Salt Lake City Adoption 5k Recap

*giggle*  Do you know how cool it is for me that I get to write a RACE recap???  For a race that I ran?!?!?

Okay, let's start at the beginning shall we?

It was a cold and stormy morning.... really.  It was awful.  Our drive from the Frozen Tundra to the Big City was ho.rr.ib.le.  But we made it safe and sound. Just before we headed out for some supper Friday night, I got an email from the race director that the race would NOT be canceled, no matter what the weather was like, but he was trying to modify the course to keep us out of the 3 - 4" deep mud on the original course.  Saturday morning we got up bright and early to get the Rowdy Bunch fed and bundled up before we headed over to Wheeler Farm for the race.  I was pretty nervous when we got there, but I went over and picked up my race bib (can I just say that 125 is my new favorite number???)

We unloaded the Rowdy Bunch, and tried to kill a bit of time before the race started.  I am guessing the temperature was in the low 30s.  And the snow was pretty heavy.

The Rowdy Bunch and I

The new race route had us running a block race rather than the 3 loops originally planned.  I was a bit bummed because it meant I wasn't going to see Brian and the boys a few times like I thought.  It was me on my own until the finish line.  As everyone was getting ready behind the starting line,  I made my way towards the back. I zeroed my ipod stopwatch, and started the tunes.  Raise Your Glass by P!nk came on just as the gun sounded, pretty perfectly.  I had my Broncos hoodie on, with the hood up, that's how cold I was.  I tried to stay near the back because I knew I wasn't going to be the fastest.

The snow made things slick, but not as bad as I'd feared.  About 15 minutes into the race, I started feeling odd.  It took me a few minutes to realize I was HOT! lol  I had been cold so long that morning, I didn't recognize what the feeling was.  I lost probably a minute or so stopping to take my hoodie off and get everything situated again. I was feeling great, enjoying myself and just running.  As I rounded the last corner and could see Wheeler Farm, the tears just came.  I had to walk for a bit because I couldn't breathe.  I knew finishing was going to be emotional for me, but I didn't expect it to hit me that hard.  I started running again, and was so happy (as evidence by my official race photo, which is rather cheesy in my not so humble opinion).  

And then I saw Brian and the boys, and they were cheering (along with all the other spectators at the finish line) and I lost it again.  I ran across the Finish Line, tears streaming down my face, so overwhelmed. 

 The boys ran over and gave me kisses and hugs... it was awesome. So much better than I ever could have imagined.  Matthew kept telling me "I'm so proud of you, Mommy."  And Christopher said "Good job racing, Mommy." ♥  I forgot to stop my ipod as soon as I crossed the finish line, but when I did remember, I didn't think it had been too long.  My ipod said 44:35 - best time yet.  I figured my official time would be close to that, but when the results were finally posted tonight, I was BLOWN away - 41:20.  That's a 13:20 minute mile.  So much for my goal of 50:00 or less, huh?  41:20 is a PR for me.  And such an amazing accomplishment.    I am absolutely going to do this again.  The difference between going out for a run and running in a race is night and day.  

I am so proud of myself, and the fact that I met a MAJOR goal that I set for myself is amazing.  Less than 6 months ago, I made a goal of running a 5k.  To say that I accomplished that is still just amazing to me.  

♥  

P.S.  I am so letting myself feel like a BAMF for running my first 5k in all that damn snow! lol  At least for a little while.  It's okay to be hard core now and then.  :)