Tag Archives: race

Inaugural Rock ‘N Roll St Pete Half Marathon Recap

Posted on by Run DMT
13

The temperature for the start of the Inaugural Rock ‘n Roll St Pete Half Marathon had been predicted to hit 42 degrees.  Therefore, I had to rethink my whole outfit which is a big deal to a stunner runner like me, especially since my friends, Chrissy, Faith and I had planned our race outfit months ago.

Layers would be essential.  So, the night before the race I tried on all my old winter gear to make sure everything still fit and wouldn’t rub my unmentionables.  I also had to find a fleece pullover, some gloves and other warm articles of clothing, which would be waiting in baggage check at the end of the race.

After studying the course map for water stations and food stations, I decided against wearing my fuel belt and opted to wear my SPI belt instead to carry my phone and camera, the most important gear next to my shoes.

Chrissy, Faith, Heather, Jillian and I arrived at Tropicana Field a good hour and half before the start and even in all our layers, we were freezing our Rock ‘n Rolls off. Before the start of the race, the overnight low had dipped to as low as 35 degrees.

Crowds of people huddled around the propane powered halogen lights for warmth.  What’s a few brain cells? Oxygen is so overrated.  It’s a small price to pay for warmth and my friends and I gladly paid it once I stripped off my fleece pullover before the start.

Our bib numbers corresponded to our corrals, which placed me in corral 6.  After a few potty breaks and baggage check, the line into corral 6 spilled past corral 8.  The start time would be delayed approximately two minutes for each corral and I became a bit obsessive with trying to get into corral 6, like a scene from European Vacation, “Look kids! Corral 6! If I could just get over, I could get into corral 6.”

Finally with a little fancy footwork, I managed to find my way into corral 6 and joined the masses to start on time or as close to “on time” for those of us in the back (about 7 minutes after the offical start).

The first mile looped around and led us back to Tropicana Field.  During the first mile, my socks felt a bit strange, like they had slipped down and bunched up in my shoes.  Then, I felt a sensation like pins and needles in my toes and realized my socks were fine.  My feet were defrosting.

I ran that first mile pretty hard, harder than I had intended (~8:30), but I was so bloody cold.  The warmth and pace felt good.

Local bands and DJs entertained us about every mile along the course, which broke up the distance and kept things moving along.

I hit the 5K split at around 30 minutes.  At mile 5, I tossed my gloves because my hands were starting to sweat.  At the 10K split, I appeared to be meeting my 2:15 goal.

And then, we turned the corner and headed towards the bay.  The wind off the bay nearly froze me all over again.  When that first arctic gust hit me, I wished I still had my gloves.  Why didn’t I stuff them in my SPI belt?!

With the wind, blew my chances of finishing around 2:15.  I just couldn’t fight it.  Every time it hit me, I would clench my fists, cringe and shake.  I am such a Florida girl.

But I kept pounding the pavement.  Although technically for this little stretch, it was cobblestone and I began running through neighborhood yards to avoid the cobblestone.  Like I said, it was only for a little stretch, so no yards were harmed in the making of this half marathon post.

For the most part, the course was flat.  There was the occasional bridge and incline, like around mile 7, but I found the wind more of a challenge than the inclines.

Along the Pier around mile 9, I caught up with the 2:15 pace group. After my sad experience with the Space Coast pace group, I vowed to avoid them because they make me feel all insecure and unworthy if I can’t keep up, which wreaks havoc on my self-esteem and breaks my stride.  So I did my best to not focus on the pace group, especially when they seem to be slipping away.  No matter. I was still having fun with or without a super hero pace group.

However, the real super heroes are the entertainment and spectators who fought the frigid temps to cheer us on.

* Stilt men photo captured by Tracey of Suncoast Running*

King Tut danced for us, but the girls holding these signs stole my heart, because they spoke honey badger.

Just after mile 10, a food station offered Gu, but the cold air made it as hard as a rock.  Once I managed to squeeze out the contents, I was disappointed with the flavor.  I should have packed a Cliff Shot.

Once we reached the Vinoy Hotel, my panic over another path of cobblestone took my mind off the after taste of the vanilla Gu.  I opted to run through the grass of Vinoy park to avoid the cobblestone.

