I've been reading a lot of blogs of awesome runners who can't run right now, and when I saw this it reminded me of the gift I have to run. Today, I was inspired by those who can't run to run MY best. Now, let me preface this race report by saying that I've never lost (to a woman) at my stake 5K. BUT, I know it is a good, honest course - maybe a little too 'honest'. So, I use it as a good gauge of how I'm doing and I race the clock. I mean, a free 5K? Almost as good as being in Phoenix on the third Thursday! I start with a nice 1 mile warm-up over to the church. Man, this is hard. My legs are heavy and tired from that 13 yesterday, maybe I won't hit 22 min like I was hoping, maybe just take it at MP - you'll still win. I'm getting really tired of those gremlins - REALLY tired!! I wish they'd go away, so I didn't feed them and I just ran, it's only warm-up, stop it! When I finished the mile and saw I had run an 8:02 mile, I figured out why it felt so hard for 'warm-up'. I'm such a bad gauge of pace!!
So, after some chatting at the start line we gather to go. The fast guys that are usually there weren't. Crap, I wanted someone to chase. Then, I realized I forgot to take off my jacket. Crud! Threw it to my husband who was there to do the 1 mile walk with the boys (and my 'work'), and when I came back they were at 3, 2, 1 -I was off like a shot. Gotta make a good appearance at the beginning anyway :) Soon, I saw someone on my shoulder. As they passed it was a teenage boy - darn fast twitch muscles! The course is downhill for the first 1/3-1/2 mile then you come to my hill of despair. I doesn't look like much, but you sure feel it and it never seems to end or back off. I caught and kept with or ahead of the kid on that hill (about 1/2+ mile) then we get a bit of flat before the next and hardest hill. He passed me there (deflated ego from being passed by a fat, old woman I'm sure!) and stayed ahead the rest of the course. The next hill, I started losing it. I started giving in. I was breathing hard and no worries, I can back off a little...right? Then I thought about AmberG, she wouldn't give up, she wouldn't stop or slow. She would push. With all her might! I caught a surge here back down to the low 7's until the corner. Thanks Amber! I just had to talk to myself "C'mon girl, you got this, push on. It's only to the corner, don't give up and go faster. Go, GO, GO! You'll get your downhill, but this is where it's made. Ain't nobody here feel sorry for you!" rounded the corner to a flat and pushed on. 
Just one more 100yd hill climb and then it was downhill and flat to the finish. I carried on and kept an eye on that boy in front of me. I was amply rewarded on the downhill, but tried to keep the effort consistent. I must say that I kind of let go of the mental battle here. It's easy to let your head get out of things on the downhill, you can just coast along and forget about pushing harder and faster. One of the last neighborhood turns to the finish, I brought myself back and resolved to push through to the finish. 
The final push to the finish is downhill and then a straight shot into the parking lot. I ran across the finish line and was happy to hear a 22!! 22:13, I stopped my watch - then remembered the course is usually 3.08ish on the garmin and I was going to finish out to a 3.1 - Dang, already lost my momentum. Oh well. I had 3.07 on the garmin and that was good enough :) A true 3.1 probably would've yielded me a 22:25ish I think, so still not too shabby. Especially for a course that offers 300ft of elevation gain on a LOOP course. 
After I caught my breath and got my name and time down on the board - VERY important :) I ran back to get my girl. Lauren (10) was running her 3rd 5K today so I went back to run her in to the finish. I only got about .75 back on the course before I found her. She may not be the fastest, but she doesn't stop. She just keeps running! We kept on to the finish and she finished in around 36:something - Proud mama! :) We waited around for the awards, most important! I got a little calculator guy with a soccer ball attached to his foot with a plastic string (so he can 'play'?), no cash prize :) But, I'm always proud of my awards! :) Lauren got the same, the boys got candy for their efforts in the mile run and for dressing up like runners for the costume contest (small field of competitors and lots of prizes). Even my 'work' won a candy prize for his awesome Halloween shirt in the costume contest. No one walked away empty handed, and we all had a great morning. I shoved 2 apples in my jacket pocket and took off for another 1.25 to round things out for the day on the way home. Nice and easy, just enjoying the morning and not shivering to death! Happy with my time and effort, definitely not a PR, but I think maybe next spring I can pull one out on this course! That would be awesome to hit a PR on a tough course. 
AP (for the race): 7:16 splits: 7:12 (hill of despair baby - take that!!!); 7:42 (dang gremlins, would've been worse had I not gotten my head back thanks to Amber's inspiration!); 6:57 (I REALLY wanted to hit a sub 7 on the downhill/flat miles - yipee!!); 6:11 (last .07 to the finish, love a fast push to the finish baby!!)
| 
