Every Mile a Memory: Race for the Place 5K on National Cancer Survivors Day 6.5.16

Race for the Place 5K/1 Mile walk benefiting The Gathering Place (TGP) held every year on National Cancer Survivors Day, the first Sunday in June.

Every race I try to have 2-3 goals. This one I had two:
First goal: Sub 25:00 time
Second goal (if first wasn’t met): Top 5 in my AG

I apologize in advance for such a long race report. This event was more than just a "race" to me and a few lines just wouldn't do it justice. I've included pictures to give your eyes a break from all the text. LOL

What can I say, the race that started it all for me two years ago will always be "my" race and for all the reasons it is special to me, every year it becomes even more so. As I've mentioned before, this is my anniversary race and the race report from last year's race includes details and challenges of the course so I'll skip over that.

Not only was this the first year I had my own team (aptly named Just Keep Swimming…and Running), but it was also the first year I was not only joined by the usual suspects (family and a friend or two), but my cousin, Michelle, who is more like a sister and my two life-long friends, Leslie and Shawne, with whom I have been recently reunited with were part of my team this year, too.  Being a team captain is somewhat stressful because so many people were running late and I know what a complete MADHOUSE it is in the staging area from doing this race before (over 4,000 people participate) and then throw in the fact I'm a basket case before ANY race, much less this one, so I was a bit on edge.  Plus I had picked up our race packets on Thursday so I had to make sure everyone had their bibs before I headed over to the starting line. We were supposed to meet at 8 am and then get our team picture taken at 8:15 but half of my team wasn't even there yet so we just got the picture taken with the handful we had. But we all managed to find each other before the race and everything worked out. Next year I will do a couple things differently to alleviate some of the stress but DEFINITELY, Lord willing, will have my own team again.

Even though I tossed and turned all night (which has become the norm for me), I stayed in bed "resting" until about 5:45 am. We have to leave the house by 7:15 and I planned on getting up at 6 anyway so it wasn't that big of a deal that I was up a little early. I had my race outfit all set and ready to go the night before so all of this allowed me to have not one but TWO cups of coffee before the race. Bonus java is always a good thing on race morning!  I didn't do team shirts because I feel people should wear what they feel comfortable in, especially if they are running,  and not everyone wants to spend the additional money anyway plus they get a shirt from the race. I decide to wear the shirt I made for last year's race, the one with my dad's picture on it. I also made a pair of shorts the first time I ran the race two years ago so those are a must every time I run an "honor/memorial" race.

Every mile a memory, my running mantra

I don't eat breakfast as it is and don't eat before a race but I decided to have a banana just for good measure. The weather was rainy and drizzly the entire ride to the race, which was about 30 minutes from my house. Temps were in the 60's so it was a little chilly but not too bad. Pau had checked the weather before we left home and he said it was supposed to clear out by race time. Because this race means what it does to me, I was going to run it regardless of what the weather did. When we got to the mall where the event took place, it was raining again so Paul and Rick decided to wait in the lower level/covered parking area while I decided to "brave" the elements and go up the team meeting area where my cousin was waiting for me. Shortly there after, other team members trickled in and after we got out picture taken, we just hung around waiting for everyone else to show up. By that time the rain all but stopped.

Leslie isn't afraid of a little rain

The one mile walk takes place in the parking lot of the mall and the 5K starts and ends at the mall but goes through neighborhood streets. After a short warm up run with my friends, Paul, son, friends, and I said goodbye to the team mates who were doing the 1 mile walk and the 5K-ers who didn't want to be close to the front and we headed over to the starting line. Since I've done this race before, I know what a zoo it is at the starting line and I wanted to be pretty close to the timing mat so we headed over about 8:50. This, unfortunately means we missed the opening ceremonies, which you could sort of hear off in the distance.  This was this first year they told the walkers of the 5K to line up AFTER the runners. Guess they finally listened to all the people who complained. I have to admit I was a bit irked when a woman pushing a jogging stroller lined up in front of us. She looked like a legit runner and she ended up being pretty fast and all that but I still think it was kind of rude to be smack dab right there in front knowing full well of ALL the runners that were behind her but whatever. The race started late, about 9:10 or so but eventually the blew the horn and we were off.

Rick, me, and Paul at the starting line

Girls just wanna have fun

Rather than give a play by place of the full race, especially since this is long enough at is it, I'll just say it was muggy and it was tough! The course ran though heavily populated neighborhood streets and to those of you who run hills all the time, this course would have been a piece of cake probably but not for this girl. Again, I talk more about the course in my race report from last year so I'll skip that. This year it seemed that's all we did was run up never ending inclines with very few declines and even though this was my third time running this race, both Paul and my brother-in-law, Eric, felt the course was a little more hilly than in years past so we weren't sure if they changed the course a bit or if it was just us.  Looking back at my RR from last year's race, the "hills" were an issue for me so it could have just been our perception. Every mile was a struggle and in mile 1, I got my first ever race side stitch and I thought I was doomed for sure. Then a second one stared. They eventually disappeared which is good because I was having a hard enough time as it was. At one point, perhaps mile 2ish, the sun looked like it might peek out from the clouds and I kept thinking if it came out, I'd be doomed even more. It had warmed up a bit but luckily the sun never did come out and even though the air felt as thick as mud, at least it wasn't a million degrees.

