Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Every mile a memory: Run Santa Run 5K 12.11.16

The Run Santa Run 5K was race #20 this year and my final one for 2016. I was my second slowest 5K chip time ever but given the road conditions of the course after the Lake Erie snow machine dumped close to two feet of snow on us, I am still pleased with my performance and I still met my goal. It was probably also one of the hardest races I've run as well because not only did we have snow and unplowed roads to run on, there was also the wind making it difficult to even see at times. Plus there were a ton of participants, many of them walkers and it was just a cluster all around.

This was the third time running this race. It's very festive and fun and there is beer at the finish. What's not to love about that?! The race is staged at a local restaurant and the event benefits Toys for Tots. It's a very heavily attended event and all the super speedy ladies in my AG run it. Not really sure why. Perhaps because it's the last race of the year for this particular running series locally or that it's local or that it's a flat course or it's a fun and festive event? I'm not sure but what I do know is that going into it, I never expect to get an AG award so I stick with my goal for every race of at least placing in the top 10 of my AG. I usually have the goal of PR-ing the course of a repeat race but given the fact it was 68 degrees last year (my time was 25:49) and we were covered in snow this year, I knew a PR of the course would not happen again like it did last year (in 2014 my time was 26:34) and I would just run and see where I ended up, hopefully not flat on my back from falling or worse…on crutches!

On my running club's Facebook page, the RD who is also is part owner of the timing and race management company who was putting on this race, posted on Saturday that the race was still going on and they would make the call by 7 am Sunday if they were going to cancel. Now I'll mention my son's XC coach also owns the company and everyone knows he is a die hard and so I knew canceling the event probably wasn't going to happen. Sure enough, no email at 7 am so I decided it was time to get moving. I posted on in the Facebook group when I realized the race was still happening to see if anyone knew what the roads were like so I could decide if I should wear my shoes with the screws or not. Someone did chime in and say while the main road where the start and finish was fine, the rest of the course was snow covered so shoes with screws it was. I would later thank my lucky stars I chose to wear them because they saved me more than once during the race. This was also my most disorganized race to date. I usually have my outfit ready to go the night before and am usually at the race at least a half hour before it starts. Not this time. I couldn't decide how many layers I should wear, what socks to wear, etc. I was all dressed and ready to go and decided I was going to be too hot so I scurried around trying to find a lighter shirt to wear as a base layer. Couldn't find it so I grabbed one of Rick's shirts, changed, and headed out the door.

The race started at 9:30 and I dilly dallied around so much at home that I got there with only about 10 minutes to spare. I knew this was not going to be a fast race so I only did about a 0.1 mile warm up. Paul was there video taping so I found him real quick and then headed to the starting line. It was a major cluster. Most of the crowd had no idea which direction the race was going to go and you couldn't hear Santa on the loud speaker instructing and because there was so much snow, there was only one way to go to line up. Two problems: for whatever reason, there was no timing mat at the start which is odd because they always have one for this race so you have all the fast runners trying to get as close to the start as possible lined up facing the direction they think the course is going to go. Also, you've got 600 people trying get to the starting line and all of us who want to try and be as close as possible to the start not wanting to move because that would push us back father and there was literally no where to go so we were completely packed in. I think next year they should start the walkers after the runners, even if only by 10 minutes to eliminate the major cluster it was. The gun went off and it took me 12 seconds to cross the starting line which doesn't seem like much but there were so many walkers and people there for the "festivity" of the event and not necessarily "serious" that even after we got moving, it was so slow going there were just so many people you pretty much just had to stay where you were at. Surely didn’t have to worry about starting to fast for this race!!! I finally got some "elbow room" right before the first mile marker but unfortunately, that's when the roads when from clear to completely snow covered and they looked like they hadn't been plowed since the day before. I knew this was not going to be good… and it wasn't. The snow that had fallen was so heavy so it wasn't like you were running pristinely fallen light fluffy stuff. Not to mention it had warmed up somewhat so things were starting to melt making it downright treacherous in spots and there were several times I almost bit it. I swear having those screws in my shoes saved me many times. Another thing I was dealing was with the wind. Sometimes the wind would blow so hard my eyes would start to water and then I couldn’t see to check my footing or it would blow so hard it would take my breath away. So now do you not only have several inches of snow to deal with, but you have these wind gusts hitting you and making you even more unstable on your feet. Yet another problem is everyone was trying to find the "best" spot to run in (there weren't any) so even if you only had a couple people around you, you had to very conscientious about how you moved because sudden move on your part could be disastrous for them.

Pretty much from mile 1 to mile 2.75, you were running in this crap. There were several times I swore out loud because it was just insane and there were several times I thought about just stopping and walking the rest of the way because was it really worth getting hurt? I couldn't stop though. As crazy as this was, what a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction it would be to say I did it so I just kept running the best I could.

To help me get through this race, I used my "target" strategy again. Around mile .75, one of the women from the running club passed me so I decided I was going to try and just attempt to keep up with her. This also helped because I could see how she maneuvered in the snow and I could kind of copy her. She's an experienced runner with many races under her belt so I figured who better to "shadow" than her.

At mile 2.8, we ended up back on the main road that was clear and it was a straight shot to the finish. There was this HUGE puddle from the melting snow that I had two choices: run through it and get my feet soaking wet or try to jump it… I chose the later. I cleared most of it and the good thing about wearing smart wool running socks is if your feet get wet, they don’t really get cold so that was a good move on my part. If you've ever run in the snow, you know how exhausting it is so I didn't think had anything left in the tank for a fast finish. Perhaps it was my hurdling over the slush puddle or the fact I wanted to pass a couple people that were ahead of me because I had apparently more left than I thought. Looking back at my Garmin stats, I ran the last .20 of a mile in the mid 7's (depending how accurate the Garmin is). Not sure how that happened! Anyway, what really made me mad is when people crossed the finish line, they just stopped right there rather than move to the side so here I come barreling down passing one more person just before I reach the finish arch and I literally have to do some serious footwork not to run over the guy taking finish line photos (he was off to the side so it wasn't his fault) to avoid the morons standing smack dab in the middle of the finish.

After I crossed the finish and caught my breath, I found Paul who was standing by the finish watching for me. Since this series offers live results, I went over to check my time. Official time of 28:01 placing 6/44 in my AG, 65/353 females, and 146/598 overall. Splits: 8:55, 9:09, 8:49 I may not have met my one goal of PR-ing the course but I sure as heck made the top 10 and that was a HUGE victory! According to my Garmin, my time was 27:49 and I started it as soon as I crossed the starting line rather than when the horn went off so technically this wasn't my second to worst 5K time but since I count race times by the chip time regardless of how the start is or what my watch says, it's being chalked up as such. It's ok though, I was one tough mother trucker of a race and I did it without giving up even though there were times I wanted to so that makes it a great race to me regardless of what my time was.

