New Thing #61 - Race for the Cure - Part II

For the last four months, I've been training to run my first 5K, along with my sister Stephanie. Neither of us have ever ran a 5K and Steph was asked by a friend to run in the inaugural Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Columbia. I couldn't let her do it alone, so I chose to train right alongside her for 4 months. Check out our blog at www.our5Kjourney.blogspot.com for the entire journey. For now, I'll just write about the day itself, and how I participated this time, rather than watched from the sidelines.

Last night I went to bed feeling pretty peaceful and calm for today. The nerves hadn’t quite began. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t sleep worth crap. I was in bed by 10, but it was much closer to midnight before I think I even fell asleep. I was awake a short time later, and that continued on and off all night long. It seemed like I was always awake, so I’m not entirely sure how much sleep I actually got. The more I tried to shut down all my thoughts, the wider awake I became.

My alarm went off bright and early at 5 am, so I’d have a chance to get dressed and eat before Steph and I needed to head to Columbia. I heard my sis up and about, so I knew she was as antsy as I was...or else she would still be in bed. :) We had a quick breakfast, me with toast and yogurt, her with some oatmeal. My nerves started kicking in a bit, so I wasn’t really able to eat much else. We had planned on taking a couple of bananas with us, but completely forgot them at home.

We left the house a little after 6 and made our trek to Mizzou’s campus in Columbia. The skies were turbulent, as it had rained pretty much nonstop throughout the area all night. We hoped it would hold off long enough for the race, or at least be done before it started. It was still dark and gloomy outside, so that did not help my energy level at all.

When we made it to the race site, we mingled throughout all the tents and took some time to head to the ladies’ room before race time. I did NOT want to be running on a full bladder! Soon, our parents, along with Steph’s husband and two girls, met us and they looked over our stuff while we stretched and participated in the group aerobic warm up. If you could call it a warm up. It consisted of about 5 minutes of jumping up and down and stretching the quads. Uh, really? I need a bit more of a warm up than that!

The skies had not looked good all morning, but around 7:20 or so, the lightning and the thunder started...but still no rain. And this was the kind of thunder that pretty much hit right after the lightning, letting us know it wasn’t hitting far away at all. This did not bode well. I had barely wrapped my mind around the race in general, let alone the race in the bloody rain. A few minutes later and the skies opened up for a little downpour. Mom and dad had brought some cheapie ponchos and Steph and I threw those on to try to keep the majority of the rain off of us. We looked mighty fine! The rain continued to sputter on and off, dropping buckets one minute, misting the next.

The race officiates were trying to decide about holding off for 10 minutes or so, or starting on time. I was lost in my thoughts, trying to keep the poncho from sticking to my skin because it was so damn humid out. They decided to continue slightly behind schedule, so we went and took our place among the other runners. It had pretty much stopped raining at this point, but I wasn’t ready to take off my poncho just yet. I didn’t want to ruin my mp3 player, nor did I want to run without music.

Steph and I were nervously bouncing about, waiting for the countdown...I just wanted to start already! The anticipation was killing me. Finally, they started the timed runners (they were giving out prizes for the fastest times). The original plan was to start the timed runners and then 10 minutes later start everyone else who was running, followed by the walkers. Well, as soon as the countdown was over, everyone just started running, so Steph and I both took off with the mob. It was 8:10. I wished her luck and told her I’d see her at the finish line.

I had looked at the race route the night before, so I was pretty familiar with where the mile markers would be. I was determined to finish at least one mile without walking, so I paced myself pretty well and made it up the first hills in stride. Apparently a few of my cousins were on the sidelines, but I completely missed seeing them. Since we were still pretty much in the beginning stages, most of the people were still kind of stuck together. I had to bob and weave to get out from behind the slower runners or the people who had already stopped for a walking break. Between dodging people and trying not to slip on the wet pavement, I guess I ran right by them without seeing them. Bummer. But, at least I know they were there, thanks guys!

