empty I felt.

No.  Not this.  Not now.

I could feel myself slowing down.  I hated that.  I tried to shake it off.  Push more.  Knowing that at the end, a banana or apple would await me.  I rounded a corner, and I could see the finish line in the distance.  I was getting there.  I just needed to push through it all and really, really get there.  So, I dug deep, mentally noting that I need to work on race morning eats when it’s cold out.  My pace picked up slightly and I pushed hard…then harder…crossing the finish line as the clock ticked toward 27 minutes.  I figured my Race for the Cure PR still stood.  The difficult task of finding my roommate in the sea of people was now the important matter.  Thankfully, after a couple minutes of discombobulated searching, I found her on a sideline a ways down from the finish.  It was the closest she could get, which meant, no finish line shot.  She did say that we would by the professional shot from Brightroom of me crossing the finish though (except they didn’t get a picture of me at all in this race, so I’m more than bummed about that).  I told her to stick there while I went to go find some fruit to eat.  I snagged a banana and apple before heading back to where she was standing.

She had made friends with a nice lady whose husband was running his first 5K.  They were waiting on him to come in as well and throughout the race, Cathy was giving her race day tips and things she’s learned in her year-long journey of living with a runner.  After he came in, we all said our goodbyes and I went to change out of my running clothes and into some regular clothes so I could head to brunch at a local restaurant called Hillbilly Tea.  The restrooms in Slugger Field were not as crowded this time, but as they are outside it was a cold, cold change.  But I got sorted and I bid adieu to Slugger Field and the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic.

It was only later in the day that I got the results, which resulted in me doing a lot of squeeing in the car.  My official time was my fastest 5K time yet, at 25:33 seconds, which is by no means fast, but it feels good when you beat your previous best time.  As for the official standings, I was 52/724 in my age division and 1424/8496 finishers.  Considering the day before I had turned to my roommate and said, “My goal is to be in the top 2000, which doesn’t look likely, but hey…”

So, there it stands.  My first race in my first ever Louisville Triple Crown of Running and I’m off to a good start so far.  The Rhodes City Run 10K is up next on St. Patrick’s Day (followed by another race that evening in Frankfort, Kentucky, kicking off the Frankfort Trifecta Run/Walk Series).  I couldn’t be happier with how this race turned out.  Perhaps Mother Nature will give us some beautiful weather for the 10K on March 17.  Until then, back to training.

Race: Making Tracks for Celiacs 5K

Place: Veterans Park, Hoover, AL

Date: February 25, 2012

Time: 27:48

Sometimes there comes a time in your running career when a moment will forever be etched into your mind.  Something special happens.  Something clicks.  It means something to you.  It’s yours to treasure.

One of those moments, for me, is this race.

I’ve run countless 5Ks before.  In fact, for me a 5K is a walk in the park.  I could do them in my sleep.  Am I super-fast at them?  Hell no.  I’m not fast by any means.  I steadily fall in the middle of my age group at races.  But 5Ks are fantastic runs.  I love doing them.  They’re quick.  A wide variety of people run in them.  And they can still be a challenge at times.

The race at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama was certainly a challenge.  But that’s not why this race is special.

I signed up for this race when I was in Birmingham visiting my family for Christmas.  Why this race specifically?  Well, it gave plenty of time for training…for my brother-in-law, Bryan.  Bryan had taken up running a couple months before and was working his way through a Couch To 5K program.  I went running with him when I was there.  It was fun.  He kept up a good pace.  And we could talk about different aspects of the sport.  He could ask me questions, which he did.  So, we picked a race and it would become his first race.  I was already looking at participating in this one as it was attached to a Gluten-Free Expo in town, so it was ideal.  Perfect time for him to train properly.

The day before the race, my parents call me to let me know something else is going on.  My grandpa would be driving back through Birmingham from his trip down to Florida and he was going to be stopping by.  They mentioned to him that Bryan and I were participating in a race on Saturday and he opted to stay an extra day and come out for the event.  I was thrilled.  Beyond thrilled.

The trip down to Birmingham was easy.  That night, we went out to eat at a little diner, The Depot, in Helena, Alabama.  I brought my own slices of gluten-free bread and dressed it up with the lettuce, onion and tomato my dad got (on the side) with his burger.  A side of tater tots and we were in business.  I went to bed that night beyond excited about getting up the next morning and doing the race.

There was a chill in the air that morning in Alabama.  In fact, I had to scrape frost off my car windows.  But I pulled on my shorts and my Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bread t-shirt that was provided to me by the company and ate a light breakfast of Cinnamon Chex.  I split a banana with my grandpa.  He was already discussing with me walking the trail and picking up any discarded pieces of clothing to take to Goodwill.  Or, perhaps, he’d work one of the water stations.  SO cool!!  Sometimes I don’t think my grandpa realizes that he’s 90.  I’m okay with that because he doesn’t look or act 90.