Since I wasn't winning an AG award, we went inside and I claimed my free beer. The two dads who ran the NXC course with me last month were there so we chatted about how accomplished we felt running a crazy XC course last month and then this crazy race. Several of the XC kids ran this race too. I have to say it's pretty neat how the react when they see me. When I was trying to find a place to stand at the beginning of the race, a couple of the boys saw me and one started jumping up and down waiving his hands and down my name to say hi and after the race, several of them came up to me and high fived me and/or asked me how I did and congratulated me. I can't really explain why that puts a smile on my face but it does.

For what it's worth, the super speedy ladies in my AG who usually run in the low 20s had times for this race in the 26s and 27s so I really don't think I did too bad at all.

So thus ends my 2016 racing year and what a great to end it. What a great way to end what was a pretty emotional week, too. I may not have been victorious by wining an AG placing or PR-ing the course but I was victorious in so many other ways and that's what matters. What a great year it has been and I can't wait to see what 2017 brings!


Friday, December 9, 2016

The first angel anniversary of a another sister in pink...

In memory of Sharon A. (Yeckley) Kaucic
March 30, 1964 - December 9, 2015


Thinking about my friend, Denise, and her family and friends as they remember Sharon Kaucic, another "sister in pink" whose life was cut way too short by breast cancer a year ago today. I only had the opportunity to meet Sharon once when her friends and family held a fundraiser to help support Sharon, her husband, and their triplets as Sharon was fighting yet another round of the dreaded disease. I got to know her better through her sister, Denise, as we became "sistas from anotha mista" in addition to being co-workers, and sadly when I attended her funeral and heard her family and friends speak of what a truly genuine, caring, and selfless person she was, even as the disease progressed. In my post on Monday, I mentioned how it was a little hard to be joyous about my four-year life-aversary when I thought about the people who are no longer here but at the same time blessed that those people have made me a better person and Sharon is one of those people. Even though I didn't get the chance to know her personally, I did get to know her through her family and friends so it is also her legacy of faith, love, hope and kindness I also carry on in her memory. I have also carried those things on in a physical sense: imagine what an honor it was when Denise asked if I would like to design art for her sister's headstone.

God bless the family and friends of Sharon today as they remember her on this one year angel anniversary. Hugs and prayers to each and every one of you... and just keep swimming.






Monday, December 5, 2016

Just keep swimming....four years later

Wow… has it really been four years? There are days like it feels like it was a lifetime ago and other days it feels like it was just yesterday. Memories forever etched in my brain. Regardless, today is my life-aversary because it's the day God decided He wasn't done with me yet and today I am four years cancer free.

Of course, it's a little hard to be completely joyous about this occasion when I think of my friends and loved ones who are no longer here because of this dreaded disease or those who are struggling at this very moment because of it. But at the same time, those people have made me a better person in one way or another because I am blessed to have known them and it is the legacy of faith, love, hope, and kindness they have shown me that is something I can carry on in their honor and memory.

Life is a precious gift and I know all too well that at any moment, everything can be turned upside-down so never take it for granted. Live, love, have faith, and never give up hope. Today I thank God for another chance at life and thank you, my floaties, who continue to help me to just keep swimming.

🐠🐠🐠🐠

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Race Report: Turkey Day 5K 11.24.16

In 2015, I ran one of the local turkey day races but decided this year I would skip racing. That lasted until my friends on a running forum I belong to were talking about the races they were doing and I had race envy so I decided I would try the 5K that was closer to home rather that the one I did last year because even though it wasn't that much farther away, it involved a hill at the beginning and end and I just wasn't up for the challenge.  This race was the Turkey Day 5K that was held at and also supported the local YMCA. 

Watching the weather, I had pretty much decided to nix plans for the race on Wed. night because the forecast still called for rain and temps in the upper 30s overnight which means an 0830 start would be miserably cold. Throw in the fact same-day registration was $30 ($10 more than what I would have paid had I signed up soon) and it wasn't a real big deal of a race anyway for me PLUS I am doing another 5K on Saturday so I was ok not running it. I woke up at 0400 and heard the pouring rain and it was a done deal...no racing for me. I tossed and turned from then on and EVERY time I'd fall back asleep, I'd start dreaming about the stupid race. I swear it was calling me! 0650 rolls around, I don't hear any rain and I decide if there is a chance I might do this race, I better get up and do my pre-race ritual of two coffees an hour before race time. I stepped outside and it actually was not that cold and while it's overcast and dreary, the rain was gone so I checked the minute-cast and sure enough, no more rain so I figure what the heck, it's a good day for a race. I usually have everything picked out the night before so I was in a bit of a tizzy trying to get my race outfit together and registration closed at 0815 and it's a 15 minute drive so I was completely out of sorts. Race outfit complete and out the door I go. Then I realize Rick has my earbuds so BACK into the house I go frantically looking for another pair. Found some and when I got to where the race was being held (at the local YMCA) traffic was backed up and panic mode when into overdrive. Get the Jeep parked and start speed walking to the Y. I've never been inside before and I had no idea where signs ups were and it was almost 0810 but I eventually found out where they were, got signed up, and then it was time to get quick warm up in. I saw several of the boys and parents from the XC team there for the race so we chatted a bit before heading to the starting line. IT WAS PACKED! Apparently this is a popular race! 

My boss saw me and wished me luck, one of the XC moms who is also a runner wished me luck and the race began. The course was gloriously flat going down the main road, through a local college campus, down some residential streets to the bike path and then  back through college and down the main road again to the finish. I started off too fast though and add to the fact I had over indulged Wed. night at Texas Roadhouse because I had no intention on racing and I was really struggling. I used my target strategy and it helped me focus on just trying to keep running and not give up. The last mile felt like it took forever and it was a straight shot down the main road and all I could see was a trail of people and no finish arch. Ugh! I found another target, a woman with the word "beef" on the back of her shirt. It struck me as funny for some reason so I kept up with her. When I could see the finish clock, my eyes were once again in complete disbelief that the time was still in the 24's and I heard someone in packed crowd call out my name and say "go Joy" and sure enough, it was just what I needed so I passed the lady in the beef shirt and crossed the finish line in 24:55!  Woot woot, another sub 25 race, my 3rd for the year! 