About a half mile or so into the race, I realized I would not be able to run with the poncho. I figured I wouldn’t, but wanted to keep it on for as long as possible to stay dry. Well, that idea didn’t last long. I ripped the front open a little to let some air in and it ended up ripping down most of the middle and fell off my right arm. I said eff it, and tried to rip the rest off. That would have been easier had I not tied a knot in it. So, here I am, running, trying not to trip or slip and trying to tear that poncho off without stopping to walk. I finally got it off, while looking like a spaz in the process....I kind of felt like the Hulk ripping his shirt off! I didn’t see a trash can handy and I did not want to run with it, so I just handed it off to some unsuspecting volunteer keeping traffic off the course. Oh well!

As I was nearing the end of the first mile, I was feeling pretty good, a bit winded, but good. I hadn’t quite gotten into a groove yet, but I did finish the mile without stopping. And I was on track with what I usually do for the first mile...right around 11 minutes. At the end of each mile, they had water stations, so I took that chance to down a few gulps of water and walk off some of the exertion. I looked back a couple of times to see if I could see Steph, but there were just too many people.

Also, while I was walking a few times, people were running REALLY close to me, and as I was swinging my arms, I punched one guy in the arm and another girl in the crotch. My bad. But geez, don’t run so bloody close to me! The second mile wasn’t quite as good as the first one. I switched off quite a bit, but I still did more running that walking. I usually tried to only walk on the uphill portions to conserve my energy. It was muggy and cool all at the same time, so sometimes my breath was a bit labored. I rounded the corner to complete mile 2 and I was happy to see the water volunteers once again. But, seriously, don’t fill the cups so darn full! I didn’t want to slow down to drink it, but I think most of it went up my nose or onto the ground, since I was bouncing around so much. I only took two sips before I tossed the rest onto the ground.

The final mile was coming up and I finally hit the sweet spot and fell into a good groove. I was pleasantly surprised that I had no stitch in my side and I was feeling pretty good. Most of the third mile was downhill, which was a relief, but I found that running down the hills was starting to take a toll on my knee. I prayed I could finish without any serious pain and pushed through what was starting. I walked up one small hill, but for the most part ran the entire last mile. I had hit 24 minutes at the end of mile 2, so I knew I had to kick it up a bit to keep under my 35 minute goal.

As I was rounding the last half mile, the emotion of the day started to hit me, but I forced back any tears, trying to save them for when I was done. I didn’t need to be trying to run through tear-soaked AND rain-soaked eyes. The end of the course was to put us into Faurot Field, the football stadium at Mizzou. As I was rounding the lot outside, I was ready to be done already. I wasn’t sure how far into the stadium I’d be running, so I was trying to conserve what little energy I had.

There wasn’t a huge crowd of spectators all day. I’m not sure if it was due to the fact that this was Columbia’s inaugural Susan G. Komen race, or if the weather kept most people at home. But, fortunately, there was a decent number of people in the stadium cheering us on. It spurred me forward and as I saw the finish line in sight, I kicked the speed up to about a 7 and sprinted across the finish line with my arms in the air (I’ve always wanted to do that!)

Holy crap, I’m finished!! Woooooooooooo!!! I looked down at my watch a minute or so later and it said 8:45. So, I finished in under 35, which was my goal. Booyah! They didn’t have a time clock, so I don’t know the exact time, but who cares?! I finished! I finished! I finished! The whole time I ran the rain just sputtered and misted here and there, but pretty much stayed away. Moments after I finished, the downpour started to gain speed. I had no rain gear, throwing away my only defense. Oh well. At least it kept me cool!

I was having trouble gathering my thoughts at this point. My brain was a bit jumbled mess. All I could think about was breathing and getting water. I know I walked around mom and dad and Shawn, but I have no idea what I said or did. I just couldn’t process anything at that point.

