Greenway 10k

 

Brenda, me, Angela & the bear

My first experience as a "co" race director was so positive ~ mostly because Brenda is amazing & I was along for the well-organized ride.  This first picture is of us at packet pick up on Saturday at the Environmental Learning Center.  This bear was shot in the 70's and it is kinda decaying and rather scary...and the plaque is all about the guy who shot the bear & not anything about the bear.  Rather disappointing.  But this post is not about this bear.  This was just a funny picture with our scary/scared bear faces.  And it shows what wonderfully fun people I have met through running and NERC.

I've been half dreading this race because I've been struggling to run easily at my normally easy paces ~ 8:20 to 8:40 has been REALLY HARD & I've struggled to breathe & run fast & what if I can't do that anymore?  I love to be competitive & I'm getting on in my age group ~ especially if that age group is a ten-year span {as it was at the Greenway}  Kinda think that this is not going to be the year I repeat as masters division champion.  So I'm trying to accept that & find fun in running.  So come race morning I'm more focused on getting everything organized & making sure we've got everything covered.  Brenda is amazing...so we did & our volunteers were just the right people in just the right places & everyone showed up who said they would and it was GREAT.  I met some super people that I've just seen on facebook & it was so cool to talk to everyone after a winter away from most of them.

Dodd, Mike, Me & Cheryl ~ so awesome to see Cheryl again {my former run club partner}

Brenda & me.  Super race director & her sidekick

Madison Teachers represent ~ with a great photobomber

 The race was along the Greenway trail along Ravenna Road just south of 84.  The race first headed north "downhill" to 84 & then u-turned and headed uphill to Ravenna Road ~ where we u-turned again and ran the last .7 or so downhill back to the Environmental Learning Center.  I had a great first mile.  Slowed a tad second and then slowed way down each progressive mile as it was UPHILL.  Still, I've been struggling to run 8:40's and that was my slowest mile.  Then you can see where it turned downhill at 5.5 ish & I was able to speed it back up.  At the turn, there was one woman in front of me.  She was running REALLY well & I just couldn't catch her on the uphill.  John Distler says to me, "Come on, Becky, You've got to pass Lindsay.  She ran 20 miles yesterday."  Lindsay holds up two fingers and shouts back, "22".  This was not encouraging...I was giving it all I had as it was.  With about .5 to go, Dodd run back to me & tries to speed me up.  I do maybe a smidge.  I just didn't want to work any harder! BUT.  Christine is behind me and starts shouting, "you can do anything for 20 seconds."  and she counts me down.  I do surge past Lindsay right before we turn onto the trail back to the center...and she didn't catch me again.  So.  I can beat someone who just put 22 miles on their legs before a race {oh boy}  

And with an overall time of 49:40 ~ PR! for the 10k I placed first in my age group.  {really I was second because the first place female was 40 to 49...and ran 7:07/mile pace?!} Really.  That's pretty amazing.  And incredible.  And it was a great start to the race season.  And what's PR without PR ice cream.  A small Oreo blizzard with Reese's peanut butter cups with peanut butter syrup.  Yep.  That's amazing.

RUN JUMP ~ caught on film!