Lions Dash 5k

From Tri4SuccessMom .........
I am not a writer and since my husband was not there I get to blog about it so have fun with this.  I ran in the Lions Dash 5k on April 2nd 2011 it was for the Providence Academy here in Rockwall, Texas.  The Rockwall Running Center was hosting the event so I knew it was going to be a challenge.  Why you ask?  Any thing that Coach Barrett runs has lots of hills!  I was told before the start that the course was fairly flat. WOW, did I just hear that right - "fairly flat"?  Yep, but by Coach Barrett’s standards it was flat!  I have been working hard over the last couple of months to get faster - Turtles are fast, right?  So my day was here. Were my legs ready?  Only time would tell.

And they're off!

So the race started and off I went, and as usual, I was left in the dust.  At the first turn there was Lee, one of my fellow racing buddies from the RRC.  He was yelling at me, telling I looked good, and my form was awesome!  I felt good other than the legs felt like lead bricks!  I had my iPod Nano on so I had fast paced music to help keep me going.  Here comes turn two .... people were starting to pass me on the way back.  Boy, they were flying!  Here comes Tiffany from the RRC .... she had one person in front of her so I told her, "You can catch him. Go for it."  Off she went like a cheetah chasing after her prey!  As I continued on, more people were passing me in the opposite direction so I knew I was getting close to the turn around.  Then here comes my running buddy Debbie ..... and there goes my running buddy - she was running strong.  I am so proud of her.  We both started running last July together.  Finally the turn around - was I really the last one?  UGH!  Oh well someone has to be the caboose.  I jokingly said to Ollie and Jenny who were manning the water station, "I am bring up the rear."  So I grabbed some water and headed back.  After a few minutes, I was beginning to lose it or my mind was playing tricks .... there where people behind me!  What, you mean I was not the caboose?!?  YEA me!  I was so excited to see people behind me when all of a sudden, my legs screamed out, "Hey lady who do you think you are - Michael Johnson?"  At that point I realized I had turned back on to Justin Rd and was making a slow climb up!  All I could do was repeat in my head "Come on OLD LADY".  My running buddy Debbie says that to me when I am being sluggish, so she knows she better be ready to sprint if she says it because off I will go!  Once I got to the top of Justin Rd there was Lee yelling for me!  Yea Lee!  I made my final turn and started picking up the pace.  At this point I am really struggling.  My legs are screaming, my mind is saying "slow down", but my HEART will not let me!  That’s right - my HEART told my legs and head to "shut up and get over it."  In the distance I could see Debbie on the side yelling at me.  She had better not be saying, "Come on OLD LADY!"  She wasn’t.  She was yelling sweet things this time.  With the last 180yds to go I give it all my legs have to offer and finished strong.  Yea, it was over!

So I bet you are wondering how my time was?  I had to look at my watch twice.  Could it be I took 5mins of my last 5k in January 2011?  WOW!  I got a high five from Coach Barrett and a hug from Debbie and I was ELATED.  Turtles are fast, right?