Couldn't have asked for a better day--well, we could have; it was drizzling and overcast and a little chilly--or better people to be with or a better neighborhood (ETA that'd be the Ravenswood/Lincoln Square area, in case you can't see the shirts; I didn't mention it anywhere else, duh-doy). That's
Kate and ManKate, two of my very best friends and seasoned marathon runners, who ran with me the whole time. Kristen came out to cheer and then buy breakfast, and Catt (
whose amazing Flickr is here) took a wonderful series of pictures, but because I'm an egotist, I'm only going to share the ones that feature me (so please visit
her Flickr to see them all, plus many many other beautiful photos):
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| Pic by Kristen in color |
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| Pic by Catt in black and white (plus: awwwwwwww) |
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| Hamboning, as per usual |
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| Nervously fidgeting with my number |
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| Sprinting the last five seconds; I love how focused I am and how no one in the photo is even looking at me... that's running for you. |
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| After, with Kate |
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| And one of my very favorites (that doesn't feature me or the Kates) |
Overall, I defied my expectations, considering how nervous I was this morning. I ran it in 36 minutes plus and kept my pace around 11.5 minutes on each mile. I have to say that the
Couch to 5K app from Zen Labs was absolutely a big help in teaching me to do that (with some in-person advice from Kate from time to time helping tweak my training), and I'm going to start the 10K training with their 10K app because I really want to run the
Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park with The Kates in the fall.
For the rest of the day, I'm going to sit in my housecoat (well, a gray Old Navy cardigan) and pajama pants and watch tv on my laptop while the day gets sunnier and happier. As I told a friend in e-mail: I feel like I did my time in the out-of-doors this morning.
That is so awesome! Congratulations! Great work! :)
ReplyDelete(God, I sound like a spambot. Ugh.)
HEE! Well, you didn't link to a great website I should see, so fail on you, Spammy.
DeleteCongratulations! You look great! I had a Blizzard today!
ReplyDeleteThen congratulations to us both! No greater triumph of the human condition and spirit than that which you accomplished. Dairy Queen: they treat you right.
DeleteCongratulations! I'm so proud of you! You're an inspiration, and then you write about it and are all clever and entertaining and shit. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteYou crack me up, and thank you.
DeleteYou know what I like best? You are a RUNNER, for real, and by that I mean you lift your knees and legs and you run like hell. Whereas I -- and most other people in that race, because I was watching them -- are joggers, barely lifting their feet up and just plodding along (or even jogging quickly, but still jogging). That's what I loved best about those running shots of you, and that's what I loved best about watching you haul ass across the finish line. You were f*cking running.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the knit hat was cool, mon. :)
I have years of sprints in basketball and softball to thank for that, I guess.
DeleteThanks; I love the hat, but by the end, it was too hot to be wearing it... but once you put a hat like that on, you have to commit to it.
Congratulations on finishing your first 5k! That's great that you could run with such a consistent pace, that can be really hard in a race (at least for me - I get so excited and try to keep up with the crowd). A 10k in the fall is a great next step, good luck with your training!
ReplyDeletePS - now that I review more of the pictures you linked, I remember seeing your hat on Sunday! Ha, small world :)
DeleteThanks so much! I did have people with me who basically acted like my horse blinders and encouraged me to set the pace, then run at that pace. I feel very lucky to have had my friends along.
DeleteAnd yeah, that hat--my friend Amy crocheted it for me, which was so sweet, but I don't think it's a race hat... that sucker itches like crazy at the end.
DeleteHahaha, you recognized the hat! That is awesome.
Delete