The First is Always a Personal Best

Race: Oregon's Run for the Roses 5K in Sherwood, OR
Date: June 4, 2006
Goal: 0:27:54
Stretch Goal: 0:27:06
Gun Time: 0:28:27
Actual Time (by my watch): 0:28:11
Overall Placement: 62/142
Age Group (26-35): 8/25

It's t=0 and there's no turning back. Well I guess I can take a DNS but my pesky pride kind of gets in the way. I look around at the crowd of people milling about the Sherwood High track, each engrossed in their pre-race routines as I start bending and twisting myself. How did I get here? Me? Racing? If you had told me that I'd be here last year, I would have looked at you as if you had just sprouted a second head. I don't run. At least, I didn't then. What changed?

I descended into a certain type of madness back in March. I got up one morning and decided I wanted to do a triathlon. Why? Just to see if I can. Of course my second thought was, "Wait a minute. You need to run during a triathlon. You, my dear, are allergic to running." But when have I actually listened to my sensible side? So I tentatively planned out a training plan using the Couch to 5K program and made a deal with myself that if I managed to run and enjoy a 5K, I'd sign up the following week for a Tri-It Sprint race in August. Never did I envision enjoying the process of training and yes, enjoying running so much that I signed up for the triathlon anyway without the benefit of experiencing my first road race.

So here I am, lining up midpack and getting ready to lose my race virginity. Some worries about finishing DFL (despite Chad's reassurances) and the remnants of last night's running nightmare filtering through my mind. I realize that I will probably never have to run in hurricane conditions in Oregon but my dreams go where they will. I'm visualizing the course and trying to remember everyone's advice of not starting out too quickly and making sure I have enough gas for the hills I know are coming up.

POP!

Wow, that was louder than I expected. The mass of humanity surges forward and I'm just going with the flow constantly reminding myself to run my own race and not get caught up with the speed of the other racers. A bit of a bottleneck at the fence but the crowd opens up as we spill out into the neighborhood. As I find my groove, I'm passing people, others are passing me. My lungs and my legs feel great. I settle in to a comfortably challenging pace after about 1/2 a mile and my thoughts begin to wander as I take in the countryside. The hills start rolling as I turn the first corner and someone smokes past me pushing a double jogger. I am in awe. Pushing a single is challenging enough but a double at a minimum 7:00 pace? I'm so not worthy.

Mile 1: 0:09:03; right on but I know the hills are hidden in mile 2. Aid Station is coming up on the right. Do I need water? Not really but it would be nice. Alas, the volunteer runs out of cups so I press on and resolve to catch them at mile 2. I'm in the hills of the 5K course. I swear these looked bigger in the car. Though I'm not much of a fisher, I focus on people in front of me and slowly reel them in until I pass. One down, who can I land next? I play this game until my course splits off from the 10K and I find myself spread out in a pack of racers who are running at the same speed. No more passing or being passed so I focus on a strong finish.

Mile 2: 0:18:16 (0:09:13 split); not bad given the hills. I snag a cup of water from the volunteers and miss my mouth on the first try. I somehow manage to swallow about half of what was originally in the cup (note to self-practice drinking while running) as I turn onto the Bear Creek Trail which makes up the final 1.1 miles of the course. My right shoe starts feeling funny around the 2.5 mile point. Looking down, I see that the laces are undone and flapping about. @#$%....I forgot to double tie them. I pull to the side and quickly retie them and my mind wanders to the kitchen counter where a brand new pair of Yankz is sitting. I had received them in the mail on Friday but didn't put them on my running shoes since I didn't want to change anything two days before a race. Well at least no one passed me during that little interlude.

Mile 3: I forgot to look at my watch, probably due to cursing me and my laces. I start my finishing kick when my left shoelace starts flapping about in the wind. Aargh!!! You'd think I'd have checked that shoe too. Press on and finish or pull over and retie? Well, knowing that I am a consummate klutz, I pulled over and tied it as fast as I could and sprinted for the finish line where I also forgot to look at the pace clock. *sigh*

Finish: 0:28:11, six seconds/mile slower than my goal but respectable nonetheless for someone who started running three months ago. I'm in the chute where someone takes my finish tag and I get a bottle of water and a long stem rose. I walk to the end of the football field, grab a banana, and line up for a 10 minute massage (both the therapist & I cringed when she started in on my shoulders telling me that I need to get back on my pre-pregnancy monthly massage schedule) while I wait for Chad & Nathan to return from their 5K walk.

As I bask in my accomplishment, I contemplate my next steps:
1. Put the Yankz on my shoes
2. Make an appointment for more body work
3. Sign up for more races

Next up, the Blue Lake TRI-It Sprint in August!