And I fell in love with the water guy....
OK, so I didn't fall in love, per say, with the water guy but he was definitely my best friend today.
Today was my first 10k and unlike the reaping in the Hunger Games.. the odds were not in my favor.
It all started at the beginning of the week when my body started to rebel. I had some ovarian cysts who decided they were being neglected and started giving me serious problems. I was out of commission for 3 days with those babies which took away the time I had planned to get in some short runs to prepare for today. So, coming off a week of absolutely NO running and tons of pain meds.. I woke up this morning praying that the pain would stay away long enough for me to make it through my run.
I'll admit it. I almost cried Friday night as I was talking to a friend of mine about possibly missing the run. I've worked SO hard and SO long to get to this point and one stupid little ovary was going to keep me from my first goal. I put on my big girl panties, popped some more pills and prayed. Lord, you know the desire of my heart.. take this burden from me and allow me to run the race.. then the pills kicked in and I passed out.
I dreamt what seemed like all night.. random, weird dreams. I woke up a couple times and moved around to see if the pain was still there... it was. I said another prayer and went back to sleep. When I woke up this morning, I slowly sat up waiting for the pain to kick it.. and it didn't. There was a slight twinge but nothing like it had been all week. THANK YOU LORD!
I got up, walked around, got dressed.. it was manageable. Almost non-existent. I can do this. I CAN DO THIS!! To top it off, the shirt I received in my packet actually fit and looked cute. Um, WINNING! This is my day!!! I can do this!!
I laced up, got my music, my GPS watch and headed out the door. I'M RUNNING A 10k!! Everybody look at me!!!
I got to the starting location and immediately got nauseas. Not because I was sick.. but because I was nervous. REALLY nervous. Holy mess... I'm running a 10k.. with other people. It wasn't just me in my neighborhood anymore. It wasn't just me going out for a fun run.. I was with the elite and they all looked super prepared. I was intimidated. At least I looked cute..
The guy with the big orange case walked by and everyone started to flock like flies to the starting line. This was it. It was time. He started the countdown and blew the horn.. WE WERE OFF!! I put in my earbuds and started with the pack... about 100 feet later I realized I hadn't turned on my GPS watch. Dang it! This being a runner thing is hard! How did I forget that?? I discretely turned it on.. and watched everyone pass me. Literally.
So, I knew going into this run that I would get passed. It was my first big run. Everyone has to start somewhere and this was my turn to be that person. I was prepared. Until Grandpa Wayne, Grandpa John, Grandpa Ed and about 4 other grandpas passed me. REALLY??? How many old guys are gonna smoke me??? I tried rationalizing it. Fran - they've been running longer than you've been alive. Fran - men are more resilient. Fran - it's gonna be OK. At least the grannies haven't gotten past you.... about that time Granny Sue came strolling by... Are you freakin' kidding?!?!?
At this point, I fully accepted being passed. I am running MY own race. This is MY race. Who cares who passes me... but for giggles, I started keeping track. I was passed by countless grandpas, a couple grandmas, a guy pushing a stroller, a guy with a weighted back pack, a chick with one arm - which I was more proud of her than ashamed she passed me. She actually REALLY encouraged me. She was seriously an inspiration.
After all the interesting people passed me... I started getting tired. Like really tired. My practice runs have been on a relatively flat route.. this was not flat. At least not to me and I was tired. I hadn't noticed any pain up to this point but I was noticing a heaviness.. and my legs were on fire.. and I wasn't even half way through. This was going to be a long run.
As I passed a Volunteer holding a directional sign.. I asked him to just put me out of my misery. He laughed and pointed the direction I was supposed to go... when I turned the corner there it was.. the water station. I got my second wind! WATER! There's water!! Give me the water!!! As I approached the water table, the water guy stuck a cup out for me to grab. I took it, confessed my love for him - to which he told me he loved me back - and I attempted to take a drink. I got about a teaspoon in my mouth and the rest was on my face, shirt and the ground. Wow. Drinking while running is NOT as easy as it looks. I literally laughed at myself and attempted another chug. My mouth got more than my face this time and I was ready to go. Which was good because that's when I encountered the biggest hill on the route. This was like the holy grail of hills. When I made it to the top I fought back the urge to dance with joy and headed across a bridge.