When I first started the race, I looked down at my watch quite a bit but I finally got to the point, especially when I saw it at 9:30 pace somewhere in mile 2, that checking my watch was only frustrating me because I was clearly not going to meet my goal so quit looking at it and just ran. This is the second race I've done that (the other being my 5K from last month) so I've decided I will ignore my Garmin from now on when I race. Lesson learned from last race confirmed in this race.

Once again, I felt like I was running like crap the entire time and decided this was not going to be the race I'd run sub 25:00 so I just changed my focus to why I was running the race...the fighters, the survivors, the taken.  A woman passed me and she looked like she was floating, running effortlessly like a gazelle without a hint of struggle and I wondered if I'd ever get to the point where I'd run like that, too. With not to much longer to go, I passed her and when I got to mile 3 and the volunteer said the time was 24 something, I could not believe my ears!!  I thought I was going to completely blow this race and here I was, only seconds from my goal. As I rounded the corner to the finish, my son who had already finished the race, called out to me and told me to gun it.  I yelled back "I can't" and then I saw the finish clock and when I saw it was still in the 24's, I dug for what little energy I had left and as I crossed the timing mat, the clock read 24:48. No.flippin.way!! My Garmin said 24:45 and given where I started the race, my numbers were pretty accurate. The timing company for this race doesn't have live results like the other races I do so we had to wait for several hours to find out what our official times were but dang it, I my met goal!  Now would I place in the top 5 of my AG? We'd have to wait for the award ceremony for that.

One by one, as team members would finish the race, we'd head up to the final stretch and cheer on those on our team who were still racing. Meanwhile, the team members who did the one mile walk found us so we all stood around talking as we waited. When my cousin, Michelle, our last team member to come in passed us, we all cheered and screamed for her. This was her first 5K race and her first time walking an "official" 5K distance. You know that "gazelle" I mentioned earlier? As we were waiting, she came up to me and thanked me for helping her. Shocked, I thanked her and told her SHE was the one who helped keep ME going. I told her how effortlessly she looked and how I envied her and much to my surprise, she said she didn't feel very "gazelle-like," that she felt very off, and the race was kicking her butt just as it was me. She said she thinks it appears she runs like that because she is very tall and has long legs because she surely doesn't feel like she's floating. Glad to know I wasn't the only one suffering LOL.

My nephew, Daniel, his wife, Shari, and their two boys participate every year

My cousin's first 5K

Michelle finished and met up with us and we all walked to over to where the awards ceremony was getting ready to start. We were able to get someone to take our picture while we waited so we'd have one with all the team members present. So I met my goal of a sub 25, now would I make the top 5 in my AG? First they announced the top three overall winners in the Survivor Male category and then they announced the top three overall winners in the Survivor Female Category. I was only half paying attention because in the years I've been doing this race, I've never even been close to being a contender so imagine my utter surprise and astonishment when they announced the 3rd place winner and it was me!! I started jumping all over the place as my team screamed and cheered for me. I started to cry! Never in a million years did I ever think I'd be running, much less winning overall anything. I was so excited and stoked when they announced my name, when I went up to get my award bounding like Tigger from Monica Robbins, a local TV personality, I didn't realize they were doing a group shot of all the overall female winners and walked back over to my family, missing being part of the group shot. LOL  My brother-in-law, who is a serious runner and almost always places in his AG, placed 3rd in his AG.

So excited to win my award I missed the group picture

Eric and I with our awards

After the awards, we all headed over to a local restaurant to celebrate an awesome day. As we were leaving the race, a woman came up to me and congratulated me on my award and asked what my time was. They didn't announce times when they handed out the awards which I thought was odd. I told her what my Garmin said and she said she sees me at a lot of races and always picks me out as one of the people to try to keep up with. Me?? Really??  Who woulda thunk it! Now I am not sharing that to brag, it just really meant a lot to me and was a big confidence booster (something I severely lack, just ask Paul), especially with the way I was feeling during the race and it made this special day even more so. Before we left lunch, the times had been posted on the website. My official time was 24:43 and I did not make the top 5 of my AG but rather 8th which was a bit of a surprise because I picked the top 5 goal based on last year's times and what I thought I might run. Just goes to show you never know who will show up on race day, even when it's raining. However, I didn't care, wining 3rd overall trumped a #5 in my AG hands down!

