not quite a personal best

it's hard to believe it's only been one year since my very first 5K.  i feel like i've been doing these runs forever by now, even though it's still kind of crazy to me that i'm running at all.

last weekend was the second annual fit 4 fall 5K, sponsored by local olympian hero bryan clay.  i love having runs this close to home, and it was a no-brainer for me to sign up for this one again considering i run the same course on a regular basis anyway.  and just like last year, the day of the race dawned cloudy and gray.  i got there nice and early in order to find decent parking and get my bib and t-shirt without having to elbow my way through the crowds.

as i stood and waited for my turn, the man himself came out to make a few announcements and introduce the race photographer.

too bad for me, though - when i got to the front of the line it turned out i'd been standing in the late registration line.  bah.  except how was i supposed to know that i should've been waiting elsewhere when they posted such pertinent information in a rather inconvenient location?

hmph.  oh, well.  i still managed to get my stuff with plenty of time to head back to the car and drop off the tee that i wasn't going to wear right away.

by the time i got back, the crowds were considerably larger.  i was glad i hadn't chosen to sleep that extra 15 minutes after all.

just like last year, there were lots of bryan clay promos out there.

i figured i'd take a picture of the prizes, since this was the closest i'd ever get to 'em.

because everyone was still checking in and visiting the various vendor booths, i managed to get shots of the start and finish line without a bunch of people in the way.

the clay family did the same thing, only with a professional photographer to capture their shot.  i probably looked like such a creeper taking this with my phone.

when they were done, i debated going over to get a picture with them. but as the kids ran off to see their friends and his wife headed into another direction, i felt kinda weird about it.  and so i didn't.

by the time the race actually started, it was pouring rain.  i like running in the rain, though.  kinda reminds me of being a little kid playing in the puddles.  only now, i get to breeze through my run without overheating.  it was great, and totally contributed to the awesome pace i managed to maintain for the entire three miles.  i didn't take a single walk break, and i was so proud of myself.  and this year, it was kind of cool to see bryan standing just beyond the finish line, high-fiving everyone who crossed it.

now, according to my nike app, i'd run a pretty damn good race (for me) - it recorded my average pace at 9:49/mile.  compared to my usual sub-11:00 time, this was freaking awesome.  but when the official results came in, it showed me at 10:13/mile.  boo.  i liked nike's results better.  although either way, i still didn't beat last year's time of 29:51.  oh, well.  i still felt damn good about myself, so i sucked it up, went over to bryan, and got this:

and then i headed over to a booth handing out protein recovery drinks and scored a free shaker cup - in my favorite color, no less.

i snagged my free swag bag, and then i was outta there.

just another race bib to add to the collection.  oh, and another t-shirt, too.  as soon as i'm done with my 2012 runs, i'm gonna sit down and make myself a nice little quilt with all my race shirts.  cool, right?  better than having a giant stack of shirts taking up valuable space in my dresser.

as long as it turns out nicely, i suppose.  we'll see.

the family that runs together...doesn't necessarily stay together

the fit 4 fall 5K, sponsored by olympic gold medalist bryan clay, will always have a special place in my heart because it was the very first 5K i ever ran.  not to mention, it's super close to home and there are always lots of familiar faces throughout the course.  plus, i'm a legacy runner, which means that i've been a participant in the race every year since the first one in 2011.  i kind of have to keep running it until my legs fall off.  heh.

last year, the bryan clay foundation started sponsoring a contest for all of the schools in glendora to register as many people on their team as they could, and the school with the largest team won a check for $5,000.  the bean's school promoted the hell out of it to their students and families, which resulted in a win by a landslide.  i'm not sure why, but they kind of dropped the ball this year and didn't really get the word out until about a week before the race.  when it was announced that another school was giving us a run for our money (literally), i talked the teen and the bean into joining the hub and me so we could add four more to our team.

