We did it!!!

Wahoo!

We got through race day. ...Wait, we didn't get GET through it - we CONQUERED IT!

KT, HS and I all ran better than we expected - and finished within 10 minutes of each other!

Here we are before the race:


At the start of the race, HS pulled out in front of us, not wanting to heed my warnings about slow starts = power finishes. She kept in front of us for at least the first couple of kilometers and then had a small walk break. Several times she passed us again, and then ultimately ended up running behind us.

Here are some pictures that we took while running... they're a little blurry... but are definitely action shots!






Like our practice run on Friday, my first kilometer is always the hardest for me. It takes a while for me to warm up I guess. At almost exactly the one KM mark, I always want to walk - but - I was committed to KT that we'd run the whole way - and now I KNOW it's just me warming up - I ran through it. The first lap went well. We all got settled in our places and enjoyed the sunshine. It was a gorgeous day for a run. A little cool, a lot of sun and a little wind.

Second lap, we got to pass by MT, KT's husband (former slurpee provider), and he did a great job cheering us on! He's usually quite quiet, but he was loud and proud on Monday! Thanks MT! Here's a shot MT took as we passed by:


During the second lap, I really started talking. I guess since it was a loop and I knew where I was going the second time, I was free to chat more. And interestingly enough, it slowed my heart rate down, without slowing my pace down. Talking = breathing for me. :) I got to tell some inspirational stories, like we were in a Disney film version of our run... I told her all about my friend Theresa's 100K run in June: www.onerun.ca And then we got to the 7KM mark (or so we think) and KT started to lose steam, and I got my second wind! Maybe after all of my running experiences of trying to be a regular 5K runner... maybe I prefer longer distances...? Could it be possible?

Here we are running just past the 8KM mark:


By the time we got to the 9KM mark, we were ready to strategize our big finish. Go big or go home... We were going to do a power sprint to the end. We finally came around the final turn, aimed for a green post about 1/2 way down the stretch and then took off towards the finish! (In my mind - the finish line was 10M before it actually was - so it was quite a surprise for me - and it threw me and my body off a bit - but I survived!)



Our goal time was 1:15 (based on our rough math from Friday night's 5.7km run) - and we finished in 1:09!!

And then shortly after we arrived - HS arrived too! Now, I need to call attention to something... Dear HS, who had just decided just 4 days before to join us, and who had never ran outside before Friday...was also in the midst of observing Ramadan... so, she had gotten up at 4 am to eat, and wouldn't be eating until sundown! What a great job!!



What a memorable day! I still can't get over our accomplishments - KT training and running the race balancing her blood sugars through it all, HS having very little training and fasting, and me, believing I'm not a runner for years now, and accepting that running a 10K was a blip that happened years ago, and wouldn't happen again.

Wow. We're awesome. :)

p.s. this photo didn't really fit into the story - but I think it's a really cute one of KT and MT!