Yesterday just happened to be my 3.5 year anniversary as a cancer survivor to the day. A strange twist of fate? I think not. 12.5.12 will be a day I will never forget nor will 6.5.16. I am truly blessed for more reasons I can express and I can't thank my family and friends who help me just keep swimming…and running. If you made it all the way to the end, thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this. =)

Final thought: This race proves all the more to never let the feelings of self doubt, technology, or the voice inside your head that says you can't or you won't get the best of you. Sometimes you just have to let the cards fall as they may and be happy that you can and will cross the finish line. And when you get there, you may just surprise yourself.

STATS
Time: 24:43.3
3rd Place Overall Survivors Women (8/158 Overall Survivors)
8/127 AG
207/1,759 overall

Our team raised $1,018 and I personally raised $437. There is still time to donate to our team. The Gathering Place is accepting them through June 30.

Just Keep Swimming...and Running

Me, my mom, son, and sisters

My co-worker, Debbie, nevers misses a chance to race

Every mile a memory

It all started with a beer...celebrating 17 years of wedded bliss

"So tonight let's raise 'em up to where we ended up 

There's been highs, there's lows, fast lane freeways and bumpy roads, cursed the devil and prayed to heaven, lost it all when we rolled some sevens. Been more smiles than there's been tears, been more good than bad years. Ain't it crazy baby how we got here, Oh, it all started with a beer. Oh, it all started with an ice cold beer."

"It All Started with a Beer" ~ Frankie Ballard

I know my husband, Paul, hates honky tonk but the first time I heard this song I chuckled and then l got a little choked up thinking about us. It was in that moment when I knew this would be the song I would quote on our 17th anniversary. Love it or hate it, Paul, this song is so us.

Our first "date" was at the Chesterland Tavern. Our mutual friend, Anne, knew we both had an interest in each other so when she and Paul were both home on leave from the Marine Corps one December evening (the 21st…in 1996 to be exact), she arranged for the three of us to meet for a beer…or two… It was that night Paul and I started talking and when we walked out the door at the end of that evening, I knew he was it. My life was changed forever. Well, here we are today, celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary. Yep, it all started with a beer (and truth be told, a shot or two of Jager LOL).

There has been a lot highs and lows in the years we have been together and I am sure there have been times I have been a lot more than he bargained for but regardless what crazy has been thrown our way, here we are today. Love you always, honey.

Ain't it crazy baby how we got here, it all started with a beer❤️

May 29, 1999 ~ The day I married my Marine

Every Mile a Memory: Run for Riley 5K Race Report

In the past 43 days, I have run my first 10k, my second 10 miler (race report to come), and on April 24, I ran my seventeenth 5k. Having raced three different distances so close together, I realized during this race that while a 5k may "only" be 3.1 miles, there is no "only" about it and is quite possibly the toughest of the three.

I wanted to race this event not only because it benefits a local teenager's legacy, a life cut way too short because of cancer (and being a cancer survivor myself, there is a special draw towards such races), but it also was my "spirit renewed " race from last year. Putting that all aside, the race atmosphere is fun, too, and it's very close to home! It begins outside of the high school stadium and ends on the track with a DJ motivating the runners as they make the final stretch to the finish, not to mention there was a nice post-race spread last year of bagel bites (best.snacks.ever), bananas, cookies, water, coffee, and most importantly, an ice cream truck. So not only have I run this race once before, but it takes place about 2 miles from my house and on a course I am familiar with. Initially, I thought with it being so close to home that I would do a warm up run to the race. I am so glad I decided not to do that because I had no idea how hard this race was going to be and I think that would have been detrimental to the outcome.

This was my very first race ever where someone I know wasn't running it. Usually at my races, I've either had my co-worker, my oldest sister and brother-in-law, my husband, Paul, a friend or two, or a combination participating but not this time. Even though Paul wasn't going to run the race, he told me he'd be there to see me finish. What's interesting is last year, he wasn't running or racing with me yet and it was the first race where he surprised me by being there at the finish line so I loved he that he would be there again. 

I thought it was going to be weird getting to the race and standing around with no one to talk to but I dilly-dallied so much at home that when I finally DID get to the race, I had about five minutes for a warm up run and even that got cut short because I could see the crowd at the starting line and I panicked when I heard them announce it was only a couple minutes to start. 

The crowd looked enormous compared to last year and I didn't want to get stuck in the sea of walkers so I quickly found my spot closer to the front of the pack. It was a nice surprise to find one of our friends (he and his wife did the 10K relay back in March) was running the race, too. I guess I wouldn't be running "alone" after all. We chatted for a minute or so before they sounded the horn and off we went. Because of the huge crowd, I wanted to make sure I got far enough ahead at the beginning which made me start off WAY WAY faster than I should have. Even though I decided I wasn't going to try and PR this race, I just wanted to see if all the running I've done the last several months would pay off, I set high and low pace alerts on my FR220 anyway. It kept going off and I when I saw my paces were in the 7's, I knew this would not serve me well… and it didn't. Pretty much the entire race felt like a struggle and I kept thinking to myself how much I would rather be running my 10 mile race at the moment. So weird.