it took a little work, but we finally got dressed and out the door, all clad in running shoes and our crazy bright neon team shirts.  the bean was not in the mood for a run that morning, throwing a fit and all but refusing to come.  it was the promise of possibly seeing her friends along the course that finally got her dressed and in the car, but she still pouted the whole way there.  oy vey.

parking was a little hairy, but the hub always has a few tricks up his sleeve.  we even managed to find a spot just around the corner from the start line.

and sure enough, as we joined the crowds of people hovering near the start, the bean let out a yelp as she found one of her most favorite friends in the whole world.

the teen was...a little less enthused about this whole thing.

i, on the other hand, was kind of over-the-moon elated to have my whole family gathered for a race.  this just doesn't happen, like ever.

i was resigned to having to do a lot of walking during this one.  i was itching to get out and run it to see if i could continue my streak of getting through the whole 3.1 miles without a walk break, but i knew the teen wouldn't be able to hang with that.  she'd graciously agreed to stay with her sister while the hub and i ran it, but i felt bad leaving them behind.  plus, the bean and her friend were sticking together.  and so as we crossed the start line, i watched the hub take off ahead of us.  the girls did get a running start, though.

it looks like the bean is ahead of her friend there, right?  but the joke was on her as little red proved herself to be a pretty steady little runner.  she hung back with the bean for at least half of the race, putting up with her little sprints that lasted for about five seconds before slowing back down to a walk.  seemed like forever till we finally got here:

the teen was ahead of us for most of the run, and i'd prod the bean along with a "hey, go catch up to your sister, she's totally leaving us behind!"  although it was fun to be with the girls as i listened to their 7-year-old chatter along the way.

this lady was annoying the hell out of me, though, as she continually tripped over the girls as she sped-walked along with her friends.  i couldn't understand why she wouldn't just stay to the side instead of always veering towards the girls.  she bonked the bean with her stupid elbow more than once, and by the third time i was ready to smack her with the bottom of my shoe.  ugh.

water break!

after the second mile marker, little red finally tired of the bean's whiny walking shenanigans.  she broke into a sprint that lasted for a good long stretch, and we ended up leaving the two sisters behind after all.  i'd promised her mom that i'd stay with her, and so the teen ended up with the bean while i kept up with little red.  it felt really good to run again.  and in what seemed like no time at all, that final mile was behind us and we were approaching the finish line at last.

her mom found us just as we crossed the finish, and i thanked little red for being my running mate as i joined the hub, who'd also finished just a minute ahead of us.  we waited for the girls together on the sidelines, and cheered loudly as we spotted them - also just about a minute behind us.  they both got high-fives from bryan clay as they finished.

amidst all the confusion, we still managed to get a shot of them together.  maybe next year we'll get them all looking in the same direction.

although who knows if there'll be a next year for this girl...

by the way, we got our asses totally spanked by that other school, who brought in 350 runners to our 150.  they took home that $5,000 check and a sweet trophy, but as second place we still received a nice $1,500 donation.  not too shabby, eh?

getting fit4fall

i've happily participated in the annual bryan clay "fit4fall" run since the inaugural race a couple of years ago. it was my first real 5K, and although i don't ever have a chance at taking home any bling from it (medals are given only to the top 3 finishers), it's one of my favorites.

this year was particularly awesome because the hub joined me for it. he managed to fulfill the goal he made to complete four 5Ks in 2013, and i'm really proud of him. 

the course was the same as in previous years, and it's nice and flat. i'm not sure what it is about it, but i've been able to get through it every year without stopping for any walk breaks. i'm not particularly fast, but at least i was able to beat the chik fil a cow.

about ten minutes after i crossed the start line i was here:

and then here:

then i came around the last corner and spotted the bean and the teen, who snapped this. 

i didn't get a picture with bryan clay this year, but that's okay. he stood at the end and high-fived every single runner as they crossed the finish line. 

even the cow. 

selfie!

the hub finished just a few minutes after me. pretty good for a guy who spends a good chunk of time either at a desk or in a cigar lounge, heh.

oh, and yeah - gotta love the little photobomber. 

