Tuesday, May 10, 2005
CT Race in the Park Race Report
So... DD went to Grandpa's for the weekend to give Mommy a break. Well, actually so that I could run a race for breast cancer on Sat morning and work on Sunday morning. Saturday morning comes and I open my eyes to rain and lots of gray clouds. So I think to myself, I'm not driving an hour to race in the rain!! Then I got up to use the bathroom and get a drink and the guilt set in and this little voice in my head began to speak:
"Dad took Maggie so I could run"
"Did Mom ever complain about the weather when she had to get up and go to radiation?"
"You are running a 1/2 marathon in 3 wks you know!"
So needless to say I got in my cold weather running gear and set out for New Britain for the CT Race in the Park. I arrived at the parking garage, grabbed my money, my cell phone, my water and my chapstick and headed to the shuttle bus. I got over to the park with 50 min to spare. They had the men and women run separately so I got there in time to see the men off. Over to the registration tent I head, in the rain mind you. I fill out the registration and the women says "$30 please." $30! I don't have enough money!!! I thought it was $18 so I had brought $25 in case I wanted to buy something! Panic stricken and embarrassed I explained to the women I didn't have enough money. She told me that it was no problem and gave me a self addressed envelope to send the extra $5 (which I did as soon as I got to the car).
So I hid in the sponsors tent to avoid the rain and watched the men go and come back then headed over to the start. I found a good position in the middle of the pack. Ronald McDonald started us off and I was off and running. The course was nice and flat and the crowd dispersed pretty quick so I had a good pace going through the first mile. Second mile I picked it up a bit and then when I hit mile 3 the hills came out. This is where I started to thank the trail gods. I cruised up all of the hills passing other women on the left and right! I felt great coming back into the park and sprinted to the finish- beating the 8 yr old that had been just ahead of me the entire time!!! PHEW!! I finished 93rd in a time of 25:36. I immediately grabbed my baggage and headed back to the car for refuge from the rain. Boy did that hot shower feel good when I got home.
I am sad to report that I didn't get my long run in this weekend due to this terrible chest cold that erupted on Mother's Day morning. I am still waiting for the elephant to get off of my chest!
"Dad took Maggie so I could run"
"Did Mom ever complain about the weather when she had to get up and go to radiation?"
"You are running a 1/2 marathon in 3 wks you know!"
So needless to say I got in my cold weather running gear and set out for New Britain for the CT Race in the Park. I arrived at the parking garage, grabbed my money, my cell phone, my water and my chapstick and headed to the shuttle bus. I got over to the park with 50 min to spare. They had the men and women run separately so I got there in time to see the men off. Over to the registration tent I head, in the rain mind you. I fill out the registration and the women says "$30 please." $30! I don't have enough money!!! I thought it was $18 so I had brought $25 in case I wanted to buy something! Panic stricken and embarrassed I explained to the women I didn't have enough money. She told me that it was no problem and gave me a self addressed envelope to send the extra $5 (which I did as soon as I got to the car).
So I hid in the sponsors tent to avoid the rain and watched the men go and come back then headed over to the start. I found a good position in the middle of the pack. Ronald McDonald started us off and I was off and running. The course was nice and flat and the crowd dispersed pretty quick so I had a good pace going through the first mile. Second mile I picked it up a bit and then when I hit mile 3 the hills came out. This is where I started to thank the trail gods. I cruised up all of the hills passing other women on the left and right! I felt great coming back into the park and sprinted to the finish- beating the 8 yr old that had been just ahead of me the entire time!!! PHEW!! I finished 93rd in a time of 25:36. I immediately grabbed my baggage and headed back to the car for refuge from the rain. Boy did that hot shower feel good when I got home.
I am sad to report that I didn't get my long run in this weekend due to this terrible chest cold that erupted on Mother's Day morning. I am still waiting for the elephant to get off of my chest!