The course went along the city's bike path, which I have run countless times, and luckily we ran the mostly flat part and only had one hill/incline to contend with right before mile 1. Thank goodness because I was T-I-R-E-D and my legs would not have been happy to deal with more. I had to smile when we reached the one hill/incline and one of the women a head of me reached back to her friend/running partner, who was definitely struggling, grabbed her hand, and "helped" her up the hill. When they reached the top, they both put their hands up in victory. Sometimes there is more to a race than just running it and right there is one of the reasons I love it so much. =-)  The rest of the race was uneventful, except for this little boy who was ahead me and EVERY time I would try to pass him, he'd look over his shoulder and move in front of me. It wasn't like there wasn't plenty of room so I don't know why he was doing that but I was eventually able to pass him. Thank goodness. 

At the 2.5 mile mark, we turned into the school parking lot and headed towards the stadium. Yes, this race was almost over...but would I make it? I was so tired and I honestly didn't think I'd have that surge of energy I felt the last two races to pick it up. At 2.8 miles, I heard someone tell me to keep pushing (which I assumed it was either our friend who finished before me or Paul but at the moment I was so focused on trying to finish that I couldn't focus on anyone who might be standing there plus they were standing in the shadow of trees making it even harder to see who was who) and shortly after I reached the track and was finally on the home stretch at 3 miles, I noticed our friend standing along the track cheering me on, telling me to catch the woman in front of me. I never did catch her but when I saw the clock at 25 something and knew that a PR would be within my reach if I just.kept.running...so I did...but was I fast enough to beat my PR????

When I finished the race, I was greeted by Paul. He showed me the picture he took of me crossing the finish line. The clock in the background said 25:28 but I remember as I crossed the finish, there was no visible timing mat so I'm not sure what my official time was. My Garmin said 25:27 but I knew better than to go by that. The timing company always has live results but for some reason the computers weren't working at that moment. I remembered my results were automatically posted to my Facebook page so I checked there. Sure enough, I finished in 25:31, a PR by a mere four seconds, but they had me listed as a male so I was 6th in my AG. Hmmm, with a time of 25:31, there was a chance I might have won an AG placing for females so I found the owner of the timing company, showed him my stats on my phone, and told him they had me as a male. While I wait for him to first get the computers working so people could check their stats and then update my entry, I looked up the times for the females in my AG on my phone and sure enough, with a time of 25:31, I held the 3rd place spot. They eventually got the computers working, my entry updated, and I excitedly accepted my award when they called my name.

I'm not gonna lie, I went into this race with no real goal other than beating my time from last year, which I did so I am happy, but I thought with all the crazy running I have been doing this year and all the miles I have been putting in, that it would have been a lot "easier" and if I was going to PR, it would be more than four seconds, especially since my previous PR was from last August. It's all good though. Many take aways from this race, including a whole new respect for the 5k distance, and at the end of the day, I am excited and feel accomplished because I am doing something I never even dreamed I'd be doing two years ago. What's not to love about that!

On a side note: when I read my RR from this race last year, I missed a PR by four seconds and this year I beat it by four. I'm not crazy into numbers but sometimes I will look at them and think  "hmmmm" and this was one of those times... every mile a memory.

The year of firsts comes to a close

As the the year of firsts officially comes to an end at 1:23 pm today, I think back to what it has been like without my dad. I was hoping I would be able to say something deep and meaningful. Unfortunately, some recent life events have left me at a loss for words at the moment and the creative juices just aren't flowing. But I can say this:

Life is short, life is precious, live it with no regrets and make the best of the time you have because no one is promised a tomorrow. 

Honestly, don't sweat the small stuff because at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter. 

Never forget to tell the people you care about how you feel about them and tell them often because you just never know what moment will be your last…or theirs. 

Love like crazy. 

And most importantly, no matter what life throws your way, have faith, never ever give up hope, and just keep swimming. 

Miss you and love you more than words can ever express, Papa D. Until we meet again…

Read my post, A Celebration of Life, to learn more about my dad.

His celebration of life service can be found here on You Tube.

2016 Race for the Place 5K..the race is on!

If you've been following my blog for a while you'll know that The Gathering Place's annual Race for the Place 5K is a special race to me for many reasons. Since it was the race that "started it all" for me running wise in 2014, this year I have decided to make it my goal race for 2016 in which I hope to set a PR and run a sub 25:00 5K. Since January, I have been running over 100 miles every month (another one of my 2016 goals) in hopes to make that happen.  This year's race will take place on Sunday, June 5 rain or shine.

