Little Miami 10k race recap

I hate waking up early...esp. on my last day of vacation but I had a 10k race on the training schedule and this one fit the bill.

It was a start time of 7:30 in Morrow,OH which is about an hour drive on country roads to get to...so I have to leave the house at what time?  Plus packet pickup, potty and warmup.  Ok- No later than 6am.  Now add, 2 boys and dh.  I'm sure they were really happy to get up early this am- but 1.)  I like to have my family/support group there 2.)  This means early bedtime for the kiddos since they start school tomorrow.  My dh was taking the kids to Columbus after the race so we caravan-ed  (plus I was bit worried about getting lost on my own- yes I have a GPS- but still!).

Left the house at 6:15 (now I'm thinking- am I going to make in time?)  Drive took less time than google told me it would-despite the slow driver that I tailgated couldn't pass on 48 since he'd speed up everytime it was a passing zone- seriously dude? Don't you know I have a race to run in less than an hour?


Got there and the first thing I notice 3 portapotties and line about 200 m long of runners.  Oh, Joy!  Ummm, it's 7:10 and race time is 20 mins away!  Thank goodness the race director noted this and delayed the race for 10 mins and told us we'd go on chip time for results in case any speedy runners were at the end of the line!  After the loooong wait (7:39am) I run past dh and kiddos, grab my water bottle- running to the start line - I get there at the count down of 3-2- (turn on music)-1 and we're off! 

First mile always is way too fast, I just hate getting stuck behind slower runners and after about 400m we were on a rails-to-trails bike path.  So I do get stuck for a bit, trying to find my pace and pass people and finally break free.  Ok- wow!  It's kind humid back here in the woods (I guess that's what I get for picking a race next to a river in Ohio in August!)  First mile 7:25 (ok not bad- I was planning 7:30 but wow this humidity is awful).

Mile 2  7:45 (hmm, water stop should be close- I had my own but needed something to focus on- nothing but flat trail and trees), a woman comes up behind me and is looking strong- Ok- must stay with her, she's looking calm and collected.

Mile 3 7:36 stay with this girl but I wonder, I bet she's doing the 1/2 not the 10k- as I'm watching the men doing the 10k coming back after the turn around- must be near- well, crap that chick's in front me and she just turned around so she is doing the 10k, but hey that means I'm in 2nd place.  Cool.  Must keep her in sight, maybe I'll get a surge of strength...maybe? It's so humid...Getting cheers, good jobs from the other runners still going out (pretty cool!)

Mile 4 7:51 ok, she's just took off, crap, keep her in sight.  Where is the next mile marker, must be close right? Nothing, trees, hot pink shirt now 50 m in front of me...

Mile 5 8:31 would it look bad if I walked, I'm so tired, it's so humid, no one is around me no one to look at  going the opposite way...turn around- ok a guy and it might be a woman behind him can't tell, must keep running...

Mile 6 8:15 I can see the break in the path, nearing the end Thank God, guy passes me- better check, where's that woman?  Still back about 100m- should be able to do this, crap, I'm in 2nd place still!  Hot pink chick not even in sight anymore maybe she passed out must have surged ahead

.2 miles- is that Cub?  Here comes Cub running in the grass next to the path- I see the glow of the clock at the finish line!  I tell Cub to run with me, which he does- I have to tell him to slow down, here comes Buster running ahead of me!  and then I'm done!  Wow!  I just got 2nd place for women!  Awesome!!!!!!  Nothing like having my kiddos there to run it in with me!    Someone at the finish line took a picture- I hope I see it sometime.

Hat head!  just after I finished!

Stumble around for awhile, take off my hat, and realize I'd forgotten that my sunglasses were perched on the rim the entire run!  Hah!  too funny- too cloudy to need them anyways.

Buster being his goof ball self!

1st place in my Age Group!

SO Offical results:  9 overall, 2nd place woman, and 1st in the 30-39 agegroup.  That was the best, since their awards were Pint Glasses -perfect for my frosty beverage of choice! :-)