Lucky #27

Hey guys! I hope you've all had a great weekend so far, and luckily it's not quite over yet. It looks like we're going to get some nasty weather this afternoon (thanks to the remnants of Rita) but hopefully it'll stay west of us. It's very windy this afternoon and we're under a tornado watch. It actually feels great (right now) and I was hoping to go for a 4-5 mile run this afternoon (weather permitting). Brent just said 'It looks like a great afternoon for a run' and I perked up and said 'Yeah, I was planning to go after we eat lunch' and he started laughing and said he was just kidding because the weather is so unpredictable right now. Oh well, we'll see! My fave movie is the Wizard of Oz so it looks like I could easily get swept up this afternoon and be a part of the sequel!

Ok, on to yesterday's 15K. If you've read my posts from this week and Brent's posts you'd know we weren't mentally prepared, and from all the junk I've had this week I wasn't feeling physically prepared either. The race started at 7:30 am down at Shelby Park, right in downtown Nashville on the Cumberland River. I always love to race there - this is where we did our very first 5K in 2004, and also where I won my very first divisional award this past summer. It's also where we bring Pippin to the dog park. It's in a great urban area, and it reminds me so much of where I grew up in Memphis. There are always big family cookouts taking place there and lots of real people just hanging out and enjoying the park. (Unlike the ritzier parts of town full of BMWs and bratty kids on bikes that probably cost more than anything we own. That's just not me.) This race was being hosted by the Nashville Striders, our local running club, and they always do an amazing job with races. If they're hosting it you know it's going to go off without a hitch. So, we got up at 5:45, had our bagel with PB, and headed out at 6:45. (BTW, I've found that Thomas Bagels now makes these little mini-bagels that end up being the same size as a half a bagel. They are great!!) When we got to Shelby Park we were pretty surprised at how many people were there, they were having a 15K and 5K (which started 30 minutes later). We had to walk a 1/4 mile up from where we parked to get our numbers and then drop off our swag bags and T-shirt back at the car and walk back up to the start! All of that walking ended up with us arriving back at the start line right as we were called to the start line. We got in the mid-back of the start. I didn't want to get in with a crowd starting out too fast since this would be a much longer race than a 5K and it was Chip timed anyway. We had found a course map on the Striders page the night before, so we knew what to expect. The run started out with a big loop around the lake, then back down and into the woods. The 5Ks we've done there go out into the woods for just a brief spot, but this run would go all the way down to a big circular turn around and then back and up to end right below an elevated train track. The trail runs right next to the Cumberland river, but you can only see it every once in a while because they've left the trees and vegetation. So, for about 8 of the 10 miles we ran on a course with grass and vegetation on both sides - which was pretty boring. About 4 miles in I caught up with someone else right around my same pace and we went back and forth for a while until I passed a race walker. He was pretty annoying - he'd speed up when I got close and then slow back down. At this point the race leaders were starting to meet us on their way back in to finish, so it was getting tougher to pass people. I finally just sped up and passed him. I hate to do stuff like that and break my pace, burning extra energy, but he was driving me nuts. For the first 4 miles I held my pace around 9:30. Around mile 5 I started to speed up, and took my pace down to between 8:45-9:30 for the remaining 4.3 miles. I started picking people off one by one on the return race in. It was a really hot, bright day and a lot of people were starting to bonk. I was so glad I had my Fuel Belt. I had mixed one bottle with gel, so I had some of that around mile 5 and then again around mile 8 and that really helped the old legs. I felt really good, and kept picking up more speed as I knew we were getting close to the end. No one passed me after mile 4 and I was REALLY proud of that!! This race had a tricky end - from reading the maps I knew once we came out of the woods it would be a very short distance to the finish. There was a guy who had walked back out and yelled out 'You're almost there!'. Sometimes I need a legend on how close 'almost' is for these people - 1/2 mile, 1/4 mile?? Anyway, I kicked it up a notch and just as I did so here came the girl I had gone back and forth with around mile 4! Where did she come from??? I think she had tailed me the whole time, and then saw this as her big chance! Another guy was hot on her heels so the three of us sprinted like it was a 5K to the finish line. She beat me, but I beat him. When I stopped I felt like I was either going to puke, pass out, or maybe even both. I think a combo of the heat and the stupid sprint to the finish after the long race did me in a bit. At that same time, another girl who had just finished collapsed on the ground and they started shouting for doctors and people with cell phones. I've seen more people collapse at the races this summer!! They ended up calling 911 and took her off in a stretcher. There weren't a lot of water stops on the race, and the sun was really beating down so I think she probably got a little dehydrated and overheated. I finished in 1:25.46! I am very proud of that! My overall pace ended up at 9:14. My goal was to come in under 1:30 and a pace around 9:30 so I'm really pleased. I wandered around lost and hot and found a bottle of water and a banana and procured a bench in the shade to watch for Brent. His projected finish was going to be 1:40, so I started making my way over to the finish line around that time. I looked back at the clock - 1:39, then looked back to where the runners path was and here he came!! I tried to take a pic with my camera phone but this lady walked right in front of me as he came around the bend! Grrrr! Anyway, he had a great race and will have his post up about it later today. No prizes for us, there were a lot of great runners out there!! The winning pace was 5:24!!!

About the title - my race number was #27! I think that's pretty cool because this was my last race as a 27 yr old! My 28th birthday is this Saturday, and I can't wait!! I'm not sure what Brent has planned - he's being very mysterious. I've guessed everything from swimming with dolphins to shopping for new hats but he's just not letting me in on the secrets. All I know is he said I have to get up early and he has a full day planned. For his birthday back in May I took him for massages and manicures and then had a surprise party for him at the local indoor rock climbing place. I'd love a good massage!!!

Well, I think I may head out for a run!

Rachel

Exercise -
Sat - 15K run