My first post is going to be about my new found "hobby". Last year I took up running and while I will use the term "runner" loosely, it has become something that I can actually say that enjoy. It won't be much of a secret but I really enjoy running races for the bling. There's just something about getting a bright and shiny medal when you've run X number of miles. It makes it feel like all the sweat, pain and blisters are worth it.
Here's my not so great recap of the 5k I ran on my 33rd Birthday.
On the morning of my 33rd birthday, I had decided to run a 5k for the Wounded Warrior Project out a the ocean front. (I'm not going to post the link to the race since its not a stellar review but it is a good cause.) I signed up with my faithful running buddy and her hubby. Turns out her hubby couldn't make the race so we were flying solo. No biggie. We made our way down to the ocean front in the chilly late March temperatures. Which is totally not normal for this time of year. I was looking forward to showing off my new sparkly skirt my sister made me - not bundling up to run outside. We picked up our race packets and made our way back to the car to warm up and get our selves all situated. For a sport that requires so little, I feel like I'm always running down a list of "things" I need to make sure I have. Race-belt, Chapstick, phone, earbuds, GU......the list goes on and on.
We made our way down to the race area (right by the big Neptune statue by the Hilton). For a small race it was really crowded. There wasn't any exact starting corrals, just people milling around in the park and on the boardwalk. They made an announcement that the race was about to start (6 mins after it was supposed to start). While we waited for a whistle, or a horn - nothing. Next thing I know we all started running. I was hoping to clock a new PR so I was unsure as to where the actual start line was so I didn't really know when to start my gps. I picked a good spot (I'm pretty sure there was a flag there) and started my gps. I have been running pretty consistently for the last few weeks so I felt great. My running buddy on the other hand has had a lot going on in her life and hasn't had the time to hit the pavement. While I wanted a PR, running with her is more important to me. Especially since it wasn't a chip timed race. By the time we reached the 1.5mi turn around spot both of us were sweating from the too many layers we were wearing. So it was time to de-layer and make our way back to the finish line where it was just as chaotic as the start was. There was no race clock, but a guy reading off our times from his cell phone.
While the race was not the best for both of us, it was an absolute gorgeous day out at the ocean front. I couldn't have picked a better person to run with on my birthday, and for such a great cause. I just hope that the next race is a bit more organized - because the turnout was great.
This was the only picture we took at the race right before we started running.
Now onto my next race....The Glow Run 5k in Richmond May 11th. This one I plan on brining my sister, her best friend and my nephew. And my running buddy of course!!
0 comments:
Post a Comment