Hot and Hilly

I was writing this post in my head while I was running it. It was titled "I Came in Last...My Biggest Fear".  I decided I would embrace my lastness and be proud I opted for 5 miles rather than the 5k.   I actually didn't come in last, but I was pretty close.  :)

Race 8 was the Melody Miles. There were high school students along the route playing all kinds of instruments. I would like to say I listened to them, but this race required tunes by Jay Z and Kanye West to get me through.  I did hear a few as I passed when a song was ending.

The night before the race, I went to pick up the packets for myself and three awesome friends who ran this one with me. I got there and my packet wasn't there. It hadn't gone through online.  I had to register at the race and was soooo tempted to opt for the 5k rather than the 5 miler. It was hot as all get out and a few days before I slipped down the stairs causing a throbbing foot....but guilt got the best of me and I circled "5M".  Almost 200 smart people did the 5k, but only 63 did the 5 miler.

I was pretty convinced after mile one that this blog post would be about me coming in last...waaaay last. I ended up being third to last...I'll take it. It was a hot and hilly race, not huge hills, but rolling hills...and lots of them! This would have been bad if it also wasn't also close to 90 degrees and humid. I hit the second water stop, which I assumed was mile two and didn't see how I was going to finish three more miles. Then I discovered the Mile 3 sign a few hundred feet down the road. Two more miles were doable. I took it as a sign that I would finish.

I was expecting my time to be around 1:05, but I came in at 59:16. Once again, I'll take it!! As I was sitting in the curb trying to keep my pre-race crackers down, I heard my name be called over the speaker.  I won a raffle for new Asics sneakers up to $130 at my favorite running store!!

My awesome raffle prize donated by New England Running Company.    :)