This was the first race in my running "career" that I went to completely alone. Either Paul has gone with me, running or otherwise, or my friend from work does the race too. It was kind of weird because I had no one to really hang with afterward. People from the running club were there but I don't know faces of people from the club vs. faces I see at races because I do so many and who knows where all the XC people were in the huge crowd so I decided I would go check my time and head home.  Before I headed inside, my friend from college who lives in the area came up to me and told me congrats and that he was the one who called out to me. He and his wife were there volunteering. We chatted for a bit and then I went inside. With the insane amount of people running the race, I had no expectations for a placement so imagine my surprise when I saw I had won 2nd in my AG! Unbelievable! Now I HAD to stick around for the award because they were giving pies and aprons to the 1st place winners and the 2nd and 3rd winners just the aprons. What fun awards. Anyway, I met up with one of the families from XC and just hung with them until the awards were over because one of their sons won 1st in his AG. I joked that getting an apron was probably a sign that I need to be a better cook (I can and do cook, don’t  get me wrong, I just don't like to). You know the lady in the beef shirt? I found out this morning after looking at the Facebook pictures from the running club that she was 3rd in our AG so had I not passed her when I did, she would have taken 2nd.  So much for a race I wasn't planning to run and yet once again, I did way better than I thought I would. I even got to hug a turkey! LOL I think one of the biggest take aways from 2016 will be that racing without expectations is the way to go: just get out there and run and let the times fall as they may because AG placing or not, I ALWAYS do better than I feel like I'm doing in those moment of  race and it's such a sweet victory, even if I don't bring home an award. 



Nike Cross Country Nationals (NXN) Midwest Regional Meet Community 5K 11.13.16: My First XC Race/Experience Report

I was honored to attended the Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional meet at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terra Haute, IN as an adult chaperone with the my son's cross country team and make my debut racing an XC course, something I have never done before. Since this experience was more than just a race, this really will be more like an experience-of-a-lifetime report with some race stuff included. It is very long so I am warning you now. I am including subheadings in case you want to skip through and only read the parts that are of interest. I've also included pictures to help break it up.

"Finish on Empty"..very fitting slogan.

Why team takes the trip
The trip is not part of the school program but rather a trip coordinated by the coach to reward the kids on the team who worked hard during the year. He said he wants them to experience what it is like to run on a championship XC course. It is not part of our regular season and it's not a sanctioned event by Ohio's governing athletic body so you can think of it more like a field trip with a whole lot of coolness thrown in. It's a legit race, though, runners do have to have qualifying times, and the winner of the championship race (or perhaps the top 3 or so, I'm not sure) moves on to the national championship. The trip is not funded by the school but rather by a very small fee paid by the parents and through a few team fundraisers we have. A travel coach/bus is chartered and everyone stays in a hotel. The trip for 2016 included forty-seven cross country runners, the coach and two of his kids, and five parent chaperones. My son sprained his ankle and did quite the number on himself in October at practice so he wasn't able to run the race but because he worked so hard this season and earned a spot before he got hurt, the coach let him attend anyway. The course is pretty unique and because this RR is going to be long enough, I would check out THIS LINK to learn more about it. It's worth the read if you are not familiar because it gives you the background and history of the course itself and kind of sets the stage as to not only what I was facing for this race, but also why this was such a cool experience for someone who is new to running like me.

Why I ran: my virgin XC course experience
Before the open and championship races, Nike offers a race called the Community Race 5K where anyone can sign up to run the same course. When Rick's coach told me and my DH, Paul, that we could attend as chaperones, he mentioned there was a race I could sign up for. At first I was like "no way, there's no way I'd be able to run an XC course." I've seen some of the courses our team has had to run and this race just had broken appendage all over it with me being the clutz that I am. When I told Paul about it, he told me I should try it and that this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Someone on the SL (Chris perhaps?) suggested to watch some You Tube videos of the race to see what is it was like and when I did, my interest was peaked. I found out the coach and his two kids (ages 11 and 10) were going to run the race as well as another one of the parent chaperones so I asked my son if he would be embarrassed if I signed up for the race and when he said he didn't care and that he thought it would be kind of cool, I took the plunge and signed up. What made this extra special is the coach had singlets made for the team and he surprised me and the other parent running the race by giving us a team shirt too, telling us since we were running too, he wanted us to feel like we were part of the team. What's interesting is part of the "head game" with racing for me is what I wear when I race and I put a lot of thought into it because for whatever reason, I feel inspired by what I have on. Weird to some but that's the way it goes with me. From the moment I signed up, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to wear and nothing was clicking. When the coach surprised me with the singlet, all the sudden it was like "ding ding ding, we have a winner." Power outfit complete.


Race goals
Leading up to the race, I was pretty nervous because I had never run on an XC course before and since I didn't know what to expect, I decided I was not going to run this race with any time goal in mind and that I was just going to run it for fun. Also not knowing how many people would be signing up for it, I knew an AG placing wouldn't be happening but I thought it would be nice to at least make the top 10. Another thing that played into my nerves was the mere fact it was an XC course and I as worried about twisting an ankle. The coach was telling us how nice and well groomed the course was and told me it was easier running that course than it was a road race and that while it had some hills, they weren't any worse than what I experienced during my HM in October so that helped put my mind at ease. What's funny is during out bus ride, the coach asked me and the other parents what our time goals were. We joked that we were going to PR because no matter what our times were, they would PRs because we had never done this before. He asked me why my current PR was and when I told him it was 24:27 he said "so your goal is sub 25, right?" I laughed inside because I was pretty sure there was no way that was going to happen. I honest to goodness had no idea what time to expect so mentally I just stuck with whatever time the finish clock said, as long as I wasn't crawling across the finish, I'd be happy.

Pizza for how many???
We left Saturday morning at 6 am and due charter bus policy, we had to stop every two hours so the driver could have a rest break. As I've mentioned before, my hip gives me fits if I sit for too long and I was apprehensive prior to the trip knowing I would be on the bus for around seven hours so I welcomed these stops so I could get up and move around. About 40 minutes outside of Terra Haute, we decided to stop for lunch at a small pizza place that has become a "regular" for this trip called Chicago Pizza. You can image the look of horror on the face of the waitress when we all walked in and said we wanted to eat as the restaurant was pretty full as it was. She and the other waitress took care of us like bosses and we were all fed and back on the bus within an hour.

To preview the course or not preview the course…that is the question
We arrived at the course shortly after 2. It is literally out in the middle of no where surrounded by fields and farm land. The course itself, however is not flat, not by a long shot. Granted, the hills aren't crazy steep and for those of you who run hills regularly, you probably wouldn't think anything of them but for me, oh boy! I know for certain the hills during my HM were nothing compared to this so I don't know what the coach was talking about. Yickes! The first 900 meters was deceiving because it appeared to be flat but in reality it was slow, gradual incline. 400 of those meters would also be the stretch to the finish. Yep, throw in all the hills in between and I was convinced if I ran it in 30:00, I'd be happy.

