Race for literacy 05/04/08

update:

official results were printed for the race:

I was 246 out of 1604 women.

My finish time was: 44:08, and my avg. pace was 8:53 per mile!

YES! :)

again the disclaimer---

if you don't like running, you'll be bored and if you do...you might still be bored...

6am get up, prepare for the 8k at 8am.

of course we were procrastinators and Mia and I did not register early so here we are registering at 7am.

I am half awake, half freezing half nervous...

warming up takes forever! Mia and I excitedly chat  the time away until the race begins...

I'm still nervous... I havent been in a race since last year..jeepers!

8am...shot gun!

run.... feet feel like lead... Mia and I stay together until the first mile and she is off... 10:08 for the first mile? crap!

I pick it up, my body finally decides that it wants to run after the second mile (ive made up some time after the terrible time for the first mile)

Mile 3...they've closed the freeway and we are not running on fwy 163 with thousands of other crazy runners, little kidlets who are wearing little running gear and shoes -so cute! running parents with strollers, runners with crazy outfits, runners with water, really old runners, that keep passing me by...humbling me, runners with mp3s, dog runners... running down the 163 we are a bobbing, crazed running spectacle to behold! To be a part of such a large group of movement  feels amazing... and now the breeze that had chilled me earlier...feels amazing on my sweaty skin...

at mile 4 I am at 36 minutes... I MUST beat 50 minutes, I'm sure I will as I quickly calculate that I would have to run a 14 minute mile to fail my goal of beating the 10 minute per mile goal... but I want to beat something else, I want to push it..  I pick it up- I am feeling the burn but I know this is not it, I cant slow down, gotta speed up... after a quarter of a mile, its burning.... 3/4s of a mile to go roughly...ay!  I'm pushng and breathing hard, thinking randomness....and it always amazes me what sorts of things pop in my mind as I focus on not dying on the road.... quick random made up challenges always help-for example- I can pass this guy up...he's not left my side for about a quarter of a mile, lets lose him! speed up...damn he is staying by my side, quickly dodge the skinny girl ahead...okay....am I brushing him off? YES! but oh shit am I going to keep this pace up until the end? YES I WILL! come on.. run, run faster, faster... burning chest and my lungs would be whimpering like a pair of hungry puppies if they...were puppies? And I've still got about half a mile to go? Turn the corner, FINISH LINE--red in the distance.... damn...it seems so far away! Why did I invent this rule for myself? and I have never broken it... once I hit a certain speed, I don't slow down. I imagine that my face and me overall must look insane as I start making funny noises and look like a flapping crazy... so tired... and yet... 

just a litte bit further.... Lil Jon is playing on my mp3 player...

CROSS THE LINE, LOOK UP 44:something... I made it just under 45, just under 9 minutes a mile... YES! not bad for my first race this year...

adrenaline wears off and i'm left ravenous, crazy and tired...hurrah for running!

catch up with Mia and Rob and we watch the other crazy runners crossing the line... a man so ancient he looks like he might break sprints in at a strong pace and looks calm and collected... when im 65-70 will I be able to do this still? I hope so!