Races, Races, & More Races

I got an email the other day from my friend Molly, saying the she and two other friends had signed up for the Cooper-Young 4 Miler and wanted to see if I wanted to run as well. Being the race obsessed enthusiast I am, I immediately went online and registered before even replying back.

I did this race two years ago and had a blast. It starts at 7pm, so you end up running in the dark -- which is a fun change for me. What makes this particular race a good time is that it runs through the Cooper-Young neighborhood and residents are out in full font yard party mode! (Think couches, red solo cups, peer pong, kegs, and corn-hole littered across 4 miles of neighborhood front yards. Drunk partiers offer water, gatorade, beer and encouragement the entire route. Stereos blast the likes of 'Eye of the Tiger' and 'Push It,' as well. #GoodTimes) So it's you, 2500 of your closest running friends and the drunken house-party goers enjoying Friday evening together! There are also bars and restaurants along the course, so you have those drunken fools cheering you on as well! #SoFun.

So anyway, my friends and I carpooled to the race, where I ran into Caroline, Beth, and a lot of old friends who were racing as well. I even saw a pastor from my church. I did mention that the entire city of Memphis was basically there, right? The small neighborhood quadruples in size during this event.

The after-party was cool too, with a band, food (VEGGIE friendly food!! Wahoo! Thanks Start 2 Finish!) and some of old friends performing a few silks routines. (Below is a video I caught of part of their first performance... Pretty cool if you ask me. Feel free to watch if you'd like. Don't mind my annoying voice and cackling in the background!)



As far as the actual race goes, I wasn't really worried about my time too much. Though I definitely wanted to beat my time from two years ago (37:26), which I did. In fact, I got another PR (from Zoom Through The Zoo), which was cool. In fact, if I am not mistaken, I think all of my friends may have PR'ed as well! #TeamRunBigRocks

Splits = Yard Sale!
Mile 1 – 8:27
Mile 2 – 8:46
Mile 3 – 8:39
Mile 4 – 8:35
Time: 34:41 (8:36 pace)
Age Place: 38/279
After the race, we decided to skip out on the 2500+ population of the Cooper-Young area restaurants/bars and headed to Brookhaven, where we yet again ran into more old co-workers and friends, including my old boss and CEO. So yes... Everybody and their dog was out on the town last night. (And I literally means dogs... At the race, I had more than one pooch cross the finish line before me! Nothing like Fido killing 4 miles faster than you to deflate the ego.) I wish I would have done this one last year, I'd forgotten what a good time it is. So all in all, it was a great night of racing and hanging out with friends.

Team Run Big!
LtoR: Kelly, Me, Elizabeth, & Molly

Come to think of it, I guess I haven't updated the 'ole blog on my past 2 races either, huh? #whoops

So here you go:

RRS 2nd 5 Miler: 42:44 -- I wasn't feeling completely up-to-par and it was hot as hell (No excuses, right?? ;-) ), though I still did okay and put in a decent time.

Splits:
Mile 1 – 8:20
Mile 2 – 8:21
Mile 3 – 8:26
Mile 4 – 8:43
Mile 5 – 8:37
*I just LOVE when I do positive splits... pause NOT.
Time: 42:44 (8:33 pace)
Age Place: 15/60
RRS 1st 10K: 54:53 -- Often times, my running coach (a.k.a. my tyrant loving husband) & I get into fights. This day was almost one of them, until I decided 6:45am is not the time to fight since I was basically still asleep. He wanted this race to be more of a training run, where I paced myself and focused more on the hills during the course (i.e. run like hell up them & pace myself on the flat). I, on the other hand, looked at it as a race. I mean, I paid for it, right? I should run the crap out of it.... right?

But whatever.... I listened to him. He's the expert, right? #StillHaveAHardTimeAdmitingThat ;-)

Besides, if I had not given in and continued to be stubborn, Memphis Road Runners definitely would not have caught me using his jacket snuggling with him, as seen in the photo below. #HeWouldNotHaveReceivedAHugWhatsoever

Splits: All over the place with the hilly route and my pushing up those harder than normal!
Time: 54:53 (8:33 pace)
Age Place: 15/55

Germantown Half Marathon Race Recap!

I know, I know... you've just been dying to hear how my race went last weekend, haven't you? (Rhetorical question.... no need to truly answer. I am pretty sure I don't want to know the real answer to that! ;-) ) As mentioned prior, this past Sunday I ran in the Germantown Half Marathon. (Which by the way, was also the RRCA National Championship Half Marathon. How cool sounding is that? I'm going to start telling everyone I've competed in a National Championship. It IS during March Madness, after all... ;-) )

So here is a brief run (pun intended!) down of how the race played out for me:

Mile 1: Get out of my way people!! I've got a National Championship to WIN!
Mile 3.5: Check the watch... averaging an 8:35 pace. Sweetness! I can totally keep this up! #TheyCallMePrefontaine
Mile 5: (sucking wind) Okay, maybe not... (gasp! gasp!)
Mile 5.5: OMG... this blows is so stupid much fun! Why did I decide to do this not do this sooner?? (gasp! gasp!)
Mile 6: Britney Spears just came on my iPod. Ahhhhh, yeah.... she always pumps me up. Hopefully these people around me won't mind my singing! "Now I'm (gasp! gasp!) STRONGER than (gasp! gasp!) yesterday..." (gasp! gasp!)
Mile 6.5: Dude, kill me now I got this. Halfway! That's it??
Mile 7.5: Um, is that a person sprawled out across the road? Yes, yes it is. Hmmm... She definitely doesn't look like she MEANT to lay down... Should I stop and help her up? .... (internal debate ensues) .... It would give me an excuse to stop running be a good Samaritan. Nah, there are tons of people helping her up. I would totally just get in the way. Besides, I've got a National Championship to win!
Mile 8: Why is my husband on the side of the road still taking pictures? Doesn't he know that I look best at the BEGINNING of the run? He's so dead....
Mile 9.5: (gasp! gasp!)
Mile 10: SERIOUSLY? (gasp! gasp!) Three more still left? (gasp! gasp!)
Mile 11: (gasp! gasp! gasp!) I... can't.... go.... any.... more.... (gasp! gasp! gasp!) My... legs... hurt... (gasp! gasp! gasp!) ..... Ugh. I'm being such an annoying loser! Keep going and quit complaining!
Mile 12: REALLY??? Who decided to put the last mile going UP a hill??? I'm going to have to have a word with these race directors...
Mile 12.5: I think I just died internally.
Mile 13.1: Holy Hell.... there go my legs.

So there you have it. I finished it. I ran the whole time. I set a new PR. And my legs dissolved off of my body immediately after. #RockOn

Below are some pics of the race for your enjoyment. And don't play like you aren't totally jealous of our "Team Run Big" shirts. They rocked. :-)

Team "Run Big" prepped and pumped for the National Championship!

This was right before Dale made us (unwillingly) go through a dynamic warmup. All I wanted to do was eat my breakfast, and he made me do shuffles instead... Ugh.

Obviously, this was prior to mile 9.5

I believe this was at mile 8, when I had to pretend to be happy for the camera, but internally I was cussing my husband. ;-)

Dale running after MK

ATTACK

Um, I wish somebody would have told me I'm an ugly runner! Haha! #HelloBadForm

Lacey, Steph, & I sweating it up at the finish! What you can't see here is our legs disintegrated right off our bodies.

 My first coke/soda since last summer. One has never tasted so good!

MK wanted me to race her after I finished....

And it hurt worse than the actual race did!

Apparently, my driveway is too hilly for me as well.