I found out that another one of the fathers who was chaperoning was going to run the race, too, so now there would be three chaperones, the coach, and his two kids running in the community race. Runners were given a chance to run the course and at first I was going to run it, too, so I would have an idea what I had gotten myself in to but the other two parents weren't going to run it so I decided to just walk the 900 meter start to get a feeling of what the ground would be like. Once I realized how even the course was, I felt a little bit better about running it but I still didn't think I was going to be very fast.

What's funny is after the team was done previewing the course, we were standing along the fence and the coach asked me what I was thought so far. I told him I wished I would have run the course too because I was getting super excited but he told me it was probably better that I didn't. I was a little confused why he would say that, after all, the team ran the course and so did he, but I just chalked it up that he thought it would be best if I saved my energy because a lot of people don't run the day before the race and maybe he thought I was one of those people. The reason would become crystal clear why he said that on Sunday which I will explain later.

Call me Jefferson, a boy from Illinois
After we previewed the course, we had to check into the hotel which was 20 minutes away, go BACK to LaVern to get our race packets, and then head back towards the hotel to a local mall for shopping and dinner. Those of us running the community race received unisex tshirts and the kids all received stocking caps (which was a "prized possession" apparently because Rick couldn't wait to get his). The race was chipped timed with shoe tags so we all got those as well. Since the shirts they gave us were just regular cotton Ts, rather than give my shirt to Rick like I usually do, since I had bought Rick and I overpriced Nike NXN shirts earlier in the day, I decided to give my race shirt to Paul. Nice wife, I know. LOL When we were on our way back to the hotel, I realized I had two chips but the coach and the other parents all just had one. Didn't think much of it, just thought they made a mistake and gave me two. When we got back to the hotel, the coach handed out the team's race packets and it was then I realized all the kids had two chips which prompted me to look at my bib and low and behold, the race volunteers had given me the wrong bib. I would be now racing as a 13 or under young boy from Illinois name Jefferson. I couldn't do anything about it at the time so when we got to the race on Sunday, I went to late registration and got it straightened out. What had happened is the volunteer Saturday night gave me the bib with the number 2606 when it should have been 2706. I was now Joy, the 46 year old from Ohio once again.

Race morning…rise and shine
We didn't get to sleep until after 11 and I was so anxious about the race when woke up at 3:30 am, I wasn't able to go back to sleep. I laid in bed until 6:30 and decided it was time to get up because I could smell the coffee wafting down the hall from the lobby. The hotel was also full to capacity mostly of people in town for the race and I knew it would be a madhouse in the small lobby where they were serving free breakfast so I wanted to get down there before the rush. Since I don't like to eat before a race, I had my usual few cups of coffee and opted for a banana with peanut butter because the race wasn't until 10:30 and I knew I'd start getting hungry. As the sun started to come up, the other parents started coming down followed by members of the team. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day; sun, blue skies, just like the day before but it was downright freezing! We could see the frost on the cars in the parking lot. I didn't bring anything to wear under my race tank because I thought it was supposed to be warm and I couldn't find arm warmers before we left for the trip and I HATE when my arms are cold at the start of a race so I was hoping it would warm up by show time. We loaded up the bus and headed to the race around 9:15.

Time for the warm up…literally
The race began at 10:30 so around 10, I told the other two parents I was going to do a short warm up run. Neither of them do warm ups for the same reasons I didn't do them either when I first started racing (I thought it would rob me of my energy needed for the race) but when I explained why I started doing them (that the first mile of any run usually sucks and doing a brief warm up makes it suck less, at least for me anyway), they decided to give it a try, too. We decided to run from the starting line down the first 900 meters and back to give us a feel of what the ground was going to be like. I started to gain confidence that running on grass wouldn't be as bad as I thought it was going to be and even though it was still cold out, the chill I had been feeling all morning had quickly disappeared. Don’t get me wrong, it was still cold but at least it was more tolerable now. FWIW my Garmin recorded the temperature at 30 during the race and although I don't think it was that cold, it probably wasn't that far off considering the low that night was 24. Brrr…

Warming up with the other parent chaperones
Silence is not golden
Another concern I had running this race which was probably tied for first on my list, was not being able to run with music. I won't go into all the reasons why I have to listen to music when I run, I will just say this was going to be my biggest challenge of all. There were no rules saying the community racers couldn't run with earbuds, but I told myself if I was going to embrace the true XC experience, I was going to run without music, like it or lump it. I won't lie, I did have my earbuds and iPod Nano in my pocket just in case but when I saw no one else had earbuds, I left them in my jacket at our tent in Tent City when I left for my warm up. They were blasting music from the loud speakers so I had a little glimmer of hope this wouldn't be a music-free race but that glimmer faded when the music changed to the announcer giving a play-by-play of the race after the gun went off. Of course, after the race started, I saw a woman come up from behind me with headphones on and somewhere before mile 1, I passed a guy with music playing out loud from his arm band but oh well. On a side note, even though I survived running naked without my music and I'm glad I tried it, I am by no means joining the no-music camp. I prefer to have my music and if anything, running naked reinforced that preference. Thankfully there were no heavy breathers around me so it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. But yeah, no music is not my thing.

And we're off!
At 10:20, we decided to head over to the starting line. The other two parents and I joked around how most of the runners didn't look very "community-ish" and looked more like legit XC runners. We decided we would all start together and since the two parents know I race a lot and am a little bit faster, they said they were going to try to keep up with me but we were all going to run our "own" races and just see each other at the finish line.



It was pretty neat starting a race the way real XC runners do it; toeing up, listening to the commands, and starting off with a "wall" of people on either side. There were only 90 runners but the field was so wide it felt like there were more. Keep in mind I'm used to road races where the starting line is only so wide and we are all packed in like sardines. The gun went off and so did we and I swear people took off so fast I honestly thought we were the last three runners of the group. The coach and his two kids, on the other hand, were so fast I couldn’t even see them. His 11 year old daughter is quickly becoming one of our local run stars and even though this was his 10 year old's first race, apparently he got the good running genes because he and the coach were nowhere in sight.

I looked down at my watch and saw our pace was in the 5's and I thought it was wrong but one of the other parents had his Fitbit on and it was giving the same reading. Holy crap this was not going to be good and I told them I was going to slow down…Not to mention the breeze they talk about in one of the links I posted about the course? Yep, between my speed, the breeze, and the cold air on my lungs this was not making for a very pretty start. I thought for sure there would be walking at some point during the race because of it. I haven't done any cold weather running yet this year so my lungs haven't been acclimated to the cold air which I was instantly regretting in those moments.

