I Finished Strong

Last Saturday I ran the Mother of All Races 5K hosted by the Canal Fulton Rotary which is a wonderful event because it is well organized by some really great people.  I love this event!!  This was my first race this year that is part of the Subway Challenge Series and I was really hoping to possibly place in the top 3 in my age group. 

This event might have been my only chance to do that this year due to the quality of runners we have here in Stark County. Couple of things should have been pretty good indicators that I would not place prior to the event but I still went into the morning optimistic.  Last Friday was the commencement ceremony for Kent State University at Stark, where I work, and so I worked over a 10 hour day and was on my feet in heels for a great deal of time.  After the ceremony was over, I joined some colleagues at Main Street Grille to celebrate the end of the semester.  I called it an early night and left at 10:30pm but still, probably not the best idea the night before a race.

As soon as the race started, I knew this was not going to be my day.  My legs were heavy.  Every step was an effort as my legs struggled to warm up.  (I should note that I never warm up before a race because I am worried about wearing myself out.  Really just superstitious and lazy of me and not rooted in any real evidence that this would be an issue for me.)

Once I accepted by the half mile mark that this was not my day, I decided to shoot for 28 minutes or at least better than I did last year which was 30:04.  This course has one horrible thing that makes it the “Mother of All Races” and that is the end which is about eight-tenths of a mile of hill.  There are level spots but it just seems to keep going at the end.  At the beginning of the race, this hill is great; at the end, not so much. 

Last year, I walked on the hill.  This year, I was determined to run the whole darn thing and I did.  Another runner and I were pacing pretty close to each other with not many others around us.  She was giving me a run for my money especially right before and on that horrible last hill.  I could tell she was determined not to let me pass her but little did she know, I wasn’t going to let her beat me. 

We went back and forth and then at the end, at the very top of that hill, she had to walk.  I refused to give in and as she saw me coming she started to run again but I knew I could finish strong; I knew she was done and I was not.  I was going to finish strong.  Let me tell you, I am usually the one being passed at the finish line. 

I can’t tell you how many people passed me last year in the last 100 yards of any race and it was frustrating.  This year, I might just be the one doing the passing and THAT feels really good.  So no medal in my age group and no PR for the 5K but I finished strong, didn’t walk, and got a great time of 27:51. 

Overall, a success in my book and I look forward to see what I can do in future races this season.