I had trouble catching my breath right away and went in search of some water and the bananas they were handing out. I could see people drinking and eating, but couldn’t see where they were. Someone finally told me they were at the other end of the field. Good grief. I started to walk down, but quickly realized it was a lot further away than I anticipated and didn’t think I could make it down and back in time to see Steph cross the finish line. I turned around and headed back in time to see her enter the stadium. As she got closer to the finish, I headed towards her, so we could run across together. I saw her clutching her side, so I wanted to be there to urge her forward. I ran with her the last 50 feet or so, and she made it in under 40, beating her goal as well! Woooooooooooo!

It was an emotional hugfest after that. We were both gasping for air and crying at the same time. Not easy. We were also getting completely drenched. I tried to put my sweatshirt over my head, but that didn’t really help. We quickly stretched and decided that the rain was getting worse and we needed to get to drier land. We headed under the stands, where I FINALLY got a banana, and took a much needed break. At this point the rain was coming down so hard it was difficult to see some of the people on the field. I felt bad for those still running and especially those that were walking. I just thanked God that he let the two of us finish before it started. We still had to make the trek up the hill to our cars and even though I shared an umbrella with my niece, I was still soaked clear to my bones. My shoes were so full of water, they felt like cement blocks. The whole left side of my body was sopping wet and I was tired. T. I. R. E. D. And majorly hungry.

We headed to Bob Evans afterwards, where I ate my weight in omelets, potatoes and french toast. Yum! But, after I ate, I was cold and full of food and just wanted to sleep. My cousin, Angela, was such a sweetheart and let me shower at her house before I headed back to St. Louis. It felt amazing. Although, I’m not sure it was such a good idea. The hot shower just made me sleepier. It was an incredibly long 2-hour drive back to St. Louis!

After it was all over and done with, I was full of so many emotions. Pride at what we accomplished. Exhaustion over the morning and the last 4 months of training. And a little lost as well. It’s over? Really? This has been on my mind for 4 months, what do I do now? Remington, my niece, asked me if I was going to do it again and I told her maybe. Just not anytime soon. :)

Well, we did it. My first 5K is officially over, and despite the craptacular weather, I’m very happy with my finish.

I have to first thank my sister Stephanie for running with me. This has been an amazing journey, and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else. You inspire me every day and I’m so proud of you. Thank you.

Thanks to my parents for their support and for standing in the cold rain to watch us. I’m very blessed to have such wonderful parents in my life.

Thanks to my brother-in-law Shawn and my two beautiful nieces for supporting both Steph and I and for being there as well this morning, even though it was pretty gross out. And thank you to Remington who drew us each an awesome picture of us crossing the finish line. It was awesome.

Thanks to my brother for his support and for cheering us on from Illinois. Sorry you couldn’t be there, but maybe you can run with us next year! ;-)

Thank you my cousins Angela, Terron and Stephen for getting out of bed way too early in the morning to cheer us on. Sorry I didn’t see you as I passed, but I know you were there!

Thank you to ALL of my friends, family and coworkers for your support today and over the last four months. It has really meant a lot to me that you’ve all shared this journey with us. I can’ thank you enough for pushing me out of my comfort zone into something new and unexpected.

And thanks to everyone who donated to a very worthy cause.

Will there be another 5K? Who knows. Never say never, right? But, I think I might take a break from the gym this week. :) We’ll see what happens after that.

Wayyyyyyy too early in the morning!

Rain ponchos...hitting a runway near you!

Emotional Hugfest!!

New Thing #60 - Balloon Glow

Last night I headed to the Balloon Glow held annually the night before the Forest Park Balloon Race. The Balloon Race is an annual event (38th to be exact) where the Energizer Bunny balloon is launched from Forest Park and "hound" balloons are launched to chase it. The balloon that drops a birdseed baggie closest to the Bunny (after it lands) is declared the winner. I have been to the actual race before, but never to the Balloon Glow.