As we continued, the one parent and I would announce our pace readings every so often and they were pretty dead on and still way too fast; we were now in the 7's. By the time we approached the only true downhill part of the course, my pace was in the 8's and shortly there after, the two other parents dropped behind and I quit looking at my watch. It was time to get my head into the game.

The course
After the hill down, the rest of the course was pretty much up hill, at least if felt like it, and when I got to the first incline, I honestly thought I was going to have to walk at some point. That fast start wore me out and my heavy breathing was starting to get to me, too. Luckily, I was pretty much running alone so the only breathing driving me crazy was my own so I tried distracting myself as much as I could…I started singing or what vaguely resembles singing and I started "admiring" the ground. It truly was as "smooth" as what the coach said it would be and to be honest, after that I kind of forgot I was even running on the grass. There was one spot later on where you could see how they patched the course with sod and I took a little care running over that but other than that, it was almost like running on a golf course from a rut-free standpoint just like the coach said.


Surprisingly, I was able to run that hill without stopping to walk and I started to feel like I was in a total groove at this point. I had also passed a couple of people which gave me a little more confidence in my abilities. Remember I mentioned a woman wearing headphones? Well I decided to use my "target" strategy, select her as my target and that's helped me keep focused. Hmm, maybe I was running vicariously through her because she had tunes and I did not. LOL

The course is designed to offer many different races distances so there were different mile markers and kilometer signs all along it so it was a bit confusing to know what mile marker you were at and normally I have my Garmin set to vibrate at every mile but for some reason it wasn't vibrating. Both the confusing signs and non-vibrating watch were blessings in disguises because this was probably THE hardest race I have ever done and I was having a hard enough time just running, much less knowing where I was distance wise and I think it was better not knowing and just running.

Even though we were each running our own races, it really did feel like me and the other two parents were running the race as a team. The course snaked around a lot and there were several times I could hear the one parent behind me saying things to encourage me as I was running. There was one time we "crossed" each other and "high fived" each other from afar. The third parent had fallen a bit behind the one behind me and the only time I was able see him, I noticed he was visibly struggling and even though I could hardly breath at is was, I yelled out to him as loud as I could to hang in there and keep moving because we're all crazy and going to finish this. There were many things that were cool about this race but the comradiery we had was pretty high on the cool factor.

There were a couple of places on the course some of the XC kids were standing and cheering us on. Call it fate because even though they arbitrarily picked where they stood, they ended up being in spots I need encouragement the most. I was tired, I was trying to keep myself from having a panic attack because I could hear how heavy I was breathing, I was spent. The first group was some of our girls. I could hear them screaming my name as I approached them and it almost brought me to tears. I really can't describe the feeling but I think it's because they don't know me very well yet they were cheering me on like one of their teammates. As I ran past them, I said something to the effect of I don't know how they are able to do this all the time and how much I give them credit. The second group was some of our boys (one of being my son, Rick) further down the course and I kind of said the same thing as I ran past them. I honestly felt that way, too. This was NOT easy, not by any means, and this is what they do every Saturday for three months?! Incredible! Granted, they all have youth on their sides but still! Cross country is not for the faint of heart and I definitely had first had experience finding that out. Anyway, as I was approaching yet another incline and wondering if I'd be able to make it up, Rick yelled just as I was getting out of earshot the word "invincible". I almost started crying again. There is a song by the band Skillet called "Feel Invincible" and it's one of those songs we jam to on the radio, it's the song that always seem to come on on the way to taking him to the XC meets, and it's one of my power songs when I race so I kind of pumped my arms in the air and starting singing the lyrics in my head. I was tired, I was ready to be done, but I was suddenly feeling invincible as I made it up the approaching hill and beyond.

The finish
I knew once I saw the banner that was over the starting line that I wouldn't have much longer to go and because of way the course was set up (especially with how hilly it was), it was nowhere in sight and I was really starting to stress because I really didn't know how much longer I could keep this up. It seemed like it was an eternity and we started down a slight decline past the "shoe tree" which I will explain in a bit and I could see tent city so I knew the end was near. As soon as we reached the bottom, we made a sharp right and it was the home stretch, FINALLY! The finish line looked like it was so far away and I decided it was go time. I think the rush of knowing I was just about to complete my first XC race, something I never dreamed I would ever do, not only on one mother truck of a course that was both mentally and physically challenging/demanding, but the same course where many champions have ran, overtook the sheer exhaustion I was feeling. But you know what the best part was? When I could finally see the time clock it was still in the 25s!!!! What the ??!!! Holy moly I couldn't believe it!!!! While I was never able to catch the woman with the headphones who was my target because she was too far up ahead, I put everything I had into passing a guy who had been ahead of me the whole race and crossed the finish line in 25:43! Of course, as soon as I crossed the finish, I felt like I was about to fall over but within a minute or two my breathing was back to normal and I cheered on the other two parents as they crossed the finish line. The coach and his kids had already finished (his 11 year old daughter finished in 19:22 and he ran with his 10 year old son because it was his first race and they finished with a time of 20:21) so they met up with us at the finish line. The coach asked me what I thought of the course. I told him I was glad I didn't preview it the day before because I would have totally chickened out and not run the race. Do you remember when I said earlier that the coach told me it was better that I didn't preview the course? Well that's why. He knew how apprehensive I was about this and he said he knew if I ran it Saturday, I would have been too intimidated to try to race it. Wise man. LOL Now those of you who have coached and/or are experienced XC runners may or may not agree with this but the coach told me and the other parents that if we subtracted about 40 seconds or so from our times, that would be the equivalent road race time. If that's the case, I absolutely NAILED this race because that would put me mere few seconds above 25:00!!! You have NO idea what a freaking rush that is to know I ran that mother trucker of a course faster than some of my easier road races, and heck, even if the equivalent isn't the same, I STILL nailed it. Icing on the cake is not only did I run a killer time, I also was 3rd in my AG which exceeded my goal of making the top 10. Granted, there were only 6 of us but still. Weird thing is there was no awards ceremony so I'm not sure if I'll get anything mailed to me or not but it's cool to know I made the top 3! On a side note, according to my Garmin, the race distance was 3.2 miles. I know watches aren't always accurate but the parent who was wearing his Fitbit said his distance was 3.2 miles as well. Interesting.


Our girls ran at 11:30, our boys ran at 12:30, and our top male runner ran in the championship race at 2. There was no need for a cool down run because being a spectator at that race is quite the workout in itself because of the terrain. I tracked our mileage on my Garmin and we put in over 3 miles with all the running to different points to watching our team in their three races. Let me tell you, the course might be pristine but the areas between the course where you went to watch the various parts of the race are anything but. We kept joking we survived running the course but were going to end up on crutches being spectators because you were literally running through fields of long grass and ruts galore!

