Just running in the rain…
what a glorious feeling.
Okay, once you get past the miserable pain the left shin, it was actually a glorious feeling.
Got to the Y early because I was worried about parking. Of course, it was pouring down rain (and has been for days), so parking wasn’t a problem. Got my t-shirt & number & went back to the car to get ready. Then I was thinking that if not a lot of people showed up, I might actually do okay in my age group. I mean if only 2 40-year-old women were running & I was one of them, I’d be in second place in my age group, right? So I went back in to check out the competition. Cause now I’m thinking about competing with someone besides myself.
The competition: 40-year-old heads atop 18-year-old bodies & quite a few of them. The competition is doing this little race to train for their half marathons & marathons. That’s when I take a look at the rest of the runners milling around the lobby & it hits me: when it’s pouring down rain, only the serious runners & power-walkers come out to play…I’m guessing there were only about 50-75 people in the race. I figure most of the runners will be in the middle of breakfast before I cross the finish line, but what the hell, mom always taught us that if the officials don’t call the game because of rain, you play. So I gotta play.
We took off & within minutes I was smack dab in the middle of the race. The runners all ahead of me, the walkers all behind. I was the last runner. But I figured I’d keep my sights on the group of 3 runners ahead of me & just focus on maintaining the same distance from them & putting more and more distance between me & the walkers. At the beginning of the race, we were told it was a “lovely, flat course,” which it turns out is runners’ humor or something cause it was all hills and, if possible, all those hills went up. & it rained and poured & my glasses fogged up so badly I couldn’t see a thing & my shin started aching like mad around the 1-mile mark & the humidity was awful. Then, as I crossed a divided highway, more than half-way through, I turned down my shuffle to hear the police and volunteers’ directions across the road, turned the shuffle back up when I was safely across & yes, it was dead.
At this point, I had to laugh & the truth is that I didn’t miss the music that much. Not having it let me focus on psyching myself up for the final push. I even managed a goofy smile, arms raised in victory, for the camera as I crossed the finish line. It was a fun race.
The clock read 42:15 as I crossed the finish line, so my time will be a little below that. Given the hills, the rain, and my lacklustre training lately, I’m pretty happy to have cut about 4 minutes off my time from the May race. & now, while the endorphins are still with me, it’s time to sign up for the super-hilly race in October.
But first I think I’ll check in with Eryn to see how her race went today!
Breakfast: usual minus blueberries
Lunch: salad with HB egg
Dinner: piece of multigrain french bread & beef stew…I got sick of the rainy weather & decided we needed something warm & homey for dinner.
Snack: fat/sugar free pudding with cool whip free
Exercise: 5K & my shins are killing me!
OMG… I would have totally BAILED if it were raining. You are ONE OF THOSE GIRLS, the serious, run-in-the-rain girls. I’m not worthy. Your time is excellent and hills suck and rain sucks and you did it anyway and even managed to do it with a smile. Wow!
WOW, YOU! What a great day. Proud of you. My brother used to have a bumper sticker on his camper, “Camp in the rain, don’t complain.” I changed it to “Hike in the rain” for me, and found I *like* hiking in the rain! B ut look at you, not only do you run now, but you are doing great at it. Just take care of those shin spints. There are painful, as you know, but you can’t rush them - they have to have rest. Give yourself a well-earned break. What a job! Congrats! You’re not just a runner, you’re a pro at life! lol
Delita
http://3fatchicks.com/diet-blogs/delitaagain/
Woo hoo for you! That is excellent time, especially for the rainy up hill battle that it was! Rain I can handle, at least that way it is not as obvious how profusely that I am sweating. But the up hill thing, I am not feeling the love. I may as well get used to it though because flat land is scarce here!
Mmm. Warm and homey. Sounds good to me! I have been eyeing up this chicken pot pie recipe in Cooking Light. too bad it still feels like summer here!
And NOW look who’s running in the rain! And hills. too? Oh my great gravy, “who are you and what the hell have you done with bigprof”?
no, though really, plus a 4 min. shave, not too shabby at all for a gal I know who not too long ago wouldn’t have set foot outside to run in the rain!! That’s so cool!
That’s a good time for raniy and on hills!! I wasn’t sure about the time zone thing. I know when my friend lived in MI, she was an hour behind me… I think. I don’t remember. Oh well.