We get to Veterans Park and manage to find parking.  The packet pick-up and registration was easy to spot, so I hustled on over to get my packet.  Sadly, they were out of my size t-shirt (!!!!), so I went a size up.  My goody bag was a reusable bag from a local running store, Trak Shak, which does a lot of races in the area.  Inside were some gluten-free goodies to enjoy (crackers, Larabars, etc.).  Bryan, my sister and their two boys showed up next and I showed Bryan where to go to get his bag.  They were out of his size t-shirt too (!!!) so he had to take one a size down.  Note to those putting on the race: Pre-registered runners should always have a guaranteed shirt in their size.  Just sayin’.

No sooner had we gotten pinned up, our friend Armand (who lives in Atlanta, GA), turns up for the race as well.  There were hugs (and a manly handshake between Bryan and Armand), and we got him registered for the race.  No t-shirt for those signing up on race day.  Which…is too bad.

The three of us spread out to get a few easy stretches in while we waited for the announcement on where the start line was.  There was nothing really set up for it…no sensor laid out on the terrain or anything.  As we are doing this, my grandpa decides that he is also going to be in the race, as one of the walkers!  Honestly, I was stretching and the next thing I know, he’s pinning on a number.  I was so excited.  I had talked about the course with my grandpa earlier.  I had looked at the park online and it seemed like a relatively flat course.  No one had really been over to the park to check it out, but every picture showed people walking or running along a level path.

The announcements were made that the race was to begin in five minutes and all participants should make their way over to the start line.  The problem was…no one really knew where the start line was.  People started moving off in one direction, so we kind of followed them, but it was more than a little confusing.  Finally, it was pointed out that the race would start on the grass, between two metal barrels that were positioned there.  Okay…

As we were heading that way, I spotted someone who sort of knew what he was doing, so I inquired as to what our route would be.  He said we had to run across the field to get to the path to get the .1 in for the 3.1 miles of the 5K.  Understandable.  After that, we would run the path that the cross country team runs.  That meant nothing to me, but as I am not ever in the lead, I figured that I would just go where everyone else goes as usual.  One woman overheard the directions and commented about the path being the ‘one with the hill.’  Uh oh.  Well, I figured we were in the middle of a field…how hilly could it be?  Flat paths in pictures.  Yes.  This wouldn’t be so bad.

And it wasn’t.  Except that this was more of a trail run than a road race.  The path was completely made up of loose gravel, little pebbles that made running on it more like running in sand.  Once you hit the path, you round a corner and you head into a wooded area where you round a lake, come back around, and head through a tunnel to hit up the other side of the park.  The entire time, you are cruising along on this soft gravel, feet sliding a bit, sometimes hitting roots and pine cones.  It was a challenge.  I never ran cross country in high school or college.  In fact, running was punishment in the sports I did play during my time in high school.  College?  I was too busy working full time and going to class to fit in any sort of sport.  This was completely new to me and, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t prepared for it.

Be that as it may, I still took the race as it came.  Instead of going with the downhill motion though, I found myself pulling back, so as not to trip on a tree root or slip on a pine cone.  It was a different sort of race.  A learning experience for sure.  I had left Bryan and Armand at the start line, so I was hoping they were doing okay with the terrain.  And, since the woman mentioned a hill, I found quite a few on this path.  More than I would have anticipated.  And every time I ran up one, I thought, “Okay…that was the hill she was talking about…”

WRONG!

I found the hill…about 1K out from the finish.  I round a corner where this massive, steep hill loomed, hidden from the cover of the trees.  I think I deflated upon seeing it.  Here I was…so close to the finish…and this beast was what stood between me and the finish line.

“Oh dear God!”

Yes, I said that aloud.  The runner behind me started laughing and as I started up it in a run, I heard him say, “Screw it, I’m walking it.”  Oh yeah…this was THE HILL.  No doubt about it.  And as I crested it to the leveled off area at the top and started back toward the tunnel to head in to the finish line, I thought about my grandpa, who was doing this race.  I had said flat terrain.  Here we had hills.  THAT hill to be specific.