The shoe tree
There is a tree by the course known as the "shoe tree" and it is a tradition of those who run the course to throw their shoes up into to the tree. Before the last race, a bunch of the kids headed up to the tree to partake in the tradition. Can you imagine your child throwing their $50+ spikes or $100+ running shoes up in the tree? Yeah, me neither. It sure was hilarious to watch though! Rick was bummed because he had no shoes to throw. A pair had gotten knocked down so he grabbed them and was able to join in. Funny story. Two years ago, one of the boys on our team threw his shoes up in the tree, only to realize his $120 foot pod was on them. The follow year he climbed the tree, got the foot pod, and wouldn’t you know it still works.



After the last race was over, we quickly got on the bus to make the 6+ hour home. I should mention there were fire works before every race (except for mine) and I thought that was pretty cool, even if it was daytime.

Final thoughts
If I had to sum up this experience in one word it would be wow. Wow because I can't believe I did it, wow because it was probably THE hardest race I have ever run, wow because my time far exceeded my expectations, and wow, what an amazing experience all around. The kids were great, the coach and other parent chaperones were great, and it truly was an experience of a life time. I am so glad I pushed myself completely out of my comfort zone and tried this. So you ask would I run the course again?? Oh heck yes, in an absolute heartbeat and I hope I am able to go on the trip next year because I can't wait to do it again. After my debut XC race, I have a totally new respect and adoration for XC runners and the parents who ran the race agreed. Our kids make it look so easy but now I know all to well it is anything but.

If you made it to the end, thank you for taking the time to read this. There is so much more I can say about this experience so it was hard to keep even this short.

Official stats
Chip time: 25:43 a course and XC PR
3/6 AG
10/16 Females
69/90 OA
Splits: 8:00 8:10 8:00


Me and my son, Rick




Tuesday, November 8, 2016

DCIS Day 11.8.16

Later today after the polls have closed and the ballots are counted, we will learn the news that will change our lives forever…who will be next president of the United States. Downright scary, that's for sure. Ironically, it was four years ago today I heard the news that would change MY life forever, the words no one ever wants to hear: "you have cancer."

I think it's kind of fitting these dates have fallen together this year because even though every election makes me a bit nervous and scared about what the outcome will mean for me and my family, this year that concern is probably at an all-time high. However, there is nothing more scary than learning you have a life-threatening disease and wondering what THAT will mean for you and your family. This has put things into perspective for me today. I guess you can stay it "trumps" any election results hands down (sorry for the bad pun but Rick, my pun-master son, would be so proud LOL). It reminds me that no matter what happens at the polls, somehow, someway, we will all just keep swimming.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Every Mile a Memory: Make a Difference 5K Race Report 10.23.16

On Sunday, October 23, I ran the Make a Difference 5K. It's a small, community-type race put on by the PTSA of Shore Middle School to benefit a local food pantry. I ran the race last year and since it was close to my house and the course went through nearby neighborhood streets as well Veterans Park, a beautiful local park, I figured why not end the month of October with a nice, small race. 

The weather was a chilly 50 degrees and clouds until after the race was over. It was also damp so it felt colder than 50. I still opted to wear one of my USMC tank tops and black running skort than long sleeves and capris though. 

Going into this race, I really didn't have any goals for the race other than to hopefully run faster than last year (26:07 which somehow snagged me an AG placing even though it was my 2nd slowest time for that year). While I figured I'd have no problem at least breaking 26:00, I really had no plans for much more, especially considering my sister and I went on a winery tour Saturday night. While I offered to drive to where the bus was meeting us which meant I couldn't get all wild and crazy, I still wasn't sure how a variety of local wines were going to agree with me on race day. Anyway, my sister and co-worker were doing the race too but my sister was behind schedule so I didn't see her until she was just finishing up the race. My co-worker and I talked for a bit and then I headed off to do a real brief warm up run. 

Even though there was a timing mat at the start this year, I decided to get closer to the front mainly because there were so many kids and I've been in several races where kids have dead stopped right in front of me and I've almost bit the dust because I didn't have enough time to react. Unfortunately, there were more of them than adults at the starting line so I just accepted it for what it was and waited for the race to start. After all, I wasn't looking to PR anyway and this race was supposed to be for fun anyway. The gun went off and away we went. For a small race, it was still congested. I was finally able to get in front of most of group once we hit the park trail around the 3/4 mile mark but it was still pretty slow going up to that point with the amount of kids/slower runners who were in the front of the pack and it was hard to get around them. Of course, it never fails there has to be that ONE little boy who will look over his shoulder and cut in front of me every time I try to pass. This has happened to be quite often this year and I'm beginning to think I'm a little kid magnet. LOL It's extremely frustrating regardless.

Once again, my race strategy was to pick out a runner and either keep up with them or pass them. This plan has served me well and there were several targets in this race. Other than feeling tired like you do when you are racing, there were times I felt in pretty good groove so I just zoned out listening to my tunes and enjoyed the changing trees around me. Towards the end though, between miles 2 and 3, I felt like I was losing steam though and it just so happened Kick Start My Heart by Mötley Crüe started playing and while I don't typically run to the beat of the music during a race, I needed to something to keep me from slowing down. It certainly worked because as we made our way out of the park and back to the school and approached the time clock, I saw it was still in the 24's (to say I was shocked is an understatement), I mustered up whatever energy I had left and gunned it. Finish time of 24:41 which just so happens to by my 2nd fastest time for 2016!!! 

They have live results so I went over to the monitor and surprised again, I was first in my AG. Woot woot! But wait, there's more! After my sister and co-worker finished, we met up with a couple of the XC parents (one of the moms ran the race but the other two were there volunteering) and talked while we waited for the award ceremonies. They announced the male overall winers first and then the female overall. Imagine my surprise when they called my name as 3rd overall female!!! I couldn't believe it. 