My friend Brenda recently bought a condo a hop, skip and a jump from Forest Park, and she had a housewarming party to begin the night. We started off with some yummy snacks and adult beverages (except for me...big 5K Sunday!) When the sun went down, we started the trek through the forest past the History Museum and the racquetball courts, down the hill and past the Muny and over to the ball fields. It took us only 15 or so minutes to walk over there.

Let me just say that walking through Forest Park in the dark is not the best of ideas. It's never a good idea on any given night, due to possible random hooligans looking to cause trouble. But, it's also not a good idea, no matter the amount of people, because you're walking through crap you can't SEE. Shortly after we passed the bright lights of Lindell and the History Museum, it became quite clear that I would end up breaking or spraining something. I could barely see my own feet, let alone the ground and its possible death traps. We pretty much followed the mob of people, but at times, there were no more streets or sidewalks to lead the way. We just took off down a grassy knoll and hoped for the best. And for some reason, we were all walking like we had rabid dogs chasing us. I don't know why we were walking so fast, but I didn't want to lose our group in the masses, so I had to keep up.

At one point we were walking down a large dark hill and I took a wrong step and landed about a foot past where I thought my foot should have stopped. Sonuva. I'm not sure how I stayed upright or how I didn't sprain or twist anything. Good grief. I've been training for this 5K for 4 months. If less than 48 hours before the race, I hurt myself, I'm gonna be pissed.

Somehow, miraculously, we made it across the park to where the Glow was taking place. Basically, the Balloon Glow is just an opportunity for people to drink, eat bad food, let their children run wild, and oh yeah, see hot air balloons up close and in person. It's actually pretty impressive when walking up the hill and seeing all the balloons lit up like Christmas trees. Well, giant Christmas trees lit up with butane. I don't think anyone with us had seen hot air balloons up close and I certainly hadn't see one all lit up at night.

Of course, to stay inflated, you need to light up the burners, or the balloon itself will start to fall. Each balloon was randomly hitting the "gas" to light up, but occasionally every couple of minutes, a horn would sound, and all of the balloons would light up at once. It was pretty damn cool.

When we were coming up the hill, I didn't think we'd be able to get right up to the balloons. I assumed they'd be roped off, and we'd have to walk around the perimeter with every other Tom, Dick & Harry. Nope, you could walk right up to each basket and have a chat with the people inside if you wanted. Of course, they were pretty busy trying not to lift off the ground, but the fact that everyone could be so close, was pretty cool.

Our group was pretty fascinated at how hot the butane really was...and we were several feet away from the balloons. Me, being the Miss Fancy Pants that I am, got to explain the process and about how hot they really are. I'm not sure I was helpful. I may have just sounded like a know-it-all, but whatever. I like to share my bucket list knowledge.

I'm a fan of the balloons that are shaped like something other than a balloon. One had ears for a bear, another was shaped like a box of popcorn, and another was the legendary Energizer Bunny that leads the race every year. It was really fun to get to see all of them up close and personal.

We didn't really stay around the balloons all that long, since we got there towards the end of the display. But, we had a good time. Afterwards, we headed back up the hill to await the display of fireworks. Unfortunately, they were pretty weak (of course, I compare them to the ones downtown on the 4th, so anything is weak compared to that!), but still enjoyable nonetheless.

On our way up to wait for the fireworks, Brenda fell right into a giant gopher hole. I'm not even kidding. One second, she's walking right next to me, and the next, her foot is in a hole all the way up to her knee cap, and she's collapsed on the ground. She said nothing was broken and that she didn't hurt herself, but considering the alcohol intake, I'm not sure if that was a truth. :) (Love you B.) One foot to the left and I would have been the one going down into that hole.

We had an absolutely gorgeous night to enjoy the festivities and I'm glad now that I was able to see the Glow.

Thanks to Brenda for throwing her housewarming party and inviting me along to the Balloon Glow. It was lots of fun!