Derek and I ran the Komen Race for the Cure on Saturday. This was my first race in almost 2 years, since I had such an eventful time after my last 1/2 marathon. We got Derek’s whole family in on it, though most of them walked the 3 miles. Derek, Britanna, and I started running about 7 minutes after the gun, because that’s how long it took us to get from where we were, behind 10,000 people, to the starting line. As we were walking, Derek said, “Wow, this is gonna be a 5K mosey.” Britanna ran with us for about 1/2 mile, then separated and walked for a little while.
Derek and I were together until about half way. Derek hasn’t been running for about a month, so I was glad he could do that much, although we were running about as slow as I know how. I didn’t get the race thing that makes you get jittery and start out fast. I knew I wasn’t being timed, so I treated it like any old morning run. I didn’t even warm up, so that first half was the warm up. Derek claims that when he started walking, I picked up speed, but I don’t remember doing so. He only walked for a few minutes, then ran the rest of the way. But he still came in 2 1/2 minutes after me. Yee-Haw!
I finished in 27:56, which is my slowest 5K by about 3 minutes. I usually get pretty nauseated after a race, but this time it was so mild. I don’t feel like I exerted myself very much. Which is actually very good, since my goal was to finish in 29 minutes, and not worry about it at all.
So I feel like it was a very good first race of the season, and especially good since I’m still recovering from childbirth. I know, that was 7 months ago, but unless you’re me, you don’t know how hard it was. I’ve been taking it so slow.
I think there were about 15,000 people in the race. I’m not kidding. There were more people in one place that I have ever seen before. It was incredible, and very claustrophobic. I think I might have gone an extra 1/4 mile just from all the weaving in and out of walkers and people with strollers.
The highlight of the race was when Derek told me later that when he started walking and I ran ahead of him, he heard a group of women commenting on people’s running attire, and as I ran by, they pointed and said, “Oooo, I like that one!” I always have bright shirts to run in, so the one I had on was a cute, fitted, bright orange Patagonia running shirt, with my black tights. I won’t give the lecture on the benefits of spandex while running, but I won’t run with anything else on my legs.
So I ran a race. I can’t really brag about it, but I’m glad I did it, I finished, and it wasn’t bad. Running makes me happy.
