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My girls and I had planned to do a 5k together today but the weather was unseasonably cold and rainy – 38 degrees. We agreed last night that they would not go (I didn’t want them to get sick), and that I probably wouldn’t. In anticipation of the fact that for some crazy reason I might wake up and go, I laid all my things out last night. Due to a faulty alarm clock, I awakened early this morning, and, unable to stop my obsession to prove that I am not a wienie, I arose at the last minute and went.
The 5k/half marathon in Beckley is very well attended every year, probably the most popular race all year for this area. I ran it three years ago and wanted to run it again this year since I just got the 10k under my belt. My thinking was, “This will be a piece of cake”.
I jerked on my clothes (two layers on bottom – two on top, unplugged my charging ipod, grabbed my pink under armour duffel bag, and dashed out the door. I dashed back in the door, forgetting my under armour jacket. Dashed back out in the semi darkness of the dawn and rainy morning, and backed into my daughter’s brand new car. I heard the crunching noise and immediately got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I checked the car – nothing major but it would have to be fixed, and felt terrible! It was raining harder. “Maybe I should just go back to bed, this is probably a bad sign.”
I pulled out of the driveway and called Jim, who was in sunny, 90 degree Florida. I recanted the morning’s events, he assured me it would be ok, we would repair it, and encouraged me to run my best. “The rain is pelting and it’s mixed with – what is that – SNOW?!?” I wailed. “Honey, just go back home, you don’t have to do this!” Jim, trying to be supportive and yet say something that might make me feel better. “I can’t! I tried to not come, but I can’t stay home, I don’t know what is WRONG with me!!!” I whined. He laughed and told me to go have a good time. It’s a delicate art – the role of supportive husband. Kind of like walking a tight rope – one tries to say the very thing that will make one’s wife feel better, and at the same time, one tries to protect oneself by covering all one’s bases. Especially when one is in the southern part of the United States on a beautiful beach, “working”.
I arrived at MSU at 7:35, the entire parking lot full. The race was to start at 8:00 AM. This is not good protocol for a race, normally one should spend time warming up, but hey, at least I showed up. I was the last person to sign up for the race – 15 minutes before it began!
I found Andrea, who had already given me up for dead to the world. “Can you bring me a piece of gum?” She asked, after I told her I was running back to the car. She knows I only exercise if I have a piece of gum in my mouth. It keeps me from having to stop for the water people. I accepted a water last time during this race – the station is on a hill where it’s already hard to breathe. I shoved it down and spent the next mile trying to recover from the premature swallow followed by lots of choking and hacking.
Gum pocketed, I made my way to the huddled masses at the start line. There was a bunch of announcements with a microphone that sounded like the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons. I made my way towards the back with my friend Bev and her sister, who were also trying to decipher the strange mono syllables coming from the microphone. “Where is Andrea?” Bev and I strained to see her neon shirt in the crowd. “I don’t understand where she is, I know she was in line for the bathroom – maybe she got delayed?”
A bunch of people moved up from the middle of the road where we were standing to the sidewalk, to which we were uncomprehending. “Those must be the walkers” we guessed. There was a start mono syllable of some sort and the mass began to run, and so did we. I just didn’t understand why Andrea wasn’t with us!
A couple minutes in I realized I hadn’t turned on my watch to log my running time, so I did. Bev had shot out in front long ago. I passed a couple of old people and very few young ones. About a mile and a half in, the giant hill started it’s up slope, complete with water people. I thought about shedding my flapping jacket and asking one of them to keep it. But, it was keeping me from getting wet, for the rain had picked up again.
Several people passed me on the hill, that thing almost killed me. Sad thing is, most of those people didn’t take the the 5k turn – they were the half marathoners! I turned, started back, and here came Andrea! Something wasn’t right. Either she got stuck in that bathroom, or we started too early, because Andrea is never late. “I’VE GOT THE GUM!” I yelled. She couldn’t hear me – she hadn’t forgotten her ear buds for her ipod like I had. I knew she’d catch up and blow me away. “I’ll make up my speed on the way back down ‘Giant Hill'” I planned. Sure enough, another lady lady was sticking out the water cup, which I politely refused. I got to the bottom and Andrea passed me, yelling “Good job!” Yeah, whatever.
The rest of the run is a gentle up slope which does not feel so gentle when you’re trying to push that last mile to the limit in the blowing wind and pouring rain. I felt the familiar urge to throw up right as I spotted the very telephone pole on the very point where I thought I was going to barf in the last race. “I hate this, why do I do these dumb races, I don’t even like this” I mused. “No, no, no, where’s your positive mantra, Ruthie, no negative self talk.” I pondered as I pushed ahead, “‘Run? Run Ruthie, Run?’ ‘Don’t stop, don’t stop?’ ‘I could be dead, instead I’m running another 5k?'” I stink at mantras.
Almost at the end guess what – two ladies were on either side of me, double teaming the water! “No thanks, I’m wet enough!” I panted, to which a male onlooker guffawed. “Wow, I’m funny, even on my last thrust,” I thought, pushing around the last curve and down the hill – thank goodness it’s DOWN HILL! Somebody handed me a popsicle stick with a “50” on it and I went for a water. I took the ramp instead of the steps on the way back in the building where dryness awaited – and breakfast, which I couldn’t stomach.
“I saw you and Bev jump the gun up there at the beginning!” Andrea laughed. “Is that why you weren’t there?!?” I asked, incredulously. Good grief, we were the ones who were supposed to wait on the sidewalk! Note to self: stand right next to the grand stand next time, maybe I’ll be able to hear directions then!!!
I didn’t win, I didn’t place – (they recognized first and second in each age division, plus over all winners). Out of that large crowd there were only four women in my 45-49 age bracket for the 5k. There is one comfort in that: it means most of the women my age in Beckley can’t run a 5k. At least that’s how I look at it. My time indicated I was third, but I would have had to give it to number four because I cheated! (Unless #3 cheated also – we’ll never know.)
Back at home, everyone was still in pajamas. My girls were sad that they didn’t run with me and were in bed when I left – they felt bad that they didn’t come to cheer me on. I had to confess to Taryn I had dented her car. I’ve been sneezing all afternoon and my head is getting stuffy.
One positive note – I THINK I beat my time from before. This is only because I wore my own watch. You know, the one I forgot to start at the beginning? I forgot to stop it at the end until Andrea asked me about it. The time the officials had me down for was very attractive, but since I started earlier than that, I knew it wasn’t right. Here’s the thing – I’m three years older, and still just as fast or faster than my last time, so I ain’t gonna diss that. You know what I’m sayin’?
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