After participating in the race for the last three years with my husband's company, we decided to branch off and form our own team this year. We are team "Just Keep Swimming...and Running" and I would love for you to join us to support this wonderful cause! Even though this event is a fundraiser for The Gathering Place, there is no pressure to raise a certain amount of money when you join a team like there is with other charity races. As a matter of fact, several people solely pay the race fee which serves as their contribution. Of course, donations are always appreciated but certainly not required.

So, what if you're not a runner? No problem, you can choose to walk the 5K (3.1 miles) or participate in the 1 Mile walk. If neither of those options interest you, you can show your support by making a tax-deductible financial contribution via my race page. No matter what you choose, your contribution helps this local cancer center continue to offer free services to cancer patients and their families.

Last year I was able to raise over $1,100 and would like to meet or exceed that amount this year! Please visit my personal fundraising page to learn more about the race, to join our team, or make a donation.

To learn more about The Gathering Place and the free services they offer to cancer patients and their families right here in our community, please visit their website at www.touchedbycancer.org or their Facebook page.

Thank you for your support!

Race Report: Inaugural Kiss Me I'm Irish 5K/10K/10K Relay 3.13.16

Warning: You might need to break out the popcorn, prop your feet up, and plan to stay awhile for this one. As my running mantra says, "Every Mile a Memory" and this race had miles of them...

The race that took me WAAAY out of my comfort zone ended up being a surprisingly great start to the 2016 racing season
I will start out by saying that the Inaugural Kiss Me I'm Irish 5K/10K/10K Relay was by far the toughest course of my short running "career." Had I known the entire race route minus about one mile was going to be comprised of rolling hills, I probably would have chickened out and not run the 10K but perhaps stuck with the 2-person 10K relay or 5K. Don't get me wrong, those would have been challenges as well because all three distances utilized the same course, the "suffering" would have just been half. LOL For people who run hills on a regular basis, I'm sure this course would have been a piece of cake but for me, the race was a beast…and everyone whom I raced with me Sunday shared my sentiments. With that said, I am glad I didn't know ahead of time what I was in for because despite the challenges, it was a great race and I really hope they offer it next year because I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Ha, I guess you know it's gotta be a good race when it kicks your behind yet brings you back for more. =O)

Going the distance
Before I go into the race details, a little background. While I have several 5Ks, a 5 miler, a 10 miler, and a half marathon under my belt and I've run a 10K distance more times than I can count during training runs, I had never raced the 10K distance before so when they announced this one, Paul and I decided to sign up for the 10K. He had run a 10K in the fall but I was out of town and missed out and since this one was close and from my experiences running the Race for the Place 5K which takes place practically right across the street (a relatively flat and "easy" neighborhood type-course), I figured it would be a great 10K to try. Ha, little did I know what challenge I would be up against.

At the end of January, a couple we are friends with challenged us to a "loser buys breakfast" competition with the 2-person 10K relay. John is a pretty fast runner and places in his AG in just about every race he does. Nicole just started running last year and hadn't run since the last race we all did together, the Run Santa Run 5K.  I am certainly not anywhere close to being as fast as John and Paul just started running last year and had only run a handful times since the Santa race so the teams weren't exactly balanced but we didn't care, it would be fun no matter what. However, I really wanted to try the full 10K so we decided our son could run on a team with Paul as long as we could change Paul's registration to a relay team and include our son. I contact the RD and he gladly made the change and team The Geek Squad was born. With our son on the team (he runs XC and whose PR is close to John's), it would greatly level the playing field. Unfortunately, when he hurt his foot several weeks ago, we didn't think he'd be able to run the relay so we asked my brother-in-law if he was interested. Eric is an avid runner and has several races, including marathons, under his belt, and often places in his age group so he would be good replacement. I contacted the RD again to see if it was ok swap out our son for Eric. Again, it wasn't a problem so the "grudge match" between The Geek Squad and The Old Married Couple would go on as planned. My friend from work who runs several races with me signed up to do the 5K and Paul's friend who started running last year signed up for the 10K. He is also signed up to the 10 Mile Drop that we are doing next month so he thought the 10K would be good bridge between 5K racing to 10M racing.

Oh what a course, oh what a beast

The race began and ended at an outdoor shopping complex called Legacy Village. When the race was first announced, the route was supposed to just go through neighborhoods and city streets with the 10K route running the 5K route twice. About a week or so before race day, we noticed they posted an updated route. We talked with one of the RDs afterwards (who happens to be our son's XC coach as well as owner of one of the local running stores and co-owns the time/race management company that the majority of my races, including this one, are through) and he explained why they changed it. Even though this course was more than what I bargained for, looking back I'm actually glad they changed it because running a loop twice would have been kind of boring and this course DEFINITELY pushed me out of my comfort zone.

