Race Redemption...

...bright and early this AM, the race crew pictured below and I headed to Union Station in downtown St. Louis to run in the Delta Gamma Race for Sight 5K. After last weekend, I was really hoping for a good race for a confidence booster to get me back on track for the half.

As soon as we arrived, we hit up the potties because, as you know, the wait for the women's bathroom is always super long. When I came out, I saw Jennelle waiting in line, I looked at her and we immediately recognized each other (surprisingly because I try not to post bad pictures of myself on here or if I do, I keep them at a distance and I was NOT looking my cutest at 8am on race day). We chatted for a second and I saw her at the start line, it's always great to run into people you "know" even if it is only through blog land.

I was also supposed to meet up with Amy and her husband but I left my phone in the car so I didn't have to run with it. I walked around the entire morning saying to my race crew, "Do you see Amy or Chris?...Amy?...Chris?" Needless to say, if I ever had to describe a wanted fugitive to the police, you would all be suspects because my explanation of what Amy and Chris looked like basically described every person there...oops! Oh well, hopefully, we'll be able to meet up soon!!! I'm just glad you all had a great time (and by great I mean as great as exercising can be at 8:30AM on a Sunday morning).

Here is the race crew (L to R): Me, Trent, Stevie, Matt

So now for the race report...This was the first race I'd ever run in where you had to put a tag on your shoe. Seriously, the four of us on the "race crew" could NOT figure this out. We'd think we have it then we'd look at the diagram again and start over. Then we'd think we had it again and we couldn't tie our shoes, finally we said screw it, we'll see what everyone else is doing when we get there. We also reminded each other to be sure to look at the clock as we finished in case we royally messed these tags up...good news-we didn't mess it up and we all got timed properly.

As we waited at the starting line, I started listening to my Ipod to get pumped up. FYI-running a race with friends is so much better than running on your own. The horn went off and Trent was gone...see ya later! My goal was to finish in under 35 minutes and to "try" to keep up with Matt (the husband). He totally frustrates me because he doesn't work out a day in his life and then goes and runs like it ain't no thang. This is why when he asked if he could run the half with me, I said no. I politely told him that he could cheer at the half and point and say, "That's my wife!" but there will be no running it for him.

So we start off, my Ipod blaring "Super Freak" in my ears (don't ask-my sister and six year niece made the playlist) and less than 50 yards from the start line, I look at Stevie and point, "Someone lost their underwear!" Stevie laughs at me and lets me know that I'm super loud with the headphones on. Oops! I started laughing and thinking, it's going to be a long race if I'm already laughing and messing up my breathing.

Basically this course just looped up and down the streets of downtown St. Louis (I still haven't seen a map of the course). They changed it from last year and this year had a LOT more hills in it, sorry Trent we lied to you about it being fairly flat. So I make the first turn and Stevie starts to fall behind, I run a little further, turn around and see her about 30 yards back and make a big waving motion for her to come on...I never saw her again until the finish line.

Right before where I'm assuming mile 1 was (no sign for it, apparently they were yelling at us that it was mile 1 but I was on to Katy Perry blaring in the ears so I couldn't hear them), I see two guys that I saw Stevie talking to before the race run off course. I get to the cross street and I don't see them...hmm, guess they had to take a pit stop (after the race we ran into him again and he reluctantly confirmed my suspicions-must be nice to be a guy!). I'd lost Matt by this time but I could still see his bandana-ed head in front of me so I felt good that he was within my site.

I finally hit mile 2 and checked out the time, 25 miles after start time...no way was I going to meet my 35 minute goal. Instead of getting down on myself, I just shrugged it off because I was already having a great time with the "race crew" and I knew the race was for an awesome cause (they had some of the kids there that benefit from Delta Gamma and they were so stinkin' cute!). At about mile 2.5, I almost TOTALLY wiped out and while most of the course didn't have too many spectators along the way, of course, this spot had a TON! Thank goodness my headphones were on so I didn't hear the group OH!!! I actually started laughing and just kept running.

I was on the last road stretch before the turn behind Union Station telling myself I could do it when I just lost it all. I think because I knew how much was still ahead of me from running the race last year. There was a lady in all black, we'll call her the "Black Widow", ahead of me that I was trying to keep within distance but as turned the corner and was gone. UGH! So I kept truckin' on...

Now let me tell you this, I do NOT brag on myself for being a runner...at.all. On Daily Mile, I originally listed myself as a walker because I don't feel that my slow turtle pace classifies me as a runner. I DO, however, have one hell of a runner's kick. I would like to credit that to my many years of being a defender in soccer and having to chase down the opposing team. So I see the three mile marker and I...turn...it...on!!! I was running faster than I thought my little body had it in me, for a second I didn't think I would be able to keep it up until the finish line then out of no where this guy with a stroller shows up sprinting beside me (scared the bejeezus out of me since I couldn't hear him coming) and then I saw the "Black Widow" ahead of me (keep in mind I hadn't seen her for probably at least a tenth of a mile or more) and I told myself I had to keep it up. Seriously, this was like the last 10 yards of the race, so I kicked it up and passed her with about 4 steps to spare!!! I glanced at the clock and saw it said 34 minutes...I was so freakin' excited!!! I passed about 10 or so people (some may have been part of the walking part of the race) in the last .1 of the race, caught and passed "Black Widow" AND finished under 35 minutes!!!

It's almost 2pm as I write this and I'm STILL excited about this morning!!! It was exactly what I needed to clear my mind and get back on track for the last 30 days or so of training for the half!!! Tomorrow is a 5 or 6 mile run then golf tournament in the afternoon. It's nice to have the gusto back in me for running.

Final results for my "race crew"

Trent 27:05 (his first 5K ever!!!)
Matt 28:29 (shaved about 2 minutes off last year's race and ran in his brand new "princess" shoes for the first time, he totally credits the shoes for his awesome time)
Me 34:23 (WOOHOO!!! Last year's race time was 37.46)
Stevie 36.34 (she also shaved a minute off last year's race time)

Thanks for all the positive thoughts to get me there today! You all rock! I credit all the support from my blog, Daily Mile and real life friends and family plus the great "race crew" with me today and maybe even the chocolate PB thing I had for breakfast too...