After the pass back through the tunnel things got a little confusing.  Runners weren’t quite sure where to go.  Someone was waving in the distance to go straight, so the runner ahead of me and I did that, despite other runners having gone around the parked cars and through the playground to get back on track.  Guess I got to that point at the right time.  Next time…some cones to guide the way might be a good idea.  I could see the finish line, so on went the last bit of speed I could muster (thanks to THE HILL) and crossed the finish line.  My roommate, Cathy, and our friend Marc (who had moved to Birmingham last year) and was toting around his 1-year-old daughter, were there to greet me.  I wasn’t happy with my time, but I wasn’t disappointed either.  That was the first time I had run in those conditions so 27:48 was nothing to sneeze at.  Honestly, I had been hoping on setting a new 5K PR, but it will happen another time in another race.

Now came the part I was most excited about.  Bryan’s finish.  He was still out there, but I knew he wouldn’t be long behind me.  Cathy went to go get my mom, sister, and the kiddliewinks to come to the finish line.  Marc and I stood around and talked for a bit.  It was great.  The excitement of the race was there.  And we had brought signs for Bryan.  Because every runner needs signs and encouragement during their first race.  Or any race.

The family got to the finish line and we busted out the signs.  Landon, who is five, was given a sign that simply said, “Run Daddy Run!”  My sister had a sign that said, “Bryan: Today you are my hero!”  Except she had pictures to take so I held that for her.  Makes sense.  And not but five minutes after we got everyone there…we see him.  He sees us.  His pace picks up and he runs down the final stretch to the finish line.  And he crossed at 37:57 seconds.  A great base to build on as he does more running.  I was so proud of him.  I went and gave him a hug and congratulated him.  And he said that he had a lot of fun.  I had been telling him that running in races is addictive because runners are awesome people and the atmosphere at these things is just…incredible.  I think he now understood.  He had a great time.

Armand was about 10 minutes behind him.  When we saw him coming the cheer section kicked back into gear.  Armand finished the race in 46:03.  We congratulated him and talked for a bit about the run, about the path, about THE HILL.

And then…it was grandpa’s turn.  We could see him coming.  He was walking the race, but as we found out, was the oldest competitor in the event.  It was so much fun to stand at that finish line and cheer for him.  Chace, my 2-year-old nephew, scampered out to see grandpa as he was coming into the finish line.  And Landon went to walk with him through it.  Grandpa, at 90 years old, completed that 5K course, with THE HILL, in 55:12.  It was so awesome to be in a race with him.  He had to give up running a couple years ago, but walking he can do.  And he rocked this race.  At 90 years old, he finished a 5K in under an hour.  That is amazing.  How many 90-year-olds can claim that?  I was so proud of him.  There were more hugs and our race was done.

Armand had to go, and Bryan and my grandpa were going to head back to my parents house.  My sister and mom stuck around for a bit, as we were going to check out the Gluten-Free Expo.  But, it took awhile for the awards ceremony to start, and by then, my mom needed to get to the grocery store to pick up some items and get home because both Chace and Landon needed to eat by 11 a.m. and grandpa would probably want to take a nap after the exciting day.  So, off they went and Cathy and I went to check out the expo for a brief walk through.  It had been our intention to check out a few seminars, but my grandpa was in town, and I could go to other expos.  So, after working our way around the tables and through the crowd, we headed home for a light lunch and some down time before hitting up a birthday party for two of my brother’s kids.

It was a busy, busy day.

Official race results weren’t posted until Monday, but once they were I found out that I placed fourth in my age division.  The woman who came in first, was only 30 seconds faster than me.  Wow.  Overall, I finished 19th.  Bryan was 13th in his age division and 59th overall.  Armand was 17th in his age division and 92nd overall.  And grandpa…he was 3rd in his age division (which consisted of a 67-year-old and a 61-year-old), the oldest competitor, and was 142nd overall.  After scanning the list, I found out 172 people finished, which means 30 people came in after grandpa did.  And the person who crossed the finish line last…was 26.  I am overwhelmed with pride for my grandpa.  He does things like this and I become the proud granddaughter and brag on him as much as possible.  And why shouldn’t I?  He’s amazing!

I hope that this race sparked a fire in Bryan to get him out and competing in other races.  Not only are they great workouts, but races are addictive and fun.  I hate when I don’t have a race to be in on a weekend.  I hope he does more of them.  I hope we can run more of them together.  I hope Armand gets back into running, because I’d really like someone to run the Chicago Marathon with me in 2013.

As for grandpa…what can I say?  The man is amazing.  He is my inspiration…my road hero…for a reason.  I love him dearly and thank him for being a light on this path to running.

Two huge things happened at the Making Tracks for Celiacs 5K race.  Bryan competed and finished his first 5K…and I was in a race with my grandpa.  I’m proud of them.  Really, really proud of them.

Race: Snowman Shuffle 4 Miler

Place: Cherokee Park, Louisville, KY

Date: February 4, 2012

Time: 33:17

FINALLY!