The only completely flat part was at the very start heading out of the complex, the very end heading back in, and a portion between approx. miles 3.25 through 4.35 that went through a neighborhood. Also, with the exception of the first and last miles as well as the portion mentioned above, the rest of the course was on a golf cart path in a former golf course turned metro park, mostly paved but there was a short section that was gravel. I looked at the course map ahead of time so I knew it was going to be very snake-like, just not so dang hilly. At first I was concerned how I was going to be able to hug the curves with so many people running the race but by the time I reached the park during the race, the pack had thinned out making "lane changes" on the very narrow path rather easy to do. There were times the course curved back and forth so quickly I just stayed in the middle. Even though the path was narrow and there were so many people running, there were actually many times I was running alone which was an unexpected surprise and I have to admit I kind of prefer the "park-like" race over city/street one.

So getting back to the race…
Originally I thought there were 1,000 people signed up for the race but actually there were "only" 800 and on race day, there were less than 700. I suspect the chilly and rainy weather kept people away. Of course, the weather on SATURDAY would have been perfect for a race; blue skies, sunshine, and upper 50's/lower 60's. No such luck for Sunday. It rained most of the day and temps were a RF of 37 degrees at the 9:00 a.m. start. Paul's friend picked up our race packets the day before so we didn't have to be at the venue too early and decided to meet at him 8:15. We arrived and the drizzle had pretty much stopped but the radar for the race didn't look very promising. I usually only have one cup of coffee pre-race but this morning and I had two and that, along with pre-race jitters and not knowing what to expect from this race made me a little more anxious and bouncing off the walls than usual and the crappy weather wasn't helping matters.

Since runners were encouraged to dress festively, I did just that. I'll admit when we first arrived and I saw other runners walking to the staging area, I felt a bit overdressed and felt that perhaps I went too overboard because not many people had dressed up. An interesting observation when we were waiting for the race to start is how few of the "real" runners (that's what I call the people from the running club whom I see at most of the races and run competitively) dress festively. Paul commented that it's probably because they are there to race and win, not style points, which I can understand. Not everyone likes to get all geeked up like I do but I sure did have fun putting my outfit together. Several of the other racers came up to me and commented how great my outfit was and quite a few said if there was a contest, I'd definitely win so I eventually got over feeling out of place. Surprisingly every single thing I had on stayed put not only during but well after the race was over.

My brother-in-law and my sister (who came for moral support and ended up helping the race crew move the timing mats, hand out water to the racers, etc. while she waited for us to cross the finish line), arrived and we met up with our friends, The Old Married Couple, to chat a little before the race. About 8:40, I decided to do a quick warm up jog. I still don't really know if a warm up jog has any benefit to me personally when I race so I only jogged for about 10 minutes. Too much coffee made for an extremely dry mouth and while I've never raced with gum before, I was desperate. You know the saying "can't walk and chew gum at the same time?" Yeah, well that's me. I've always been afraid to run with gum in my mouth for fear of choking. Luckily Eric had a piece and gave me half. It was a life saver and I managed to run most of the race with it in my mouth. The rain held off so we were able to start the race "rain free" but probably around mile 5 it started to mist and by the time I crossed the finish line, it was drizzling. Fortunately, because of where the race start and finish were staged, there were plenty of places to hang out after you finished so you didn't have to wait around in the rain. One of the bars in the complex offered a free beer to anyone who raced plus they were donating 20% of all sales to a local food bank so that was a popular spot as was Starbucks.

I went into this race with no expectations because I had never raced a 10K distance before. As a matter of fact, when I saw John at the starting line, he asked me what my goal was and I told him I had no idea. All I knew is I wanted to beat Paul's 1st 10K time (which was 58something). =) I arbitrarily picked 8:00 and 9:45 for my low/high pace alerts on my FR220 and planned on running a slower pace in the 9:30-9:45 range to start off. Even though I was pretty close to the starting mat, it was pretty chaotic trying to get out of the complex with so many people. Add the race adrenaline and I found myself running WAY faster than I should have been (8:15-9:30 range). This would not serve me well. When I got to the park at approx. mile 1, I was already tired and didn't really know how I'd be able to run another 5.2 miles, especially seeing the course I was now realizing I had to run. I would glance down at my watch from time to time and was surprised how often it read 9:20 because I felt I was running much slower. Yep, I was tired and seemed like it was taking me forever to make any progress. It's funny because when I got to the spot where the 5K runners split off to head back, I was half tempted to just say screw it, take a DNF, and just follow the 5K route back but I told myself that was crazy talk and to just keep running. I also had to remind myself that just because people were passing me didn't mean I was running poorly, there were just some only running 5K distances where I was running the full 10K.