As we approached mile 11, we faced another bridge and I began to struggle a bit more.  At this point, my heels started bothering me due to a previous plantar fasciitis injury and I had to walk a little.

We circled around the Vinoy Country Club and mile 12 led us back over the bridge. This was the homestretch now.




Oh how the term “homestretch” never felt truer as this short distance of the race seemed to go on forever!


I could see the finish line, but it felt as though it kept slipping away from me.  A few Suncoast Striders cheered for me as I ran towards the finish line which helped me pick up the pace.  I knew I was almost there.

Yep, I rocked 13.1 miles in the cold.

And I would totally do it again, even if it was cold and windy.  It was that much fun.

Bib# 6465

Overall 4227 out of 7006

 Division 455 out of 822

 Gender 2349 out of 4562

5 Km 31:00

6 Mi 1:01:04

10 Mi 1:43:08

Pace 10:43

Chip Time 02:20:28

Clock Time 02:27:32

Garmin Time 2:20:34

Garmin Ave Pace 10:32

As for Chrissy and Faith’s first half marathon, they finished at 2:45:26 and 2:45:28 respectively.  They wanted to finish under 3 hours, so they were very happy with their times.  We were all proud of them!

Jillian finished a few minutes behind me.  I didn’t even know she was behind me!

Due to a bad T-band situation, Heather finished around 2:35.

After the race, Jillian and I heard Flo Rida bellow, “Where them girls at?”  So, these Flo Rida girls found their way over to the stage and the post-race party reunion area.  Flo Rida was the a perfect headliner to keep spirits high.

The weather was cold, but Flo Rida was HOT!  He created a fun party atmosphere.

*Photo of Flo Rida in the crowd by Jillian*

Although we just ran 13.1 miles, we found the energy to bounce with Flo and got low, low, low.  Between a great race and hanging at a jumping post-race party with friends, we really did get a good feeling…yeah.

PhotoStory Fridaythe hollie rogueUnknown Mami

Run to Get a Good Feeling and Crash Your Party

Posted on by Run DMT
9

This Sunday is the long awaited St. Pete. Rock ‘N Roll Half Marathon.  I’m not expecting any great PR (personal record) or PB (personal best) because I haven’t trained as hard as I would have liked.  I’m just going to get out there and run.

As long as I finish around 2:15 (my last half marathon time) and before 10:00 a.m. to see Flo Rida perform at the finish line, then I’ll be happy.  I’ll get a good feeling.  Yeah.

If I don’t make it to the finish line in time, then I’ll be sure to crash the after race party.



Visit Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.

Space Coast Marathon Recap

Posted on by Run DMT
13

About two weeks prior to the Space Coast Marathon, I developed heel spurs or plantar fasciitis, which I believe resulted from running in old shoes.  Everything I read online recommended not running for at least week.  That meant no taper runs and definitely no running at all until I bought new shoes.  Unfortunately, new shoes were not in the budget but thankfully with some Black Friday deals, Suncoast Running made new running more affordable.

Now, I just needed to break in my new shoes two days before my race.  Therefore, I wore my new shoes all day and hoped it would do the trick.

Also two weeks prior to the race, my Garmin died but a new Garmin was definitely NOT in the budget.  At the race expo and packet pick-up, I registered for a pace team to keep me on target for a 5:00 finish time with an average pace of 11:27.

On race day, I arrived at the start an hour before the race with my Suncoast Strider friends.  An early arrival offered enough time to eat breakfast and use the potty an adequate number of times to start the race with an empty bladder.

The start line sat in the middle of Cocoa Village, a quaint little shopping center with a small town feel or so it looked in the dark.  I found my pace team among the crowd in a corral way in the back and we waited patiently for the race to begin.  We were ready for lift off!

The race route led us through the town and south on along the Indian River.  About mile 2, it began to rain and with the rain came some strong wind from the east.  With the rain, there would be no sunrise over the Indian River, but it also meant no sun and that’s a plus.

Then, the road inclined and kept climbing and I cursed myself for not doing any hill training.  Around mile 4, I needed to pee but I was afraid to leave my pace group to wait in line, so I kept running uphill which felt like forever.