Yes…finally!  After about a month off from having a race on my calendar, my second race of the year finally arrived.  I had been out running every day prior to this, tapering the week of the race to keep my legs in shape, but rested at the same time, and mentally preparing myself for the hilly wonder that is Cherokee Park in Louisville, Kentucky.  I swear, that last mile and a half is always straight up hill.

As I mentioned yesterday, I wasn’t feeling the usual bit of excitement that preludes a race.  I don’t know if it was other things going on in life, or the usual grumpiness from not being able to clock the miles that I normally would, but I was down.  Like, down and out down.  So, when the alarm clock went off this morning, I shut it off and had to have a pep talk with myself to get out of bed, get dressed in my running gear, and down a light breakfast.

But, I managed.  And, as I had heard that we were likely to get rain today, I thought to wear my older pair of running shoes instead of the new ones.  My old pair have seen me through many, many, many wet races.  What was one more, right?  But, at the moment, no rain was falling.  In fact, it was rather dry outside.

Until I polished off my bowl of Cinnamon Chex with a splash of almond/coconut milk.

Then, as if on cue, the running gods joined forces with Mother Nature to make sure that they made up for the gorgeous weather we got to run in back in January for the Frostbite 5K (or race #2 of the Polar Bear Grand Prix).  Today, the Snowman Shuffle 4 Miler (the third and final race of the Polar Bear Grand Prix) would be run…in the cold, pouring rain.

Sigh.

Oh well.  This is second hat for me.

I decided (thankfully) to wear my running jacket over the tech shirt I had on.  I didn’t think it was going to be that cold, so I had on a pair of my shorts.  Wow…was I ever surprised.  So, if my legs were going to be frozen blocks of ice, at least my torso and arms would be warm.  Oh…no gloves either today.

Call me unprepared.

The entire drive to the park, I keep hoping the rain will let up.  But it didn’t.  So, it was going to be a wet, cold race today.  Four miles wasn’t too bad though, so I sucked it up, went and got my bib number and the backpack we got as swag, then hurried back to the car to keep warm for a little bit.

Stretching commenced about twenty minutes before the actual race kicked off.  I limbered up and then went to head out to line up at the start with the few runners who ventured that way.  As the race got closer to kicking off, the stream of the rest of them joined in.  There were a total of 650 finishers at this race.  It was one of the smaller ones, probably due to weather.

The race kicked off right on time, and I started off slow.  I finally got to a point where I could break away from the pack of runners that were all crowded together and find a good pace.  I had my iPod going on my running mix and as I came up on the half mile mark, U2’s “Beautiful Day” began to play.  Given that it was in the low 40s and raining, it made me smile.  And it really lifted my spirits.  I don’t dislike running in the rain.  Most of my best times have been accomplished in such weather.  I just don’t like doing it if I don’t have to.

Mile 1 ticked off fast.  I couldn’t hear my time as I ran by, but I didn’t care.  The rain was splashing all over me.  The wind was starting to pick up, but I was off and running.  Coming up on Mile 2, my hood came down and I just let the rain pour all over me.  I was feeling great.  And then…the hills hit.

Cherokee Park…your hills will always hinder me until I get more accustomed to running them.  (Note to self: Run more hills!)  This did slow my pace some as the last 2 miles are pretty much a steady climb.  Up.  Up.  Up.  Mile 3 passes.  You start to wonder if or when it will ever level off.  And you keep thinking…eventually you have to go back down.  And then you reach the peak…you see the fountain where the race kicked off.  You can see the finish line just ahead.  And finally, the terrain levels.  I sprinted as fast as I could manage then to the finish line.

And totally blasted my previous 4 mile time by a full 3 minutes 26 seconds!  How is that for an improvement?

So, despite the rain, despite the cold, and despite my attitude the day prior…I ran the hell out of this race and I had a  lot of fun doing it.  Yes…even the dreaded hills.

My roommate met me at the finish line with a towel (bless her!) and my dry hoodie.  I got out of my very heavy, very soaked running jacket and hunkered down into the warm (yes, warm…she ran them under the hand driers in the park bathroom) towel and hoodie until I got back to the car.

We went to the local running store, Blue Mile, where they were kind enough to let me use their dressing room to change into dry clothes for the rest of the day.  Thank you awesome people at Blue Mile.

I really think all the hard work, dedication, and joy that I find and put into running is really paying off.  I am definitely improving speed-wise.  I know there will be bad races and bad running days, but I also know that I can overcome them and press on.  And, in the end, I’m there to run.  That simple!

Thank you, Polar Bear Grand Prix.  I had a blast doing my first ever winter runs!  See you next year!