You Run? No, really, you run?: Road to the Final Four 5K

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Road to the Final Four 5K

Awhile ago (post marathon) D and I decided to run this 5K. We really didn't think it would be the first time we would run since the marathon. However, I got sick AGAIN! D started working all the time (or so it seemed). And remember we upped our babies up to 3. So there never seemed to be time. My commute home seems to have lengthened to 90 minutes on a good day. If D is still at work, that means I have 60-90 minutes of dog walking (and training) to do immediately getting home. And then dinner. By then it is 8pm at least. With a puppy that sleeps a maximum of 2 hours before crying to go outside, by 8pm, I'm a zombie. And to top it off, McMenamin is also taking Manners Classes. Luckily, I love my babies.

McMenamin, Scuttlebutt and Lompoc

So Friday night came. Neither of us was that excited about the 5K but we knew we had to do it. So off to bed (and the couch, which is where I seem to sleep a lot with this puppy). 6AM Saturday came rather early. First, I couldn't find my running bra. Then I had to find running socks. Running capris...I found a pair of shorts. Good enough. Then what to wear. It was 48 degrees. I decided on a long sleeve shirt. So did D. He walked the dogs. I found my shoes and took the D-tag from the marathon off of them. D had charged both Garmins.

Downstairs...eat. Where is my iPod? Who knows. Where are D's headphones? He could borrow mine. We need $20 for parking (it was at the the Georgia World Congress Center which is NEVER free to park). So finally off we went. I forgot my phone, which was sad, because I could have taken pictures...

I got slightly lost on the way (forgot the street I wanted to go to was one-way). It put me at the bottom of the GWCC which made parking $10...hooray, and made no one around. The parking attendant told us where the race was, and off we went. There weren't a lot of people there. Everyone seemed to have Michigan shirts on.

The race started pretty much on time at 730 and it took you on the backside of the Dome over to Spring Street. There were cones everywhere to keep you in one lane. You turned on to Decatur Street and ran down to Peachtree Street. It probably would have been very cool if you are a person who runs looking up. I can tell you the roads are pretty nice. Some asphalt, some stone mixed stuff, and some bridges. Mile 1 was small hills (like I would have called it flat). I was really out of breath at 3 minutes in, but pushed to 9 minutes. When I saw how far I had gone, I decided to run to 1 mile. Then I would walk. The cops were really good. They let the cars go, but if a runner was anywhere near a crossing the cars had to stop. Buses too.

So down Peachtree. The water stop was the only "rude" thing. At a church there were a lot of homeless/less fortunate waiting for food. 1 block away (in visible distance) was our water stop. I think it could have been around the corner. But oh well. It was the cleanest water stop, I've seen. NO CUPS were on the ground. It was odd. Anyway, I took some water which I rarely do on a 5K. But my throat was dry. Turned on Trinity/Peters. I walked at the crossover from Trinity to Peters. The hill right there (haha) was killer. I'm so out of shape. I'm not really sure where we turned on Peters, but we ended up on Walker. By now I was a bit bored. I had no music. I did pay attention a little to Castleberry (the area), because it seems like a cool little area. By this point, 2 miles had passed. I was going a decent pace. I wondered if I would get under 40 minutes. I wasn't sure though. I turned onto Nelson which turned into Elliot. I was getting very tired. Mitchell Street was downhill, but I knew the finish line was above me (a bridge). So I turned and ran and saw a hill. I walked up it because my chest was tight. I could see that once I ran up it the rest was flat.

I got to Centennial Olympic Park Drive and ran. I crossed MLK and got to the entrance of the Dome. 3 miles. I knew where the Finish Line was. It really seemed it was longer than .11 miles. Kept running and saw the NCAA sign (this huge sign). Still no finish. I turned and saw the GWCC. Finally the finish. I crossed at 3.18 miles/40:11. D was waiting for me. We went and go my T-shirt and some water. Then we left. Then we went home and hung for a little while.

Then we went and finished my leg/started-finished his leg.

As you may know, if you have been reading for awhile, Guinness was my running buddy. She trained for 5Ks, 10Ks, my triathlon and my first half-marathon. There isn't a run I don't think about her while out there. I love my other babies (Porter (RIP), SB, McM, and Lompoc), but she was my running buddy/best friend. Anyone will tell you that. So my friend Dawn had pointed out an artist, Dean Russo. My brother went and got me one of his prints (actually he got me 2) for Christmas. It looked incredibly like Guinness too me. So I decided she was going to cross the finish line every time I do.