At mile 8, I discovered a Star Trek water station with first aid and a vacant port-o-potty.  I reapplied some Vaseline in my underarms and my unmentionables to prevent chaffing and popped into the loo.  At that point, I lost my pace group but “Mr. Spock” gave me plenty encouragement even though it seemed highly illogical.

I guess Spock was right, because the next few miles went well even though I lost my pace group.  At one point, my pace leader surprised me from behind and told me I was right on target to finish in 5 hours.  I mentioned how worried I was when I didn’t see the group any more, but she told me they were running about a minute faster.

Mile 11, I met Dark Helmet and the Space Balls crew.  “May the Schwartz be with you.”

At the half marathon mark, the race route led us through the village back at the starting point, where I spotted the Suncoast Striders cheerleaders.

Physically, I still felt pretty good, but I think this is where I experienced a mental breakdown because visually it felt like I reached the end. With lots of spectators and tons people cheering, the motivation to finish was high.  I stayed strong and even stopped for another photo opp with the I Dream of Jeanie team.

But then, the race turned a dark corner mentally and physically (and visually from the overcast).  I saw all the half marathon finishers run past and realized I was only half way finished.  And then, my heels started hurting.

Although this half of the course was more flat, the damage was already done.  At mile 15, the pain became so intense.  I tweeted, Facebooked and texted to take my mind off the pain.  I needed ibuprofen, but the first aid was still 2 miles away as reported to me by @BigBadEd.

I tried to find inspiration from a blind runner tethered to a running partner or a mom pushing a triple stroller, but the only relief came from walking.  So, I walked the next two miles until I found the first aid.

Once at mile 17 and the first aid tent, I sobbed out the words, “I need ibuprofen.”    I resolved to walk the remained of the race.

Around mile 19, I literally found my Cheeseburger in Paradise at the Parrothead water station as some of the pain began to subside, but it might have been in part to the Jimmy Buffet music that played or the ibuprofen finally kicking in.  I elected to take advantage of one more photo opp before running again, but really it only made me want a shot of tequila and call it a day.

Once I reached mile 20, I decided to try running again.  The finish was only an hour away, if I ran my normal pace.  But this was most certainly NOT my normal pace.  I was hobbling along at what I imagine was a 16:00 mile pace.  Every inch of me hurt from my toes to my left bicep.  Why would my bicep hurt?

Every time I passed a water station, I stopped to dump water on my head to cool myself off and to mask the tears.  But it didn’t stop the ugly cry which was prompted by anyone who said, “You’re doing great!”

It took me an hour and a half to finish those last 6.2 miles, because I ran them…slowly…very, very slowly.  I had to do it. Even if I meant I would be passed by elderly speedwalkers.  I had to finish running.

Water stations were closing up shop.  The race began to appear like a ghost town since most spectators left hours ago but their signs of encouragement still stood.

And I just kept moving forward.  A few people stayed behind to cheer the last of us in.  Their faces are literally a blur as I couldn’t see their faces behind my tears.

I finished the last .2 miles around the park strong and with a smile.  When I crossed the finish line, a Space Coast Volunteer hung a medal around my neck and out came the ugliest cry ever. When I found Allan, I fell into his arms.  I just wanted to go home.

With huge smiles, it was evident my family was proud of me and with those smiles no one who have guessed they waited an extra two hours for me.

Chip Time 6:28:14

Clock Time 6:31:56

Overall 846/886

This race may have tested me, but I will get back on the marathon horse again.  I have my sights set on another one next fall, but first I need to cool my heels with the help of a frozen water bottle.  Once these heels and legs (and oddly left bicep) heal, there will be lots of hill training and speed work in the days to come.

“Gentlemen, we can rebuild her. We have the technology. We can make her better than she was before.  Better…stronger…faster.”  - The Six Million Dollar Man Run DMT

PhotographySweet Shot Day

Next Year

Posted on by Run DMT
7

Yesterday, I ran in the Space Coast Marathon.

To say I ran it is an overstatement.  I more like hobbled to the finish line.  It was my worst race ever.

Whether I ran it, walked it or limped over the finish line, I still earned a medal regardless of my time which will forever be listed on Active.com with all my other race results and my husband and my kids were there to for cheer me.  Having them there meant the world to me.