i believe i can fly

first 5K race, check!

do you know who bryan clay is?  he won olympic gold in the last summer games in the triathlon, and started a nonprofit organization that focuses on mentoring kids to motivate them to use their talents for good and not evil.  okay, that's my definition, but it's pretty much what their website says.  anyway, he's a local guy, the hometown hero, and because glendora didn't have a race of its own, he decided to start one. 

not realizing that it was the same day as a baby shower for my dear friend diane, i signed up for the run.  it was timed perfectly according to my half marathon training program, and i was excited to see if i could break a 10-minute mile.  because it was only a little over 3 miles (if you'd have told me a year ago i'd be saying "only" and "3 miles"  in the same sentences, i'd have laughed myself silly), i set myself a goal of crossing the finish line in half an hour.

and then i had a disaster of a training week.  like, i can't even talk about how bad it was.  well, i think i already have, but i'm not gonna harp on it.  focusing on it is totally killing my motivation, and that's not a good thing considering i'm just a little more than two months away from the half marathon.  i decided to redo the week and had a pretty decent run yesterday morning.  so let's just say that i bought new running shoes yesterday, and will be busting them out for their first run tomorrow.

the hub had signed up to volunteer during the race, and the teen and the bean were set to meet me at the finish line.  and so i headed off to check in, stretch, and warm up all by my lonesome.

somehow i've managed to lose both of my wristbands, and the only one that the teen had to lend me was this one.  haha, maybe this explains the super weird jonas brothers dream i had that night.

there were lots of people already there, but registration was a snap.

there were lots of booths set up by local businesses, but i didn't really take a lot of pictures.  i did wander over to the concessions stand to see what was available, but i didn't want to throw myself off by eating any of it.

i spotted the man himself standing off to the side, doing an interview.  i may have semi-stalked him until i found a good opportunity to ask him for a photo.  heh.

wow, i was super puffy looking that morning.

i have zero pictures of the race itself.  it was a course i'd already run several times before, though, so i knew what to expect.  the first maybe mile and a half of it was on a slight incline, which always sucks because i tire easily.  but as the race began, i found myself carried along by the adrenaline and the novelty of having a big ass crowd of people to run with.

with less than a half mile left, i spotted the hub standing at his designated spot, directing traffic and cheering the runners on.  i knew he'd seen me too as i watched him pause and then break into a big ol' grin, which mirrored the one on my face...as i teared up.  seriously, i got all emo for a moment there.  but i sucked it up, kept running, and blew him a kiss as i ran past him.

and then as i approached the finish line, i scanned the clumps of people gathered on either side and found the teen and the bean standing there, waiting for me.  and yes, i teared up again.  it was so nice to see my family there to support me and cheer me on, and i waved at them and heard the teen let out one of her ear-splitting screams and the bean yelling "go mommy go!"

actually, you can hear it for yourself:



oh, and did you happen to catch the time on the screen?  because as i was about to cross the line, i looked over and saw it:  29:59. 

that's right.  i met my goal!  i totally threw up my arms in triumph, and then yanked them back down because i figured that made me a complete dork.  heh.  but the one photo that was captured of me is pretty silly looking.  like, did i think i could fly or something?

that's probably the worst photo of me ever.  look at that dumb expression on my face!  ugh.  and yes, i did lift it off of the website.  whatevs.  i turned around to find the girls coming towards me, and while i spared them from the hideousness of a sweaty, jubilant hug, i did manage to get this.

back at the registration booth, i happily accepted my goody bag before we headed back to say hi to the hub, still at his post.

and for donating a bag of used clothing, i got refunded $5 of my registration fee.  yay!

now i think i want to find a 10K to do locally between now and the end of january.  according to lilcee's hubby, who's a veteran at the racing thing, i could run around the rose bowl twice to test my 10K-ness out.  i'll probably give that a shot.  and i'm also figuring out that maybe i'm not such a loner after all - it actually is kind of fun to run with other people around. 

we'll see.