On the bridge this couple - who were really cute but annoying.. the chick was sweetly rubbing his back while they were running.. here I was on the verge of running death and she was caressing him.. SERIOUSLY?!?!? - anywho, the couple went to pass me and the guy looked back at me. I'm sure he heard me ask the volunteer to shoot me.. and then heard me practically propose to the water guy.. so I assume he was looking back to make sure I wasn't turning blue from lack of oxygen. My face must have said it all.. I was tired.. covered in water.. and ready to jump off the bridge. I quickly gave him a double thumbs up and my best smile... he pitied me. He LITERALLY ran back to me and gave me a high five. I was taken back. Did he seriously just do that? THAT WAS AWESOME!! That was my first taste of the unspoken running "family".
I made it through the rest of the run. I didn't walk a step. I conquered the hills. I conquered the second water station. I did it. I crossed the finish line literally fighting back tears because of how far I've come... and because my hip was killing me. I've read so many "motivational slides" of people talking about runners pushing through the "pain". And this and that.. I never got it before. I never felt actual pain during a run before today.. but I understand it now. With the slight tinge of pain from my ovary, my ankle and this new found HORRIBLE pain in my hip - I pushed through. Stopping wasn't an option. I pushed the pain out of my brain and sprinted across the finish line like I didn't have a care in the world. But once I stopped.... it was over. I was done. Where were the medics?
All in all, my first 10k was a great experience. I finished 16 out of 22 in my age group and 84th out of 109 overall. I wasn't first but I wasn't last AND I finished 20 seconds under my best PR.
Now, I'm laying in bed.. ice on my hip.. thinking about my next run. I've conquered the 5 and the 10k.. now on to my ultimate goal - the half marathon.
Today was my first 10k and unlike the reaping in the Hunger Games.. the odds were not in my favor.
It all started at the beginning of the week when my body started to rebel. I had some ovarian cysts who decided they were being neglected and started giving me serious problems. I was out of commission for 3 days with those babies which took away the time I had planned to get in some short runs to prepare for today. So, coming off a week of absolutely NO running and tons of pain meds.. I woke up this morning praying that the pain would stay away long enough for me to make it through my run.
I'll admit it. I almost cried Friday night as I was talking to a friend of mine about possibly missing the run. I've worked SO hard and SO long to get to this point and one stupid little ovary was going to keep me from my first goal. I put on my big girl panties, popped some more pills and prayed. Lord, you know the desire of my heart.. take this burden from me and allow me to run the race.. then the pills kicked in and I passed out.
I dreamt what seemed like all night.. random, weird dreams. I woke up a couple times and moved around to see if the pain was still there... it was. I said another prayer and went back to sleep. When I woke up this morning, I slowly sat up waiting for the pain to kick it.. and it didn't. There was a slight twinge but nothing like it had been all week. THANK YOU LORD!
I got up, walked around, got dressed.. it was manageable. Almost non-existent. I can do this. I CAN DO THIS!! To top it off, the shirt I received in my packet actually fit and looked cute. Um, WINNING! This is my day!!! I can do this!!
I laced up, got my music, my GPS watch and headed out the door. I'M RUNNING A 10k!! Everybody look at me!!!
I got to the starting location and immediately got nauseas. Not because I was sick.. but because I was nervous. REALLY nervous. Holy mess... I'm running a 10k.. with other people. It wasn't just me in my neighborhood anymore. It wasn't just me going out for a fun run.. I was with the elite and they all looked super prepared. I was intimidated. At least I looked cute..