Now, I’m healing my body to start training all over again for my races coming up in the new year.  And I’ll run another marathon, maybe Palm Beach, Jacksonville or New York.  It doesn’t matter as long as I can redeem my performance next year.


Visit Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.

Oh Lordy, Look Who’s 40!

Posted on by Run DMT
9

Who knew that the Space Coast Marathon and I both turned 40 this year?!  I sure didn’t realize that when I thought about running the race.  But now that I know, it just makes the marathon that more meaningful for me, especially since I get this fancy bling bragging about my accomplishment at 40.

*Image borrowed from the Space Coast Marathon Facebook page.*

The Space Coast Marathon and I…looking good at 40!

By the way…if you want to track my progress through out the race, my bib number is 34.

Working the Women’s Half Marathon

Posted on by Run DMT
4

I hadn’t planned to run the Women’s Half Marathon this year since Space Coast Marathon falls a week later.    Then, I heard my friends at Suncoast Running sponsored two water stations at this Women’s Half Marathon and needed about 3 dozen people to help work the stations.  I jumped at the chance to be part of a race without the training and roped my friends, Chrissy, Faith, Michelle and Raffi into helping too.

I have always wanted to give back to the sport that has given me so much.

I loved witnessing the different emotions (joy, elation, pain and exhaustion) as a spectator.  I had felt those emotions many times.  Sometimes all those emotions in one race.

We cheered and celebrated their victories while serving them water with smiles.

For me, working the water stations at the Women’s Half Marathon was far more enjoyable than running it and I would definitely do it again, if they’ll have me.  Hopefully, I didn’t scare anyone with my crazy pimp hat dumping feathers in anyone’s water or my loud mouth boisterous cheers and praise.

*Droid photo submitted to*

Unknown Mami

 

Random Thoughts about Some Challenges, My Heeling Process and a Footnote

Posted on by Run DMT
6

For the month of October, I committed to the Unprocessed Challenge and by doing so, I swore off processed foods.  Basically, participants had to refrain from eating foods they couldn’t reproduce, bake or cook themselves, such as foods that can only be produced in a factory.   Thankfully, store-bought beer and wine were acceptable.

Seriously?  In October?  What was I thinking?  I freaking love candy corn and other Halloween candy.  I think I ate even more of it because I knew I couldn’t on account of the challenge.  It was tough and I think I lasted (at most) two weeks.  And then I devoured some Tyson hot wings.

For November, I’m participating in the 30 Day Giving Challenge for the third year.  I love this challenge, but I’m not going to lie.  It’s hard, even when I plan out all my gifts for the month, because schedules change, kids gets sick and sometimes things just don’t always go according to plan.  I’ve done well though and I’ve given 15 gifts and then some in 15 days so far.

Speaking of gifts, my t-shirt giveaway didn’t attract as many people as other giveaways have in the past.  I tweeted, Facebooked, linked up at giveaway blog hops but still only 4 people entered the contest, including my SIL, Kirsten and my friend, Chrissy, who won as a result to all her entries.  Obviously, she had the best chance, which is what you hope for when hosting a giveaway.

Has anyone else noticed a drop in giveaway participants?

I had this whole 12 Days of Christmas giveaway plan in the works, but after this giveaway, I’m rethinking the idea.  It’s a lot of work and if it doesn’t generate a response, I’ll be disappointed.  Oh well.  But I’ve got other fun bloggie Christmas plans in the works, like a blogger ornament exchange and a virtual cookie recipe swap!  Stay tuned for more details!

This Sunday, as part of my giving challenge, I’m volunteering at the Women’s Half Marathon water stations with Suncoast Running.  I’m so excited to give back to a sport that has given me so much.  I’m looking forward to cheering and encouraging all the runners while handing them a cup of cold water with a smile.  It will mean the world to each participant, whether it’s their first half marathon or the fiftieth.

Do you remember that almost 21 miler I did a couple of weeks ago with little to no pain?  I even survived walking around Universal Studios the next day (minus a hamstring pull from 25 pound toddler squats all day).  Then, I didn’t run for two days to rest.  I ran about 3 miles on Tuesday and then on Wednesday, I ran almost 10 miles.  And that’s when it all went downhill.

