Pat's Run 2012

After packet pick-up... all our "gear", ready for race day!

Well, we completed Pat's Run (4.2 miles for me, and .42 for M) this past Saturday! 

It was a tough one for me.  I've run 4 miles a few times now, and felt pretty good afterward.  However, I try to run early in the day, when it's cooler, and a good 1.5 - 2 miles of the path I run is shaded. Saturday was hot (high was 102, I think) and my corral didn't cross the start line until almost 8:00am.  I didn't check the temp, but my guess is that it was approaching 80 by the time we started, and the race was in the direct sun the whole time.

I ran the whole thing except for two short (like less than a min) walk breaks. There were some small hills, which I'm not used to. Running up a bridge was one part where I took a quick breather. The other was another incline running into the stadium (before getting to the field) and I had been getting the chills for a while at this point, had felt a little bit of nausea in the last 1/2 mile, and my heart rate had gotten higher than I was comfortable with (170). So I stopped and walked just long enough to bring my HR back down a bit and then ran onto the field/across the finish line. Clearly, I wasn't hydrated enough before the race and just didn't realize it. Lesson learned.

Another lesson I learned is that I'll never ask Craig to take the kids (without a grandma or someone to help) to a race again. It was just too much, for too long, for one person to manage alone.  I was away from them way longer than either of us anticipated (3 hours!) and McKenna was giving him a serious run for his money with one tantrum after another.  Understandably, he was a giant stress ball by the time I finished. No one was there to see me run the race or to cross the finish.  (Although he did tell me later that they were trying to keep an eye out for me from a shaded location, but with 28,000 runners and 70%+ wearing the same shirt, it was kind of tough to spot me. lol)  So, either a sitter for the kids or Grandma/Mema comes in town to help with the kids at the race.  Hiccups and all, I'm super happy that I did it.  A good friend reminded me that I'm really running the race for myself anyway.  Very true.  Plus, the support from all my friends and family on Facebook is awesome.

Anyway, after my race, I had to walk all the way back around the outside of the stadium and get in line with M for her race. She did great. I think she was a little overwhelmed with the crowd at times. She asked to walk or be picked up, which I did, and then would just encourage her to get down and run more, which she also did. We held hands the whole time and she ran across the finish line so, I was happy. I passed a woman who was practically dragging her daughter (close to M's age, no older than 4), who was crying to be picked up. I just don't get that. I mean, I get that you want them to follow trough, but it was really crowded and hot... Why not cut the kids some slack?!  Is that like the running version of a stage Mom? 

Back to the race. I was SPENT the whole rest of the day. Awful headache the rest of the day, even though I drank water and Gatorade like crazy and I took a good 2+ hr nap. The heat just killed me. Anything else I run this summer will have to be in some other part of the country. Or at night. :)

There was no hope for PR for me at this race.  I was lucky just to keep my feet running.  lol  My official time was 50:52 and placed 13,859 overall.  I liked the look of this placement better...  I placed 130 out of 285 females my same age (39).  ;)

Some photos from our big race day....

Craig and the kids, heading over to the pre-race area.

Getting her face painted. :)

Don't you love the shades?

Our mellow little dude.  Craig said he did great during the race.  He just kept wanting to lay on the ground, under the stroller.  lol  That's my boy.

The crowd in the Kids Corner.

Me & McKenna just before I left to go find my corral.  She was less than pleased that we made her get out of the bounce house.  lol

The sea of joggers/runners, all waiting in their corrals.  This was a VASTLY difference experience from the "Move Your Phi't 5k", my very first 5k last year.  While the experience of running a big race like this was cool, I think I might prefer the smaller venue.  Or perhaps I just need a friend to run with in these larger races. :)

Another shot of the corral areas.

Me & McKenna after my race, in line for the Kids Run.

Me & McKenna after my race, in line for the Kids Run.

McKenna doing what Mommy should have been doing pre-race!

After we crossed the finish line of the Kids Run.  She had no interest in smiling for a photo.

Tried to get a shot of her with the finish line in the background, but she just made a dash toward me.  She ran over and hugged me, so you can't be mad at that. ;)

On the field, after M's finish.

On the field, after M's finish.

Just waking up after we got home.  Of course she refused to nap once we got inside.  *sigh*  She did nap with me later that afternoon though.  We both needed it!