Race Report - Shelter Island 5K

Shelter Island 5K was this morning...and what a difference a morning makes. Yesterday--beautiful, sunny, clear, mild-warm, weather; this morning--cloudy, cool, windy, weather.

The regular running herd (Betty, Mik, Elsie, Alice) and Irene (yay...running with Irene two days in a row) met up for the run. We also ran with Elsie's daughter and Irene's DH, Michael. I don't think Michael recognized me from the track club, but he and Betty had many long runs together during the RnR training program, so they remembered each other immediately.

Alice, Elsie, Mik, Betty & Irene - pre-race

This morning I was reminded of how running has changed my life. Before running (BR), I would have slept in on a Sunday morning, read the entire Sunday paper, then just tooled around, not doing much...all in all, not a bad way to spend a day. Now, after running (AR) I get up waaaaaayyyyyyy too early (still not an early morning person) in order to run with my friends...THEN I go home, read the paper, take a nap...maybe not THAT much has changed.

Elsie and calf

Also, before I was a runner, I tried to start a blog a couple of times, but had no dedication (and probably not much fodder) to stick with it. After I became a runner--I have topics, and more importantly, running has taught me how to be dedicated (if not quite obsessed)...and that is a good thing... Also thanks to running AND blogging, I've made new friends and connected with fell0w runner-bloggers, not only here in SoCal, but all over the country...which I think is Just. So. Cool.

Mik and Betty

So, today's run was a time for reflection about how my life has changed in small and large ways because of running.

1. Before the run, we did a warmup lap around the block. I used to think this was just NUTS...why would anyone expend energy to run before a run? This morning Betty, Mik, and I ran about a 1/2 mile before the race to get warmed up. The result...when I started running I didn't feel like I was going to DIE for the first mile.
   
2. I wasted time during the start of the race mucking around with my gear. GAH! For some reason, my Nike+ was tracking my workout, but it wouldn't play music (odd), after about 1/2 mile, I just decided to end the workout (at 4:43 and .43 miles...you do the math...I was running FAST)...and then restarted a new workout and VOILA...TUNES!
   
3. The race started with a pretty low key, "start running now" over a bull-horn. Irene told me later that she didn't even hear the start, just that people around her started moving...thus I have really no idea how far I was behind the official start time. I thought it was only seconds. Betty told me later she thought it was about 20 seconds.
4. For about the first mile, I was keeping up with Mic...what was I thinking? She's our speed girl. I shouldn't run with her. I'll hurt myself.
   
5. Mile 1 - 9:20 (huh?)
6. Uneventful 2nd mile. Mostly I just kept wondering if I was running too fast, too slow...I was pretty thirsty...probably shouldn't have had that third glass of wine the night before...but it was a lovely Cab...
7. Thank God! The water table...I was going to skip it (I mean, after all...it's only three miles)...but again, I was a tad bit dehydrated...so I ran to the last water-guy, drank three gulps (while walking...I'll never be able to run and drink out of a cup at the same time) five steps, and started running again.
   
8. Mile 2 - 19:00 (HUH?) I was thinking "I can't possibly be running 9:30 miles can I?" That being said, I was pretty pleased figuring that I could certainly finish in under 30 minutes...I mean I had 11 minutes to run 1.1 miles...CAKE right?
9. Wrong. I really have no idea where I slowed down but I apparently did.
   
10. Finished in 30:18...another PR...BUT STILL OVER 30 MINUTES. GAHHHHHHH!

I know, I know, I should be happy with the PR, but I really thought I had it...I'm sure I'm being really unrealistic...shaving 20 seconds off a race time is A LOT especially since I had only run four or five times since Light The Night.

Fortunately, I didn't have too much time to sob because the race included a full buffet and

MIMOSAS!

Imagine a stack of four or five plastic glasses, and you'll get a good picture of results of the mimosa-fest...oh yeah, there was food too!

Since Mik finished first, she cleverly grabbed us a table next to the buffet and the feasting began. The sun even started peeking through the clouds to warm us up (or maybe that was the champagne). Irene and Michael joined us. She has waaaayyyy better pix on her blog because Michael was our group photographer today (Thanks!) Elsie and Heather (the calf) came along. Elsie came in 4th in her age group. She'll end up saying it's no big deal, but I think it is....and since I have the blog, I'll brag about it for her.

The race was a point-to-point (sorta) race, so after feasting and drinking, Mik, Betty and I wandered over to the shuttle stop. We took one look at the line and decided to walk back to the car, figuring it was only about a mile or so back to the lot. (hmmmm....wait 20 minutes or longer for a shuttle, or just walk it). We voted for "walk."

This is where another AR revelation occurred. I remember running this race last year. We ended up sitting on the ground for the buffet and I remember struggling to stand up afterward because my legs were so sore...and we definitely opted for the shuttle. Today, walking another mile or so (1.3 miles...I mapped it) today after running didn't even phase me.

Of course, the walk back to the car offered additional entertainment since Mik, Betty, and I had consumed beverages and were quite silly. We discussed such erudite topics as: Giant Garlic Balls (apparently served at Pizza Nova, a restaurant we walked by), reviewed the number of words that we've ruined for momma (including the word bisquit...as a home ec teacher, she's going to have to re-do her first cooking lesson now), and learned some new teenage slang-terms and insults (none of which I'll repeat here. They're nasty. Betty had to look them up on the Internet to find out what they meant. I tell ya, kids today are so darn creative and Betty, as a high school administrator, gets to learn all the new words...she's so lucky).

The next 5K I've got planned is after Christmas! (The Holiday Bowl 5K...which starts off the Holiday Bowl parade. It's another fun race...when you get done, you can watch the parade!). I'd love to do a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, but there's a pretty good chance that I'll be driving to Vegas to see the 'rents that morning, so I'll miss both the TTs in San Diego, and the one that's in Vegas.

Only 11 weeks until Carlsbad. Time to start increasing the mileage. I haven't run more than 4 miles since the Nike Women's in SF. These last few weeks of 5Ks have been fun, but I think I prefer the longer races. I'm looking forward to a good 6 or 7 miler this weekend.