I had some serious heel pain, like my heel was being stabbed with a knife.  I’ve never had this pain before, but I knew it wasn’t good.  I researched about heel pain and learned that I have heel spurs possibly as a result from increasing miles too quickly or running in old shoes (shoes without support). I’m inclined to believe it’s the latter because I’ve been pretty careful to not push myself too far too quickly.

As for healing my heel, everything I’ve read recommends taking a week off from running.  But, my marathon is in 12 days.  12 DAYS!  And I can’t run or even taper!

So now, I need new shoes.  But new shoes need to be broken in before I attempt to run 26.2 miles in them.  Plus, I don’t have any extra cash at the moment and I was really hoping Santa would bring me some new running shoes.  My friends over at Suncoast Running told me that they will have some great Black Friday specials. But I’m still nervous about running a marathon in new shoes.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) will be a week since I last ran and it still hurts to walk or put any pressure on my right heel.  I tried some light hiking when we went camping over the holiday weekend and the pain would gradually increase.  I’ve read that I can do alternate work-outs like cycling or very low impact aerobics, but I don’t think my heel could handle any impact.  Plus, I’m still scared to get back on my bike.  So resting and yoga is the plan for a few more days until I get some new shoes.  It seems my running plans have become a footnote and I’m not liking it all.

Oh and there’s this other nagging other issue I keep forgetting to do.  I haven’t booked a hotel room for the race yet.  I know. I know.  What am I waiting for?  I was waiting until I registered, which was delayed until I knew I could come close to a marathon distance again post-baby number 3.  Well, I’m officially registered (as of October 22) for the Space Coast Marathon and now I can’t find an available room.  But it doesn’t matter really because it appears that I will have to buy shoes instead of a securing a hotel room.  Looks like I’ll be sleeping in my car the night before the marathon. Yay.

As you can see, lots of challenges lie ahead this month.

*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy

Race for the Cure 2011 Recap

Posted on by Run DMT
11

I always enjoy the Race for the Cure 10K.  The course is gorgeous.  The distance is just right.  And for a slow runner like me, there’s no pressure.  Just me and tens of thousands people doing good in the ‘hood to raise money and awareness for breast cancer.

This year, my friend, Heather joined in the fun for her first 10K race.  I warned Heather that I often walk the water stations and not to feel bad if we separated, especially since I have a tendency to take a lot of photos while I run races.  Imagine how fast I could be if I didn’t take so many photos?

But I truly love taking photos while I run, because I capture moments like this.

 And it makes my race recaps just that more entertaining.  Otherwise, I’d have no evidence of this sweet handsome officer who volunteered to be my boyfriend.  I couldn’t resist capturing the moment.  I love a man in uniform.  Poor guy doesn’t even know what he got himself into.

But I digress…

The weather was perfect for our race.  With no humidity, it felt cooler than the forecasted 71 degrees.

The first part of the course led us along the St. Pete Pier which is always my favorite part.  As we ran towards the sunrise, the sun appeared to smile like a spectator cheering for us as we ran by.

From the Pier, we ran along the waterfront and passed the new location for the Dail museum and airfield.  This part of the course had a strange odor, like hot garbage.  Maybe they were melting more clocks for Dali’s exhibits?

Then the course led us through the streets of downtown St. Pete which was the largest portion of the 10K with a subtle incline. Thankfully, there were water stations just after each mile marker to walk it off.

The last mile, led us along the bay again and then finally to the finish line.

Chip Time 1:04:44

Overall 479

Div 34/77

Garmin Time 1:04:49

Ave Pace 10:14

Max Pace 7:26

I was really pleased with my time.  It’s my fastest 10K time post-baby.  Heather finished about 1 minute before me and as I expected, she did great (1:03:36).  I don’t even think she broke a sweat.

This fast crew (Jackie, Tara and Scott of Suncoast Running) finished about 15 minutes before Heather and me.  Even if I stopped taking photos during races, I could never be as fast as this lot.

But from what I understand, my running friends secretly enjoy their own personal paparazzi at all the races.  And for that, I’ll keep on flashing snapping and running.

