So, today was SUPPOSE to be the biggest racing day by far since I started running. The forecast however, was trying to make that NOT possible. Earlier in the week after training I sent an hour by hour forecast to my running buddy, for where we would be racing, it called for storms ALL day. Not just storms, but SEVERE storms.
We have put a good few months into this training. This last week, I was eating very well, only drinking water. (Okay, I had a few sips of wine at my good friends wedding reception last night, worth it!)
Either way, we trained so hard and so long, and paid about $75 to drive 45 mins to torture ourselves for what we thought was going to be a minimum of a 2 hour and 30 minute event.
When the alarm went off this morning I started pumping myself up. Sort of...at first I asked myself how in the heck did she talk me into this? And why am I doing this? 5:15am, people. I know I've talked about how I hate getting up early...so why would I do this to myself for a sporting event?
Well, I did it. The alarm went off at 5:05 am, I was up by 5:15 am and throwing on my gear. I had my food packed, my bags packed. My helmet. I was ready. I even pumped myself up on the car ride to meet my buddy by listening to this...
The best quote in the video is definitely Sylvester Stallone saying it's about how many hits you can take and keep moving forward.
Watch the video. If you aren't motivated to take on the world afterward...then you my friend are beyond my reach today. (I'm mostly kidding).
The clouds were rolling in. I was equal parts scared, and equal parts pumped to race. I was still not so confident on my biking skills, especially since I made the last minute decision to use my buddy's extra racing bike instead of the one I have been training with. I keep looking north on a 45min commute, which GPS promptly got us lost in town. It was brighter north...the clouds to the south were dark and scary.
The droplets were starting to fall. The rain, was undoubtedly coming. The break in the weather I had been praying for, well...let's just say it went from a severe warning to just a thunderstorm. That was our break.
As we hooked up our bikes for the transition area it started to somewhat pour. The scattered strikes of lighting had me giving into my fears a little more.
At 15 till go time, a big bolt of lighting struck just to the east of us. The officials called it. The biking portion of the race, was cancelled. But we could run.
Run in the pouring down rain and mud soaked parked.
It was on! They set the course for a 3.1 mile run. I didn't have time to set my app up for map my run, so I didn't know my pace. I just plugged in my soppy wet headphones and began my run. I kept pace with my friend for a short while. (I had talked her into chugging a beer. I now feel really bad about this, that couldn't have been comfortable).
But after about the first mile, I took off. I knew I could do this. I knew I could give these people a run for their money.
I had started the day with a 5 tier goal. (okay it started out as 4, but you'll see why I added a 5th tier.)
1. Don't drown (Big puddles, around a lake, rain...it was possible)
2. Don't be last
3. Finish
4. Finish in 2.5 hours
and most importantly-
5. Have Fun
I can officially say I achieved all of the goals!!! LOL. It made for a great story to push through the rain. To know and remember it was mind over matter. To tell myself that my mind will quit 1,000 times before my body will. After all...you're already in pain, you might as well get a reward for it.
I was passed about 5 people on my journey to the finish line and kept pushing forward. Kept running. Kept moving my short little legs. It got to the end where I dug deeper and tried to push past another girl. It was down to me and her...unfortunately someone clued her in that I was tailing her gaining speed...quickly.
She won our secret battle. (ha!)
My amazing friend came in just after me & we waited in the rain for the awards ceremony. She kept telling me, I think you placed. I think you won something. You had to have been done in 25 minutes. Not possible, I told her.
I finally got the courage to ask the tech guy what my time and place were (albeit he was super busy and sort of annoyed I asked) he told me...
29minutes, I finished 3rd in my age group....
I can't even tell you how juiced I was. (Juiced: this word originated from the streets of the bay area it means to get pumped up; excited)
We have put a good few months into this training. This last week, I was eating very well, only drinking water. (Okay, I had a few sips of wine at my good friends wedding reception last night, worth it!)
Either way, we trained so hard and so long, and paid about $75 to drive 45 mins to torture ourselves for what we thought was going to be a minimum of a 2 hour and 30 minute event.
When the alarm went off this morning I started pumping myself up. Sort of...at first I asked myself how in the heck did she talk me into this? And why am I doing this? 5:15am, people. I know I've talked about how I hate getting up early...so why would I do this to myself for a sporting event?
