Piper started out not feeling well last night and it carried over till this morning. She was up at 5am......which would seem really early if Bran hadnt woken up at 4am. Suprisingly enough, Sage slept till 9, or so I was told.
After going back and forth with Piper, she was informed she needed to make the decision about playing by 8am, so I could make arrangements to get a ride back fromt he game with Grandma U. Of course, I had plans to ride to the race with Katie, and Shawn was going to drive down for the kiddos for the game. I was trying to avoid having every car in the family down there if we could. I made the car arrangments and was good to go. This would be much of an issue if I wasnt coaching a soccer game for 8 and 9 year old kids at 11am...and I had all the balls, goalie stuff, ya know...coaching stuffola
Left the house at 630am, met Katie at 650 at her turn off, and we were off.
We made it to the starting line with time to spare so we went for a potty break at the local Mickey D's because, well we had time and the "need".
Not alot of people there, but enough that our goals were to finish top 10 and PR (which for me was a sub 28). It was a good course, mostly pavement through town but typical Sandhill running means that your going to have gravel and hills, and we did have some of both. Ran a small part through the mud of the fairgrounds, then spend some QT with washboard gravel roads which were followed up with a trek up "Boot Hill". Pavement and subdivision running in betweeen each of those, which was great to break it up.
Last .4 was on the highway, and out entry to the highway was marked by two police officers....upon passing them I said "your gonna make sure no one runs us over right?" and he said "I wouldnt count on it"....Im not sure how to take that...Im hoping he was joking but he didnt look like the joking kinda guy...he looked like a cop who would pull over his grandma if given the chance (all my local friends know exactly
Mile 1: 8:54
Mile 2: 9:13 (I was kind bummed when I saw that time....seems slow, then I snapped out of it and realized I was"disappointed" with a 9:13 pace....a few months ago I was SCREAMING for a 9:30 pace....dedication, persistance...or too stubborn to not get my way...whatever you want to call it, Im getting used to a 9:00 pace and thats where I want to be!!)
Mile 3: 8:44
Katie and I crossed the finish line at the exact sametime...well, we tried to...they made up pick who crossed first, and Katie let it be me (I owe her!!)
After the race, we met Pat who is a running buddy from dailymile and lives not far from where we ran the race....it was nice to chat with him in person and put a face to a name.
Once they started to tear down the finish line, we ventured back over to where we thought they were going to holding the "awards ceremony" that was listed on the registration form. But I guess no one told the people who set up the day becase there were no awards or anything like that...which is fine...and Im glad we stuck around BECAUSE we fould out that we took 2nd and 3rd place in our division!!! Its very exciting for both of us because we did work hard, and tried to keep a good, strong pace through the whole thing, which we did (8:54)
After the race, we went back to the golden arches, again, changed clothes, got some hot chocolate (it was a chilly run) and Katie took me to the soccer fields to coach Piper in her game (amazing recovery). It was a great day, topped off with the soccer team doing awesome (no win but vast improvement over last year and they never gave up), time with friends and family and a great burger on the way home.
I told my mother in law to watch the newspaper for the race results....I might make the paper. I told my father in law I better find it hanging on their fridge if it does....I also told my husband I want a ticker tape parade....ONE of those things might happen....and Im not holding my breathe for the other 2 but still, it was a great day and I couldnt be happier.
Congratulations on a great race! You are rockin'!
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