The guy with the big orange case walked by and everyone started to flock like flies to the starting line. This was it. It was time. He started the countdown and blew the horn.. WE WERE OFF!! I put in my earbuds and started with the pack... about 100 feet later I realized I hadn't turned on my GPS watch. Dang it! This being a runner thing is hard! How did I forget that?? I discretely turned it on.. and watched everyone pass me. Literally.
So, I knew going into this run that I would get passed. It was my first big run. Everyone has to start somewhere and this was my turn to be that person. I was prepared. Until Grandpa Wayne, Grandpa John, Grandpa Ed and about 4 other grandpas passed me. REALLY??? How many old guys are gonna smoke me??? I tried rationalizing it. Fran - they've been running longer than you've been alive. Fran - men are more resilient. Fran - it's gonna be OK. At least the grannies haven't gotten past you.... about that time Granny Sue came strolling by... Are you freakin' kidding?!?!?
At this point, I fully accepted being passed. I am running MY own race. This is MY race. Who cares who passes me... but for giggles, I started keeping track. I was passed by countless grandpas, a couple grandmas, a guy pushing a stroller, a guy with a weighted back pack, a chick with one arm - which I was more proud of her than ashamed she passed me. She actually REALLY encouraged me. She was seriously an inspiration.
After all the interesting people passed me... I started getting tired. Like really tired. My practice runs have been on a relatively flat route.. this was not flat. At least not to me and I was tired. I hadn't noticed any pain up to this point but I was noticing a heaviness.. and my legs were on fire.. and I wasn't even half way through. This was going to be a long run.
As I passed a Volunteer holding a directional sign.. I asked him to just put me out of my misery. He laughed and pointed the direction I was supposed to go... when I turned the corner there it was.. the water station. I got my second wind! WATER! There's water!! Give me the water!!! As I approached the water table, the water guy stuck a cup out for me to grab. I took it, confessed my love for him - to which he told me he loved me back - and I attempted to take a drink. I got about a teaspoon in my mouth and the rest was on my face, shirt and the ground. Wow. Drinking while running is NOT as easy as it looks. I literally laughed at myself and attempted another chug. My mouth got more than my face this time and I was ready to go. Which was good because that's when I encountered the biggest hill on the route. This was like the holy grail of hills. When I made it to the top I fought back the urge to dance with joy and headed across a bridge.
On the bridge this couple - who were really cute but annoying.. the chick was sweetly rubbing his back while they were running.. here I was on the verge of running death and she was caressing him.. SERIOUSLY?!?!? - anywho, the couple went to pass me and the guy looked back at me. I'm sure he heard me ask the volunteer to shoot me.. and then heard me practically propose to the water guy.. so I assume he was looking back to make sure I wasn't turning blue from lack of oxygen. My face must have said it all.. I was tired.. covered in water.. and ready to jump off the bridge. I quickly gave him a double thumbs up and my best smile... he pitied me. He LITERALLY ran back to me and gave me a high five. I was taken back. Did he seriously just do that? THAT WAS AWESOME!! That was my first taste of the unspoken running "family".
I made it through the rest of the run. I didn't walk a step. I conquered the hills. I conquered the second water station. I did it. I crossed the finish line literally fighting back tears because of how far I've come... and because my hip was killing me. I've read so many "motivational slides" of people talking about runners pushing through the "pain". And this and that.. I never got it before. I never felt actual pain during a run before today.. but I understand it now. With the slight tinge of pain from my ovary, my ankle and this new found HORRIBLE pain in my hip - I pushed through. Stopping wasn't an option. I pushed the pain out of my brain and sprinted across the finish line like I didn't have a care in the world. But once I stopped.... it was over. I was done. Where were the medics?
All in all, my first 10k was a great experience. I finished 16 out of 22 in my age group and 84th out of 109 overall. I wasn't first but I wasn't last AND I finished 20 seconds under my best PR.
Now, I'm laying in bed.. ice on my hip.. thinking about my next run. I've conquered the 5 and the 10k.. now on to my ultimate goal - the half marathon.
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