So thus completes race #14 for 2016 and I am so glad I followed the advice of some of the runners on the Runners World Running Forum  I am a member of of not making every race a PR this year. I tried doing that in 2015 and all it did was frustrate me almost to the point I didn't know if I wanted to run anymore. Having only one goal race (which for me is the Race for the Place 5K in June) and letting the cards fall as they may with all the others really has served me well. I am also glad that I treat every race as a learning experience and try to find at least one take away. I've learned when you run with your heart rather than expectations, it makes all the difference and with the racing season winding down, I have successfully met another goal for 2016 of not worrying about a PR every race and feeling pretty darn ok about it. =)

What was kind of cool is after the race when I went to go check my time, there was a woman behind me with her black lab. They ran the race together and were one of my targets during the race and I decided if I was ever able to catch them, it would be my goal to not let them pass. So when I stepped away from the computer and noticed she was behind me, I thanked her for helping me during the race and explained my target theory and how she and her dog were one of them. She said when I passed them, she decided she wanted to try and keep up with me because she was horrible at pacing herself and I looked like I knew what I was doing because I had a watch (keep in mind I don't make it a habit of looking at my watch anymore so it must have been just the fact I had one on) and was running at a pace she could keep up with so in turn, I ended up being her target. I chuckled and told her I really had no clue what I was doing either and I was horrible at pacing as well was glad I could help her out anyway. Who knew the helpee was actually the helper too. LOL

This really was a great race all around. Very well organized, a nice course, and decent post-race goodies. I'll definitely go back for round three next year!

Splits:  8:23, 8:22, 7:55
Stats: 1/8 AG, 3/80 Females, 22/130 OA

My "bling." I also received a $5 gift certificate to the local running store, Second Sole.
Me and one of the XC moms who won 3rd in her AG. 
My co-worker won 3rd in her AG


Sunday, October 2, 2016

Every mile a memory: the Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10.2.16 (full race report to come)

I will work on full race report once I've had time to condense all my notes but here is the "brief" overview" how today's race went.

Today I accomplished what I thought would be impossible: a sub 2:00:00 half marathon and not only did I do that, I smashed my 2014 time with a finish of 1:58:42, shaving almost 20 MINUTES off that time. In 2014, I was 21st in my AG so my goal was to hopefully make the top 20 this year. Not only did I make the top 20, I was 8th!!!! Just goes to show that you should never listen to the voices in your head that say you can't because they have no idea what they are talking about and when your friends and loved ones tell you can, they are right. LOL. Running with a pacer/pace group this time around was definitely a good move because it was just like having my own personal running coach every step of the way and he not only kept us motivated, but I told him I would love to try to break two hours (a lofty goal but hey, a girl can dream) so the last mile of the race, he told those of us who wanted to beat the pacer to kick it up...and he kept right on encouraging us from behind up to the second we cross the finish.

What was extra awesome is that my son's XC team volunteered for the race so I had a few cheerleaders along the way and a couple of the boys, including Rick, even gave me high fives as I ran past. And of course, Paul was taking pictures of the race so he was able to meet me at various points of the course and cheered me on. That was icing on the cake. Of course, having some inspiration not only from above, but inspiration here on Earth helped, too.

AWESOME AWESOME race, AWESOME day, and who knows, I may just make it round 3 next year. Wait, did I just say that???!!! Just keep swimming...and running.

Nailed it. What a complete and utterly amazing surprise.

Half marathon #2 complete. A PR to boot!
Start and finish at the beach? What's not to love!!!


Thanks to my pacer, Sean, and a friend I met along the way for helping me to the finish.
She finished a tad bit in front of me but it was fun running with her and trying to catch her in the shoot.
Cool swag. Thanks to the race organizers and sponsors for another amazing race.
A personal best and victory in honor and memory of all my sisters in pink.



Here's to never saying never. Northern Ohio Half Marathon, take two. 10.2.16

In October 2014, I ran my first and only half in honor of my dad as he battled lung cancer: the Lake Health Northern Ohio Marathon/Half Marathon. His fight was my inspiration to cross the finish, especially during the times I thought I'd never make it there. After than race, I swore I would never run a half again, especially not that one for two reasons. One, let's be honest, I love running and I love racing but 13.1 miles? Not really a fan of that distance. Second, knowing what this particular race meant to me and the reason I ran it in the first place, yep, I swore never again. It's really a great race though and last year, they changed the course a bit. They moved the start and finish to Headlands State Park/the beach/my favorite place and it's a relatively flat course going through the streets of Mentor so last year we put together a team for the 5-person marathon relay they offered instead. Well, this year the plans to run the relay fell through and left me with either not running the race at all and kicking myself later or sucking it up and running another half, the race and distance I have vehemently sworn I would never run again. I chose to suck it up and go for round two.

So if I was going to do this again, I needed to make it personal and have something to push me in those moments When I feel like I can't take another step. One morning on a run a few weeks ago before sunrise it hit me. The race is in October. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It was in October four years ago my cancer roller coaster began and it's because of cancer that I started running in the first place. Good motivation but making it about me wouldn't be enough. So then I started thinking about the people who have crossed my path from the moment God put me on it and the answer became clear: run this race in honor of my sisters in pink: the fighters, the survivors, and the taken. I found my inspiration.

7:30 a.m. today in the rain…it's round two. This one's for you, "sisters."

Monday, August 8, 2016

Every Mile a Memory: 3rd Annual Community Run for Life 5K 8.7.16

Some background behind this race
Even though this was my third time running the Community Run for Life 5K, I wasn't really sure what to expect and I’ll explain why in a moment. But first, this is one of my races that is more of a personal event rather than “just another race.” As you know, I am a three year, eight month year breast cancer survivor and three months after I was diagnosed, my dear father, AKA Papa D, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, a battle he fought ferociously but with grace until God called him home April 14, 2015. This race benefits the Lake Health/UH Seidman Cancer Center where my oncologist is as well as where my dad’s was and where he received his chemo and radiation treatments. Unlike June's Race for the Place 5K, there are no teams or fundraising efforts, you just support the medical center by participating. So there was a very personal aspect for running this race. Also, when I ran their inaugural race in 2014, I had just started running in March that year and it was only my third 5K so you can imagine how utterly surprised and stoked I was when I received my first AG placing during that race. Even when they changed the course up a bit last year, I still managed to place in my AG. As you can see, it’s a special race on many levels. Why wasn't I sure what to expect? Even though this was my third time running it, not only did they change race management companies this year, but they also changed the location to the Holden Arboretum where a few of my other races have been (trail-type, mostly gravel and windy course with lots of rolling hills). The good thing was I knew what I was in for as far as what the course was going to be like in general however, the specific route looked like it was a little different than any of the other races I’ve done there that is why I wasn't really sure what to expect from a finish time aspect. Add to it this year they grouped the awards by the 40-49 ages rather than 45-49 so I really didn't see an AG placement this time around. It's ok though, I decided I would just run the race in memory of my dad and not worry about times, AG placings, etc. Another thing new this year, since it's at the arboretum, they have added a flower dedication in the butterfly garden in memory of a friend or family after the awards ceremony.

