Race Day!!

I ran in the Cascade 10K this morning.  It was a balmy 26 degrees when the race started.  I was nervous about this race.  I have only been training for it for 4 weeks and while I have been working hard it still didn't seem like long enough.

My friend Faylene picked me up.  She is in the process of running a half dozen half marathons in honor of her half century birthday next November.  This was race #1 of the year.  We were laughing about how cold it was and that we must be slightly crazy to be doing this.

When we got to Cascade and grabbed our gear I ran into several people I knew from when we lived in the Turner area.  Always great to see old friends!  Got to hang out with my sister-in-law and her hubby and two older kiddos as well.  Which is good because they are so fast that I never see them after the race, they are long gone.  :-)

Faylene took off at 9:00 and then the 10K started 15 minutes later.  Took about the first mile to work the kinks out.  Was having some stiffness in my left hip going down my leg.  Then I felt pretty good.  I was in a good place and moving right along.  My Nike+gps kept telling me I was going faster than I really was but I knew I was still keeping a pretty steady pace so I wasn't worried about it.  Nothing like the cold to keep you motivated to keep moving.  Moving keeps you warm, stopping does not!  lol

Here's the info from today's race:

The Nike+gps had me going way farther than I actually did so my average time on the first picture is accurate.  However, when you calibrate a run it doesn't adjust the splits for your miles.  I figure my splits are probably about 30 or 40 seconds off.  BUT they still show that I had a steady pace AND that my 4th mile rocked.  Which is cool since it was my 4th mile!  

Here I am with my finisher medal.  I love those!  It means I finished! hehe

A really cool thing happened while I was waiting for Faylene.   I was about 50 yards in front of the finish line and watching people finish (both 10K and Half Marathon) and enjoying the people cheering on their friends when I noticed a boy walking and he was crying.  I don't know if he was finishing the 10K or the Half but either way, poor little guy!  He looked like he was about 11 or 12 and his mom was with him.  I could see her pointing to the finish line and telling him that he was almost done.  He was walking so slow, crying and shaking his head.  He looked totally beat.  Boy could I relate to that.  50 yards might as well be 50 miles sometimes.  So I started clapping and cheering.  "You got this!  You are awesome!!  You are almost there!!  You are ahead of all the wimps that are inside watching football!  You rock!!!" and I kept clapping.  Finally he rubbed both of his eyes, took a deep breath and he jogged the final stretch into the finish line!  I was woot wooting all the way.  It was awesome! I didn't know the kid, didn't talk to him after but that was the highlight of my race!  I felt like I was paying it forward for all the people in my life that cheer me on when I am just sure I can't take one more step.  

If you are one of those people who cheers m on, thank you!  It means SO much.  I couldn't do it without you!

My fabulous friend finished her Half not long after that.  She is amazing!  

So my first race of 2013 was not my fastest 10K I've ever done (my fastest was this same race two years ago) but I think I am the most proud of this one.  I know I put in my best effort.  Scale isn't changing but you know what?  I am changing inside and I am beginning to realize that that might be more important than what size pants I'm wearing.  

Next race is the Corvallis Half Marathon.  Here we go!!! 

Keep running!!