I got to the relay exchange point at 9:28 and John was there waiting for Nicole to hand off the timing device. He cheered me on as I ran past and told me I was making excellent time. Ha, I was dying, couldn't he see that? LOL Since Eric was runner number one for The Geek Squad, he has already made it to the relay point and Paul was well head of me. Eventually I made it to the neighborhood and passed Paul's friend. I hadn't seen him up to this point and I guess I was surprised he had been that far ahead of me the whole time, especially since I had been so close to the starting line. Guess that's what happens when a race has so many participants. Running the streets in the neighborhood was a much needed break but my stomach started churning and I started to panic…too much coffee perhaps? What would I do if I had an emergency? I looked down at my watch and I was running anywhere from a 9:45-10:45 minute pace. I was really starting struggle and then all of the sudden, out of no where it seemed, Eric came up behind me and ran with me for a bit. Even though he had already finished his leg, he decided to run the 10k distance anyway. We talked for a bit and it was almost like he was my running guardian angel when I really needed one the most! He eventually had to pick up the pace because his legs were starting to cramp up so off he went….and so did my churning stomach and moments of self-doubt. Yep, a running angel indeed.

The finish

After I made it through the neighborhood and was back in the park, I happened to notice one of the women from the running club a head of me. At first I saw her walk through a water stop and then I saw her walk part of one of the hills. I guess I was surprised to see one of the "real" runners walk. Don't ask me why, maybe in my weird brain I've always assumed walking was for amateurs. But I guess even experienced runners need to take a break every now and then. Anyway, I was able to pass her which gave me a little bit of a mental boost. She eventually regained her lead but I able to keep her in my sights for the remainder of the race until she entered the complex toward the finish. 

I eventually made out of the park and had only about a mile to go. It was the same road going back into the complex as it was going out but I guess I was in such a "zone" at the beginning of the race I didn't realize the hill we ran down at the start was going to be a beast to run back up…and it was a hill that just kept going…and going…aaaannnnd going. I saw several people stop running to walk it, even that woman from the running club I just mentioned. I thought I was surely doomed. The woman who is the official blogger for this particular running series came up from behind me just as she did in the Run Santa Run 5K in December. While I was able to keep her in my sights until she rounded the last corner to the finish, I would not be able to keep up with her much less pass her this time around. Dang, she didn't skip a beat on that hill either. Not me though, about half way up the hill, my legs just stopped…just like that…any other race I probably would have had major guilt for walking but this one I did not, not after the beast of a course I had just run and especially not after seeing that even experienced runners need a break sometimes too. Ten seconds was about all I needed and I started to pick up the pace again. Exhausted by the time I made it to the top, I decided this was the race where I would not be able to summon the energy to make the mad dash towards the finish. I just didn't think I had it in me. The end of the course had a few more turns and then with 0.2 miles left to go, it was a straight shot to the finish line. By this time the drizzle really started to pick up. Thank goodness I was almost done! As I rounded the last curve, I could see Paul and Nicole standing along the way watching for me. Then I heard John's voice (he must have been standing on the other side of the street but I never saw him) say "keep pushing, you'll make 57 if you keep pushing." Out of no where, I felt this surge of energy and it was almost like someone had jumped into my body and was running for me. Strangest.feeling.ever! Mad dash towards the finish and my first 10K was officially in the books! Interesting while it was the most challenging and demanding race to date (I'd say it was a lot tougher than my half marathon in some respects), it was the first race where I didn't feel like I was going to hyperventilate  after crossing the finish line and the first race where my breathing and such got back to normal the quickest as well.

Official time for my first 10K 57:17.

Stats per my FR220

Mile 1  9:08

Mile 2  9:20

Mile 3 9:29

Mile 4 9:25

Mile 5 9:21

Mile 6 9:26

Mile 7 7:25

Stats per my chip

1st 5K  9:16

2nd 5K  9:11

Final 9:14

I was definitely running a lot faster than I was feeling I was  (just goes to show  how clueless I am when it comes pace v. perceived effort or being able to run by feel)  and I am surprised how well I was able to maintain a relatively steady pace. Also, while I didn't have negative splits when the miles are broken down, my second 5K was faster than my first. That counts as negative splits, right? =O) As far as my placing goes, I was 4th of 17 in my AG, 47th of 159 of all females, 99th of 241 overall. Shocked to know I made the top 4 in my AG but a sweet and unexpected victory!

Race swag and post race food were excellent once again. Everyone received a short-sleeve Brooks technical T-shirt and the first 500 people who signed up received sweet-looking finishers medals (which also double as bottle openers). They offered pint glasses to the additional 300 participants. However, after you crossed the finish line, you were given the option to either take a medal or glass which I thought was a great idea because not everyone wants a medal and not everyone wants a glass. Food included really good pizza, rice krispies, granola bars, bananas, coffee and water. The Lake Heath Running Series once again did not disappoint.

