1st Race = 1st Place

The best fans in the world!!

Micah trying to figure out if I won???

This guy didn't run the race, but he has helped so much to make it possible for me to do it that he might as well have!

Micah was just so happy that I got a medal!!

My tough first place face.

Oh wait, I failed to mention that I might have been the only one in my age category! So I technically won 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Toot toot! So technically I didn't win...but you know, you take what you get:) While I am a little behind (gasp!) on my blog I wanted to go ahead and post about my first race, because by tomorrow I'll forget most of it. I ran a 10.5K today in honor of a fallen officer and a classmate of Mick's, Blake Gammill. It was a trail run and I had so much fun! My cousins Jane and Paul told me if I ran a race I'd be hooked and they were right. It was a really small, hometown race with not alot of participants in the 10.5K...hence why I won!! But it was perfect for my first race. Here are my observations from a new racers perspective...

~People really jump the gun at the beginning. I started off at the back because I knew I would be slow, but man some of those people acted like it was a 1 mile fun run. Some of those people kept up that sprinting pace...the whole stinkin' time. Man, impressive. Some of those people ended up walking.

~My cousins also told me to just focus on passing the person in front of you. Starting at the back makes this fun and easy...since you've only got one way to go...up! And...technically there is no one to pass you which helps with your confidence I think.

~Trail runs are muddy and have lots of roots, etc. It is not at all like culdesac running that I do.

~Everybody assumes you know what to do...I had no clue that you had to fill out a card at the end or keep up with your own time of when you finished. I just happened to be paying attention. I thought they did that for you...maybe at the bigger races they do?

~I didn't know where to pin my number but I see now why they put them up higher or on your shorts, mine was in an awkward position and drove me crazy...but who can pull over and move those pins when you are trying to win your age division?

~I could see how one might get lost on those trails.

~ People are really weird about passing. I don't know what the ettiquette is but it seems like you should move to the side if I come huffing behind you...so many just stayed in the middle. Weird?

~Men are super competitive about women passing. Ugh. This one guy just wouldn't give up and just kept breathing down my neck. Eventually I left him in the dust. Or so I thought...

At the end of the race I was just so happy to finish, I didn't really feel like sprinting it out since I couldn't get under my time. I did my usual 10 minute miles and finished at 1:05. I was surprised because I thought I would have run faster with competition, but the roots and hills kicked my booty. Anyways, at the end of the race I didn't think there was anyone close to behind me, when all of a sudden the random group of people start cheering for me. I'm all smiling and running then I realize there is a guy(the one that didn't want me passin')....right behind me...he was sprinting it out trying to beat me. Stinker. I still beat him by one second:) (But speaking of etiquitte since I didn't know he was behind me I was totally boxing out, oops!)So when Micah asked if I won, I told him, yep I beat that man over there...the one with the fanny pack on.

Lastly it seemed like races would be much more fun to do with friends...I was the sad and lonely girl til my fans arrived...Anybody wanna run with me next race??