Unknown Mami

Random Thoughts about My Muffin Top and My Cycles

Posted on by Run DMT
7

During my run yesterday morning, a black cat crossed my path.  Whereas most people would panic about such superstitious events, it reminded me to put out our Halloween decorations.   And with that, the girls and I decorated the yard for Halloween last night.

Last Halloween, Allana suggested making our yard a bit spookier, so when I found a skeleton on clearance after Halloween, I grabbed it.  It still could use a few more gory items but with no grass in our yard, I think we’ve perfected the bone yard graveyard look for now.

Speaking of Halloween, Allana and I were discussing our costumes the other day.  I mentioned how I wanted to dress as a Cheerio from Glee for the Frakenfooter Half Marathon.  “Really?”  Allana asked.  “You’re going dress as a cheerleader?”

“Yes, it will be fun and it’s perfect for the race.”

With a sneer and a sarcastic tone, she interrogated me further.  “You think you can pull off a cheerleader costume?”

“Yes,” I proudly replied ignoring her tone.

Really?  You think you can be a cheerleader with your muffin top?”

Gee. Thanks, kid.  Sheesh.  Out of the mouth of babes.  And where did she learn the phrase muffin top?  Time to cancel my subscription to Shape magazine and time to crank out more crunches.  It might also be time to consider a different costume for the Franekfooter.  Maybe I should go with Blueberry Muffin to conceal my muffin top while embracing and poking somefun at it?

As Allana and my muffin top so kindly reminded me, I have fallen out of the sit-up cycle.  Seriously, it’s bad.  My handlebars ooze over the top of my shorts and pants.  The very same pre-pregnancy shorts I was bragging about fitting into again at the beginning of summer.  What the hell happened?  Hmmmm…maybe it’s the piles of candy corn I’ve been binging on.  Yeah, it could be that.  Or maybe it’s the sheer volume shit I ate at my girlfriends’ getaway catching up with me.  Possibly.  Hmmm….Or maybe it’s because I haven’t seen a sit-up in weeks.  Yep, perfectly reasonable, but I’m going to go with Answer D: All of the above.

Speaking of cycles and falling, I never did get back on my bike this summer.  I just couldn’t do it.  Oh well.  There’s always next summer.  I would like to attempt another triathlon again…*sigh*…someday.

As for other cycles, like my womanly cycles, I keep forgetting to take my pill at the exact time every night which causes me to spot bleed and it totally sucks.  Next week, I have my gyno appointment and I plan to speak with my doctor about other birth control options.  I think I may ask about the NuvaRing, but really my birth control situation all depends on what my insurance will cover, which totally sucks too.  Anybody have any thoughts on NuvaRing?

As for getting back into my running cycle, I started off great this week, thanks to my friend, Larisa.  She harassed texted me until I committed to running with her last Saturday.  She planned to run 18 miles, but that was too big of a jump after my recent 13 miles plus a week off from running.  I decided 15 miles seemed like a reasonable amount.

15 miles 

Time 3:24:17

Ave Pace 13:37

Max Pace 8:38

Best part = Calories 1371 BOOYAH!

Those 15 miles were tough.  The heat got to me and the last two miles really did me in, but I did it and I could walk afterwards.  I thought I would be so sore on Sunday, but it wasn’t too bad.  Nothing a little stretching and yoga couldn’t fix.

After a day of recovery and rest, I was back in full running mode on Monday.  The early morning sky was clear and full of stars and the slightly cooler weather felt refreshing.  It was a pretty decent run too.

3.1 miles

Time 34:44

Ave Pace 11:13

Max Pace 7:58

When I walked out the door for a four mile run this morning, the humidity hit me right away.  It wasn’t quite the same beautiful morning as the day before, but at least the run as decent.

4 miles

Time 44:18

Ave Pace 11:05

Max Pace 8:10

Since Allan has declared Wednesday morning as his early at the office day, I won’t be able to run with Tracey of Suncoast Running on Wednesday mornings for the time being.  Therefore, I’ve decided to make Wednesdays my strength training day with some Boot Camp stuff thrown into the mix to help remove this muffin top.  Then, maybe at that point Allana will approve of me wearing a Cheerio costume.  I’ve got a little over a month to make it happen.

