So this pass week has been an utter and dismal failure for training. I successfully left my spiffy running shoes down in Tampa and my old shoes I have been running with are making my legs mad at me. I attempted to run twice - once with babe and one sans babe. Both ended in me doing the high arm swing trying to make myself appear I was moving faster than I was, while telling my legs that we could be friends and they would learn to love me again after I stopped moving.
But any how that's not what this post is about. Last Saturday I finished running an entire 8k. now for those of you who don't know an 8k is exactly 4.96 miles (I had to look it up). I have not run 4.96 miles in ohhh about 5 YEARS. I now feel accomplished, empowered, and, of course, sexy.
I'll let you know a little secret - I had not intention of running the ENTIRE race. I knew I could run a 5k and figured I would split the rest up with running, shuffling, and questioning my sanity on being up at 6:30 in the AM to run in the cold, cold rain. On top of all that I waited on the hubby to come in fresh from work to run with me (he had different ideas... says running slow hurts his knees... gee thanks!). I was literally racing to catch up the slow people car for about 10 minutes. When i finally caught up and started a nice steady pace... I heard IT. Shuffle, shuffle... scrap... scrap.. shuffle. It was a MEGA SHUFFLER. Like the kind that makes your ears want to explode. I thought if I am stuck with this noise for the next hour (I was being realistic here) I might as well quit NOW. Instead of quitting I became resolved to pass her. And so I did.
This was my strategy for the rest of the race a concept I refer to as "Pickin' n' Passin'". Each person I passed was a small and very joyful victory. I passed the walk/ runners (why don't they just pick one??) the casual runners (I might finish...I might not) and some folks that had a great pace the whole time. The thing about passing people is they can't see you do it. By the time I passed someone, I had my eyes set on the next goal 20 yards away. The more distance passed, the more folks I passed. I was determine to not let the passed pass. I finished the race that way. I am not a competitive person by any means, but I am a person that makes a whole lot of lists and each passing was a project conquered - something to cross off and move onto the next.
To some people this might sound silly, useless, but us at the newbie level need ANYTHING to feel better about ourselves and that we are getting better at this running thing. Ah, can I get an "AMEN"?!
Here is another lovely image after the race. Let me do some narrating: Here we have an image of the Davis family. On your left you see Emily Davis. Do not be alarmed by Mr. Skull next to her. He just wants some respect. Husband Keith is the tall one. No, that is not a ritual running headdress, but some fierce decorations at a friend's house. And there's little Miss Ava being all cute again (how does she DO it??). A huger than life props to friend, Andrea, for waking up on dawn's dark side to watch Ava.
