Run for Roses

Em and I before the race

Saturday Em and I were up very early in a taxi heading to MD. We decided a taxi would be the most stress free way of traveling - more about that later.  We arrived at the race with lots of time to spare.  We got ready and tried to stay out of the area of the announcer who was seriously annoying broadcasting stupid jokes for more than an hour.  It was hot but it was just as hot for all the racers as it was for us. It was chip timed even though it was a 5K.  We lined up near the start  ready to roll!

Em is ready to run.

We began and it didn't take long to feel really hot.  I quickly thought this was not my day for a great time. Between the heat and the fact that this was my 8th day of running in a row. But I still wanted to give it a good shot. It was a little hilly both up and down.  A lot of it went through a park and was really quite pretty.  There was a spot where we met the leaders and I looked for Em but didn't see her.  I did slow down before the finish because I thought it was farther away and could have kicked myself once I saw how close it was. Em was at the finish cheering me on giving me a little extra oomph!  I came in at 27:26 for a pace of 8:50.  I was 71/324. This was a women's only race and I would say there were a lot of first timers.  I was 3/29 in my age group but wouldn't you know they only gave prizes to two.  But Emily ,,,,,,,, was 5th overall and 1st in her age group! She won a $25 gift certificate to Fleet Feet but not one close to her.  Then they announced the winners for the mother/daughter division.  We won it!!!  Yeah yeah yeah!!!  Em carried me for sure. Her time was 21:37.  We just beat the second team by 15 seconds.  We won a basket of roses (which we had been eyeballing and saying we hoped we wouldn't win.  I won a pizza gift certificate which she can use and she won a bracelet. We asked if we could trade the basket of roses for water bottles which we did!  

Em and I with our roses after the race

Eating watermelon - the best hot temperature post race snack ever!

With the roses before we traded

Em getting ready to carry home her loot.


We had about a mile to walk to the Metro.  We made it fine but I had to pee in the worst way. I had been trying to rehydrate after the race and now I was knowing it big time.  We got on the Metro for a 30 minute ride after a long wait for it's arrival.  Well, so we thought.  I thought okay I am a big girl, I can hold it.  After about 20 minutes at one stop the whole train offloaded.  There was no good solution so we started walking home.  Should have gotten a zip car, not stress free at all! The good part was we stopped at  a Starbucks which of course had a BATHROOM!  Okay!  Got some drinks and now my walk felt much more pleasant.

Eating Sweet Flow at Sweet Green (there's the water bottle)

Em early in the race

Me early in the race

Em charging up the hill.

Heading up the hill!

The 5th place finisher.

I'm done, looking like I finished a marthon, not a 5K.

These two younger women BEHIND me looking just as bad.

Em accepting her age group award.

I had  a lot of fun racing with Em and winning the M/D division.  That is huge for me. But truthfully this race was pretty small potatoes to Em.  Today in the DC Triathlon Em was outstanding.  Outstanding! She has not done all that many triathlons and her results were amazing.  Amazing. I can't say how proud I was of her and how much fun I had being her sherpa and her supporter! I will blog about that another day and she might post about it herself.  http://sweatonceaday.blogspot.com/  Hint - she had to stay to attend the award ceremony- in a race of many serious athletes!!

I think we walked  10 miles today. I have bagged my plans to run 11 miles.  I just can't face it in the heat!  I feel like all this walking should count for something.  

Happy running!