After the race, we went over to Bar Louie to claim our free beer. All five of us who ran the race, whether we ran the full 10K or part of the relay, agreed this course was a beast! So glad I wasn't the only one.

Festive costume that went the distance...literally!

Final Thoughts

Even though this was my toughest course to date, it ended up being a great start to the 2016 season and I'd like to think that my hard work these lasts couple months of building a solid base and increasing my mileage helped me do as well as I did.

• At first when I realized my time was only a minute or so faster than Paul's 10K time in October, I was a little discouraged because I have been running more now than I ever did last year and I personally thought I should have been MUCH faster. But then I put things into perspective. The courses were so vastly different where his was a flat out and back route on a tow path and this was anything but. I wonder how much faster my time would have been had the course been comparable.
• The closest race distance to this one was my first 5miler last July. My chip pace was 9:29 for that race. The course was a relatively flat street race as well and my MPW was all over the place. By comparison, chip pace for this race was 9:14. Not too shabby considering just how hard those 6.2 miles were.
• Although I know definitely need to run more hills, I'd like to think my increased mileage helped with my overall stamina.

So that's the race in a nutshell. LOL I apologize for the length, there was just so much to say about the experience and my first race of the season that just a paragraph would not have done it justice. It truly was an amazing race and it makes me so excited to see what the rest of the 2016 racing season brings.

Oh, I was so busy talking about me, I forget to mention who won the grudge match 10K relay. The Geek Squad finished in 7th overall with a time of 52:52 (2nd in the all male division) and The Old Married Couple finished right behind them 8th overall (5th in the co-ed division) with a time of 55:26.  Looks like Paul and I have a free breakfast coming our way. =)

Home free...20 years later

“It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.” 

― Rose Kennedy

Rick and me in 1995

20 years ago today, our lives were changed forever. 20 years ago today, a senseless act of jealous rage took my brother away from us. 20 years ago today, Rick died alone on a cold and snowy night. But 20 years ago today at 10:59 p.m., Rick got to see the stars for the first time ever and was reunited with our loved ones when he closed his eyes on this Earth and opened them in heaven.

I never did like the quote "time heals all wounds" and when I learned of the quote above, I thought it better suited the way I have felt over the last 20 years. The wound that was left when Rick was murdered will never go away. Yes, the pain has softened slightly, but it will never be completely gone. Not everything, however, has been all doom and gloom these last 20 years and neither will this post. The murder of my brother was one of the most horrific times of my life but out of the unforgivable tragedy, there have been many blessings.

When Rick was killed, we learned just how important family was and learned how to stick together when times are tough.

We realized just how fragile life can be and in the blink of an eye, someone you love and care about can be taken from you so even to this day, we never part ways or end a phone conversation without saying "I love you" because you never know when that time will be the last.

Our family has grown by more than just marriages and births. Our family has grown because many of Rick's friends are not only still his friends who keep him close in heart, but they have become part of our family, too.

I personally learned the importance of faith from my parents and how that faith becomes your life preserver so you can just keep swimming. 

Had it not been for Rick's murder, I may not be alive today. At the time of his death, I was in a domestically violent marriage and it's because of Rick's death at the hands of his abuser that I finally had the strength and courage that May to get myself and my young son out of the situation before it was too late. And it doesn't stop there. In January of that same year, I started talking to one of Rick's best friends, Paul, and we haven't stopped talking =) . Up until he and I got married in 1999, my son and I lived with my mom and dad and I will be forever thankful for that time because the two of us developed such a special relationship with my parents, one we wouldn't have had otherwise. Paul raised Kelly as his own and in 2001, we were blessed with our own Rick.

All of these things, as well as a couple others I didn't mention, have helped lessen the pain but there is not a day that goes by that I don't wish I could pick up the phone and call my brother; not a day that goes by that I don't miss his hugs and his infectious smile; not a family gathering that I don't look around and wish he there with us; not a moment I look at my children, my nieces and nephews, and even my greats and wonder what Rick's children would have been like. I will always miss him but I am thankful for the blessings over the last 20 years and the promise that this life is not the end and that one day I will see him again.

Coincidentally, there always seems to be a winter snow storm either close to or on Rick's "angel" anniversary. While some people grumble and complain about the snow, I don't...I like to think of it as a reminder from up about that Rick is never truly gone.

Love and miss you,  Slick. Give Papa D a hug and kiss for me.

+++++

If you'd like to learn more about Rick's life and his death, you can visit the Facebook page I created for him Home Free - In Memory of Richard G. Whitcomb, Jr. You do not need an account to view it.

Happy Birthday Rick Whitcomb is a picture video set to music I created in honor of the 15th birthday Rick spent in heaven. It is posted on You Tube.