I woke up on Saturday morning with knots in my stomach because I was so nervous. Slowly, I put on my shoes, attaching the time-chip to my laces. I pinned the number to my t-shirt and waited until it was time to leave, not saying much of anything. When we got to the race, I realized that setting up a "rendezvous point" would have been smart, but we all found each other near the starting lines. I think I was the only nervous one, but standing there and waiting for the 10K to start and then waiting more for our race to start was gruelling.
Finally, the gun went off and we started running. The knots did not go away, but persisted throughout the entire race. I remember thinking the entire time, "I will never do this again. One time is enough for me!" There were lots of little kids running, so we had to swerve around them. It was a constant battle because they would sprint for a while, get tired and walk, then sprint again. We would pass them, then get passed, etc. At one point, about halfway thru, a car was inching into the intersection to drive right through us. Any normal person would turn around and find an alternate route, but not this person. Right as we entered the interesection, the person gunned it right through, making me stop a little. I gave the car a pound on its behind to let it know that was RUDE!!! Richard was a great cheerleader for all of us, plus he took pictures during the race (notice I am scowling in each one). One race participant yelled out that the spectators are not supposed to run faster than the racers!
The picture above shows us all at the beginning of the race. Laura and I are in the gray shirts and matching shorts, Abby is in the bright pink shirt (so we never lost sight of her).
When the finish was in sight, I was exhausted. I didn't think I could even give it a last push, however a lady with a stroller passed me and all of the sudden I surged ahead not willing to be beat by the people ahead of me. I won't lie, that felt really good. I finished at 17:52, which was more than I hoped for (I was aiming in the 16 minute). I am not disappointed, however, because I was extremely nervous, there was a lot of wind, it was very hot and humid, and it was my very first race. I actually think that having a goal made me more nervous. I am just thankful that we all finished and had a great time! And, my watch was great! I looked at it about halfway through and could guess how we were doing.
It was really fun to do this with friends. I don't think it would have been as enjoyable if I was all alone. Instead, at the finish we could talk and congratulate each other.
Laura and I went to get some orange slices after the race. As we were walking back, we heard, "We need a representative from Chicks on the Run to come to the Lincoln Track Club trailer to get your prize." We were in shock. It ends up that we got 2nd place in the femail division and we got $7 gift certificates to any Havelock store! That sealed the deal for me and made me want to do another race! I think you will see us running another race at some point...perhaps we will bump it up to a 5K!
After the race, we were pooped. We went home to shower and then I met the Millhouse/Huebert family at a new little restaurant that had perfect tasting Southern Sweet Tea. After a great meal, I went to South Pointe and did a little shopping, took a nap, and then Richard and I ordered pizza and watched a movie. It felt good to relax (Richard ran 6 miles before the race, chased me around during the race, and golfed that afternoon) It was a great day.
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