And now on to race day
I woke up at 6 am in a complete panic about this race. I wasn't bothered by the fact my left hip and right knee had given me troubles earlier in the week so I used the elliptical rather than run most of the week. I thought about just how hard a 5K is, both physically and mentally, especially on this particular course because it's not a flat road race, and quite honestly, I almost prefer running my 10 mile race over a 5K.  I even mentioned it to my DH on the way to the race. Yep, self-doubt kicked in the minute I opened my eyes. It didn't help that I woke up to some minor family drama and add that to the emotional aspect of this race, yeah, I really wasn't feeling strong about this one. I decided I was going to stick with my plan of just running the race in memory of my dad and not worry about anything else. I was joined by my brother-in-law who is an avid runner and runs many of the same races I do, my oldest sister and mom (who were going to walk either the 1 mile or 2 mile option which was new this year), a few co-workers (one co-worker's sister died of breast cancer in December and she herself had a cancer scare month ago), and my cousin and her family.

Me, my big sis, and my mom
After we all met up in the staging area, I went for a short half mile warm up and while my knee was fine, my hip was a bit achy as was my calf which was weird because I've never had an issue with it before. Nothing too horrible though and I figured once the race adrenaline kicked in, I'd be ok (which ended up being the case).

It was a small race this year with only around 100 people participating in the 5K. I'm not sure how many people were actually running the 5K as opposed to walking it. There were so few "competitive" runners it seemed that I was able to position myself right at the front. Plus, the walkers, whether for the 5K, 1 mile or 2 mile distance, were instructed to line up behind the runners. The gun went off and for the first quarter mile or so, I started to cry a bit thinking of my dad.  I think I was just in emotional overdrive and I was able to regain my composure and just run. With it being a small race, there wasn't whole lot of weaving in and out of people and probably around the half mile mark, I was pretty much running by myself. There was this one little boy that for some reason felt the need to speed up and move over in front of me every time I tried to pass him. It seems EVERY race I do there is some little kid who does that. Why do they feel the need to do that?! It drives me crazy because a few times I've almost tripped over them!  Luckily he ended up stopping at one of the porta johns and I wouldn't see him again.

Anyway, I fought with feelings of self-doubt for most of the race. I was tired, this was hard, I couldn't breath, how would I finish, etc. etc. It was so bad at times even my power songs on my playlist weren't cutting it but then as I approached the water stop, I saw my dad's care coordinator handing out water.  She didn't recognize me or anything and I didn't stop but seeing her was a much needed mental boost that no matter how I was feeling physically, this race was about my dad. I really think it was no accident she was at that water stop as would remind myself several times after that why I was running. There were several hills that were kicking my butt and I kept telling myself they were pieces of cake compared to the monsters I encountered on my vacation. When I reached the tops, I decided to slow down because my breathing was horrible and I felt like I couldn't catch my breath. At one point during the race, my cousin's son, who was running a 5K for the first time, passed me and at first I thought I might try to keep up with him but there was no way I could, he was just too dang fast! Paul was taking pictures and he was positioned somewhere between miles 2.5 and 3. Seeing him gave me another mental boost. At the 3 mile mark, I started to feel very overwhelmed again and a couple of the volunteers were standing there directing the runners where to go. I said something like "what, we still have more to go?!" and the one man cheer me on and said "you can do it, you only have about a minute left." Ugh, I was not going to make it one more second, much less a minute…but I pressed on. All the sudden I started to feel like I was going to throw up. I have never ever run a race and had that feeling before. There were a couple of times I even put my hand up to my mouth because I thought I was going to. But a little voice in my head said "just go, you can throw up when you cross that finish line so move it!" I rounded the corner and saw the finish line clock. Holy heck, it was still in that 24's! I kicked into overdrive and crossed the finish shortly after the 25 minute mark. According to Garmin, my time was 25:12.5. Dang, once again I felt like I was running like crap but instead I was killing it! I kept thinking to myself had I not slowed down the times that I did, I would have finished sub 25 again. Although I was so out of breath it took me about 10 minutes to regain my composure, the sick feeling I had went away. Sweet, this would not be the race I tossed my cookies!

Once everyone finished, we walked over to where the award presentation was being held. Knowing my time was better than I thought and given the fact the race was so small and there weren't any women who looked like they'd be in my AG who passed me, I was feeling pretty confident an AG placing would happen, despite the ages being 40-49 rather than 45-49.  They announced the overall winners first and wouldn't you know I was only 0.5 seconds behind the #3 female?! Since I was behind her the entire race but never able to catch up to her, I felt even more confident a placing would happen. Sure enough, they announced the winners in my AG and I guess you've figured it out by now that I was #1. Chip time of 25:12.5.  As they announced my name and my family and friends cheered, I cried as I bounded up like Tigger to receive my award. The woman who was handing out the awards hugged everyone as they came up so sure enough when I went up to get my award, she hugged me too and she could tell I was crying so she held on just a little bit longer than usual and told me nice job. What made this unexpected victory even more special, after I received my award and walked back to where my family was, my dad's care coordinator, who was talking to my mom at the time, walked up to me, gave me a huge hug, and told me my dad would have been very proud of me. There really are no words to describe how I felt in that moment.  My brother-in-law won first in his AG and my cousin's son, the one who passed me, won first in his, too. My sister who did the walk with my mom won one of the door prizes.
A family who races together wins together


After the awards, they had a small memorial "service" in the butterfly garden. Everyone was given a sunflower and after a short prayer was read, we threw our flowers into the pond. Paul took pictures so once he gets them processed, I will share them.

Last year when we ran this race, we met a woman and her friend. They had been running partners for years and he had been diagnosed with lung cancer a couple months prior so it was his first race since. At  Sunday's race, she won in her AG but I didn't happen to see her friend anywhere. When we were at the butterfly garden, I noticed her across the way crying. After the memorial service was over and as everyone was leaving, she walked past me so I stopped her, mentioned we met at last year's race and I said I noticed her friend wasn't there. We chatted for a bit and sadly, he passed away in November. She mentioned again how he was her running partner for the last 12 years and how much she missed him. She thanked me for remembering her, we congratulated each other on our awards, and said we'll see each other next year.

So, while my chip time was not my fastest to date and had the usual suspects been at this race and I probably wouldn't have placed, yesterday's race was a personal best on so many other levels. It just goes to show that sometimes even when you aren't feeling it, you just might surprise yourself when you race with your heart rather than race with expectations.

Stats
25.12.5
1/13 AG 40-49
19/99 overall

One last note: I'm not sure if the course was the same as the race I ran there on Father's Day. The start and finish were the same, but as I was running the trails, some of it seemed to be a bit different (and seem to be more hilly!!). I chalked it up to them adding the 1 and 2 mile walk option but when I compared the course from the Father's Day race in June to this one this morning, they are almost identical so who knows. At any rate, my time for that race was 25:53 so if that's the case, I beat that time by about 41 seconds. Another unexpected victory!