*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy

Rap River Run Recap

Posted on by Run DMT
3

Rap River RunI had heard horror stories about how hot the Rap River Run could be.  And even though, I drank a lot of beer the night before, I still tried to keep hydrated with some good old fashioned H2O before the race and I hoped I wouldn’t sweat out Sierra Nevada during the race.

When I returned home from the Oldsmar Tap House, my girls were still awake at 10:00, but thankfully followed directions by wearing their running clothes to bed instead of pajamas.  They would get sweaty anyway and we didn’t have time in the morning to play around.

After staying up so late, I didn’t expect them to jump out of bed at 6:30 like they did that morning.  I honestly thought they would choose to sleep in and skip the race.  Although they jumped out of bed, somehow they weren’t as quick with brushing their teeth and hair and it took another 20 minutes to get out of the house.  There was no way around it.  We were going to be late to the race.

Plus, we still need to register for the race.  For whatever reason, I kept forgetting to register for this race.  Perhaps subconsciously I was worried about my performance after running the Oldsmar Tap House 5K the night before and the reason registering for it kept slipping my mind.  Arriving at the event with only minutes to spare, I wished I had preregistered.

Once registered, I dumped our things off at the Suncoast Running tent and dashed off to the start line.  But we couldn’t find it and the race had already started.

The girls and I jumped into the course and started running in the same direction as everyone else.  I had no idea how far into the race we were, but we just kept running.  Once around the lake, we found the 1 mile start line.  Now we could officially start the race.

 

We ran the course twice.  Allana had a nice easy pace going.  Emmalynn needed a little more coaxing and to hold my hand as she ran.  By the second time around the lake, we really needed to pick up the pace because the 5K race was only minutes away from starting.

I hollered to my girls, “C’mon!  Let’s go!  The next race is about to start!”

I must have sounded like a lunatic, because a heavy set elderly woman who speed walking along side of us thought I was hollering at her.  In a nasty tone, she hollered back, “I’m doing the best I can.  I don’t care about the next race!”

In apologetic tone I replied, “I wasn’t talking to you.  I was talking to my girls.  They need to hurry because I need to get to the next race.  But you’re doing great!  Keep it up, mama!”

Once we crossed the finish line, medals were draped around the girls’ necks which they wore their medals proudly as they headed back to Suncoast Running and I dashed off to the 5K start line with only seconds to spare.  I didn’t even get a chance to rehydrate and hoped I wouldn’t overheat.

Much like the Crazy Sombrero, I believe the 1 mile easy warm-up run really helped my performance.  The first mile is always the toughest for me, but once the juices start flowing and my muscles warm up, I feel like I can go miles without stopping.

 

Large old oak trees shaded the flat road course through downtown New Port Richey as a light breeze from the Cotee River cooled us.  So far, thankfully the horror stories of heat seemed to be more of a legend than any reality.

 

About half way into the race, a water station emerged.  I greedily dumped two cups on me and then drank another two.  After a small loop in the course and close to two miles, I found my way back to the water station again and I gulped down two more cups.

 

Soon after, I spotted the start line in the distance and another 0.25 mile loop around the lake remained until the finish line.  I pushed my tired legs even harder and sprinted to the finish line.  I was rewarded with an Ice Pop and a medal for my efforts.  The Ice Pop was a nice touch.

3.19 Miles

Garmin Time 29:42

Chip Time 30:03

Ave Pace 9:37

Max Pace 7:11

 

Much like the decent race weather, the post-race party was an unexpected but pleasant surprise.  The girls were excited to be part of a real race that including a timing chip and a kid-friendly post-race party.  A smorgasbord of tasty treats were provided by Smoothie King, Carrabba’s, Sweet Tomatoes, Beef O’Brady’s and Sonny’s.  It was a great event and we will definitely be back next year.

Among the thousands of participants, I saw many familiar faces, including those of the Suncoast Striders.  There were also the unfamiliar faces of foster children throughout the event, which quietly reminded us why we were here other than our love for running.

To learn more about the RAP House and the other wonderful program provided by Youth and Family Alternatives, visit www.rapriverrun.com.