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<\/p>\nI got up this morning around 8:45, got a shower and got dressed.\u00a0 It was really weird getting up and getting right into workout clothes in the morning since I always workout after work or at least after a while of hanging out in my PJs and waking up on weekends.\u00a0 I watched the weather and it figures – we’ve had LOVELY weather for the last week or 2, and this morning it was cold, rainy, and windy.<\/p>\n
We drove the 30 minutes (I thought it was ironic that it was going to take longer to drive there than to run the race) to get to the race site, hitting patches of rain, and I chanted the whole way “please clear up, please clear up”.\u00a0 Luckily by the time we got there we were in a mess of clouds and wind, but the rain was going the other way.\u00a0 Didn’t make it much warmer though.\u00a0 Yes, it was THIS cold.<\/p>\n
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Got there, picked up my number and t-shirt and chip.\u00a0 I couldn’t figure out for the life of me what to do with the chip until I saw other people putting them on their shoe laces and tucking them in.\u00a0 Good to know.\u00a0 Then, we got to watch the kids 1k fun run.\u00a0 Its humbling watching kids that barely hit your knee height run a mile faster than you ever could, but it was really cool to see them go.\u00a0 Then, it got close to race time.\u00a0 We walked down to the track area at the school and I did a warmup lap and a quarter or so.\u00a0 I was finally able to lose the hood, and soon after the sweatshirt.\u00a0 I stretched out and by the time everyone started lining up, the sun was starting to peek out and I was able to strip a little more.<\/p>\n
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For clarification, I was trying to give the “rockstar” horns, not “hookem” horns.\u00a0 Anyway, I jumped into the line of people ready to start.\u00a0 I hadn’t planned on using my mp3 player, but I saw a lot of people with them, so at the last minute I grabbed mine.\u00a0 Next time, I will be prepared and make an awesome race playlist so I don’t have to surf around for good running music, but this time I’m happy I had something auditory!\u00a0 The next thing I knew, they were saying go.<\/p>\n
I don’t remember that much about the race beyond a few flashes.\u00a0 At first, my pants kept falling down and I was freaking out until I realized the ties had just come undone.\u00a0 I fixed it and luckily stayed pantsed for the rest of the race.\u00a0 I came up with a strategy – keep as many people that looked like they knew what they were doing in my sights and not let them get too far ahead, and try to keep the kids and the grey hairs behind me.\u00a0 It worked well for the most part, but there was one older guy in a bright yellow jacket that gave me a huge run for my money until the end!<\/p>\n
The race info said minimal hills.\u00a0 Someone must have been grinning and laughing when they wrote that, because while I appreciated the down hill stretches (and for some reason seemed to be one of the only people in my pack rocking those fast and passing everyone), the uphill shit killed me.\u00a0 I never stopped running, but I did slow to a “pretty much walking pace” jog up a few of them.\u00a0 All I had to judge my time was my watch, and I seemed like I was doing good but I had no idea.<\/p>\n
When I rounded the final corner to get back to the school, I saw Zliten waving at me!\u00a0 I was so close, I started running faster and really tried to push myself.\u00a0 When I went around the last corner, my legs felt shaky but I was soooo close I just had to keep going faster.<\/p>\n
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When I saw the time ticking in the 27 minute range I had a little internal celebration and ran as hard as I could to cross the finish line at about 28:00.\u00a0 I think my chip time will be faster, somewhere in the 27 minute range.\u00a0 \u00a0 There I am above, walking it out, going *pantpantpant*.<\/p>\n
After getting my heart rate down, and figuring out what to do with the chip (apparently I had missed the collection station), we promptly left because the smell of the BBQ stand was giving me a headache.\u00a0 Seriously, propane RIGHT at the finish line of a race?\u00a0 Only in Texas, tee hee.\u00a0 It was fine, because I had my eyes directly on the prize…<\/p>\n
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Oh yeah.\u00a0 Quixy like-y.\u00a0 Savage in my belly.\u00a0 You cannot comprehend how awesome this pizza is without actually lifting the box.\u00a0 It is the heaviest pizza I have ever carried.<\/p>\n
So all in all, awesome experience!\u00a0\u00a0 I will definitely do another one.\u00a0 I think I’d like to do one more 5k and then a 10k before it gets hot around here.\u00a0 Running with other people is kind of awesome.\u00a0 Running for an official time is kind of awesome too.\u00a0 It definitely gets my competitive mojo going.<\/p>\n
Now, relaxing my legs and bod before a CD release party tonight downtown.\u00a0 No rest for the wicked!\u00a0 Have a great weekend…<\/p>\n