I spent chunks of time today writing a post on this morning's Race for Pace. I would add more details and then take something way. Ultimately, I ended up boring myself, which means I would probably put most of you to sleep. So here is an abbreviated post, in a list.
- It was probably about 35-degrees at race time, but sunny (it was 29 degrees when I got there 45 minutes earlier).
- My attire of a long-sleeved t-shirt, a windbreaker, yoga pants, socks as gloves, and a knee brace (one of those flexible-stretchy things) from early this century turned out to be the right wardrobe.
- I was relatively pain-free the entire time (knee brace was a good call); even my feet hurt very little (though during the first mile, two of my toes were numb from the cold!)
- I started off strong, kept a pretty steady pace, struggled a bit near the end up the last hill, but "kicked it in" as best as I could the last tenth of a mile.
- Having my friend Diane there cheering me on really helped. As I was struggling up the last hill, she made me laugh (or at least smile as I was out of breath) when she yelled, "Go, Faith! Don't embarrass me."
- I completed the race in 28:55 and finished in third place in my age group!
- For reasons I cannot explain, after the race, my name was not called as the third-place winner, and I had thought I was fourth until I read the official results online a few hours ago.
- I bid on and won a "family fun" package, which includes a year's family member to the Carnegie Museums and tickets to a Gemini Children's Theater play, Phipps Conservatory, and the Pittsburgh Zoo.
- I feel really proud of myself for finishing the race in under 30 minutes.
- But I also feel kind of old because a former student from J's school whom two years ago I beat by about two and a half minutes today beat my time by over seven and a half minutes. It is logical that a now-14-year-old boy would improve over the past few years while a now-40-year old woman would lose ground. But it does not make me feel any better.
- But the important thing is I did it Yeah, me! Oh, and you can call me Master (I was the sixth fastest woman over 40). :-)
Comments
And don't sweat the kid... that's the natural order of things. They's suppose to get better.
And, Bluz, I know you are right, but sometimes I think of myself as still being young(er) and feel as if I should be able to do what I did 210 years ago. Need to get over that!