Well, I did it. The alarm went off at 5:05 am, I was up by 5:15 am and throwing on my gear. I had my food packed, my bags packed. My helmet. I was ready. I even pumped myself up on the car ride to meet my buddy by listening to this...
The best quote in the video is definitely Sylvester Stallone saying it's about how many hits you can take and keep moving forward.
(From http://motivationgrid.com/ very neat website)
Watch the video. If you aren't motivated to take on the world afterward...then you my friend are beyond my reach today. (I'm mostly kidding).
The clouds were rolling in. I was equal parts scared, and equal parts pumped to race. I was still not so confident on my biking skills, especially since I made the last minute decision to use my buddy's extra racing bike instead of the one I have been training with. I keep looking north on a 45min commute, which GPS promptly got us lost in town. It was brighter north...the clouds to the south were dark and scary.
The droplets were starting to fall. The rain, was undoubtedly coming. The break in the weather I had been praying for, well...let's just say it went from a severe warning to just a thunderstorm. That was our break.
As we hooked up our bikes for the transition area it started to somewhat pour. The scattered strikes of lighting had me giving into my fears a little more.
At 15 till go time, a big bolt of lighting struck just to the east of us. The officials called it. The biking portion of the race, was cancelled. But we could run.
Run in the pouring down rain and mud soaked parked.
It was on! They set the course for a 3.1 mile run. I didn't have time to set my app up for map my run, so I didn't know my pace. I just plugged in my soppy wet headphones and began my run. I kept pace with my friend for a short while. (I had talked her into chugging a beer. I now feel really bad about this, that couldn't have been comfortable).
But after about the first mile, I took off. I knew I could do this. I knew I could give these people a run for their money.
I had started the day with a 5 tier goal. (okay it started out as 4, but you'll see why I added a 5th tier.)
1. Don't drown (Big puddles, around a lake, rain...it was possible)
2. Don't be last
3. Finish
4. Finish in 2.5 hours
and most importantly-
5. Have Fun
I can officially say I achieved all of the goals!!! LOL. It made for a great story to push through the rain. To know and remember it was mind over matter. To tell myself that my mind will quit 1,000 times before my body will. After all...you're already in pain, you might as well get a reward for it.
(From: keep calm o' matic)
I was passed about 5 people on my journey to the finish line and kept pushing forward. Kept running. Kept moving my short little legs. It got to the end where I dug deeper and tried to push past another girl. It was down to me and her...unfortunately someone clued her in that I was tailing her gaining speed...quickly.
She won our secret battle. (ha!)
My amazing friend came in just after me & we waited in the rain for the awards ceremony. She kept telling me, I think you placed. I think you won something. You had to have been done in 25 minutes. Not possible, I told her.
I finally got the courage to ask the tech guy what my time and place were (albeit he was super busy and sort of annoyed I asked) he told me...
29minutes, I finished 3rd in my age group....
I can't even tell you how juiced I was. (Juiced: this word originated from the streets of the bay area it means to get pumped up; excited)
(My prize! A bottle opener!)
The truth is, I think they originally intended to hand these out to everyone...possibly...I think I just got lucky...only about 20-30 people raced if that...so in reality, there were probably only 6 of us in our age group.
With that said, I am still so happy & excited! 29mins for 3miles?? I would have hit the 30min marker for 3.11 for sure! That means I've shaved off 8-9 minutes of my running time in 3 years. In soaking wet clothes, in a thunderstorm.
I think I might still have a runners high!
It just goes to show that the more you keep going, the more you'll get out of it. Keep pushing, keep moving forward.
I knew I didn't want to be last. Just kept telling myself, don't be last, don't be last. It helped. Kept pushing me forward when I wanted to give in to the ache and tiredness.
Well my friends, on to the next race. May in my aunt's town. A 5k. After that, the warrior dash.
I'm pumped. Love this time with friends and family. What do you have to gain when you make decisions to keep moving forward?
I bet it's everything.
Okay friends, I have a bbq to get to. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Tomorrow's post will officially be part two of my nutrition meeting from last Monday, and I will give you the recipe for the quinoa bowl.
Enjoy, many blessing my friends.
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