My daughter!
And okay, if we’re being technical, hubbie too!
But just before I began the race I hugged and kissed LF and when I leaned into her I told her, “this is for you babe!” And I meant it. Most races I have previously participated in, I have dedicated it to someone. Like for instance, when I went on La Vida an outdoor excursion and had to run 10 miles at the very end, I dedicated that run to my brother who at the time had moved out to California and I missed him terribly, so I did it for him. After my dad passed away, I dedicated most races that I ran after then to him. Today though? Today was for my little girl! That might explain why throughout the entire race, I heard Laurie Berkner’s I’m Gonna Catch You in my head…it. would. not. stop. playing.
Hubbie, Pocklock‘s EHH and I all ran in a race today, it’s called “Mudders & Grunters”. Yesterday hubbie and I were in the bedroom folding clothes and being generally lazy and he said to me, “I bet you don’t even run tomorrow!” I was mad and more motivated than you can even imagine. So I’m not sure if he said it because he truly believed I would chicken out, or if he used that reverse psychology thing to ensure that I didn’t have second thoughts because he knew that if he charged me with such a statement it would run deep and make me run it no matter what.
And so, I did it. I ran the race this morning. And guess what? I even finished it. It began somewhere around 10 a.m. And when all was said and done it took me an hour and 17 minutes and some odd seconds to complete the race. Yesterday when we went over to Pocklock’s for our carb fueled dinner I made the general statement that I thought it would take me somewhere around and hour and a half, I mean hey, I was doing 4 miles on the treadmill for the month of February before LF got sick and I wasn’t even trying to get a good time while in the gym so why couldn’t I finish a 5 mile race in an hour and a half? They all guffawed at me and thought I was crazy.
I just have to say here, that I did better this year than I did in 2003, when I was 26!!! That year I completed the race in an hour and 33 minutes. Okay so that was the year the I ran the race with my friend and we really did a more leisurely stroll because we didn’t really care about our time. And in 2000 I finished the race in an hour and 16 minutes, so I’m not too far off this year from that!
My next goal? I will be training (HA!) for the Leatherman’s Loop on April 27th. That race is 6 miles. My goal for that race? To finish that 6 mile race in the same time it took me to finish this 5 mile race…One hour seventeen minutes. Here’s to trying to keep the kid healthy enough to go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week.
That is so good. What an accomplishment and the FH would have TOTALLY done the same thing your hubby did with the “I bet you bail” line….the FH would do that the night before long training runs for the marathon. The night before 15 miles he said something like this: No one actually thinks you’ll be able to run that 15 miles so you’re not disappointing anyone. I remember that moment like it was yesterday….I ran the damn 15 miles and I flipped him off as I crossed the 15 mile mark.
WHOO HOO!! Congrats on finishing the race with your best time! More power to you, I’m impressed by anyone who runs.. I can’t stand running and would never be able to enter a race like that.
I am always in awe of people who can run like that. I would lay down & die about a quarter mile in. I can walk all day long. Seriously. I can do Disney World from open to close & never once be tired of walking/standing. But do not ask me to run. So anyway! Congratulations on not only starting it but finishing it! Pffft to your hubbie!