"Race" Isn't Exactly Accurate...

The 2007 Race for the Cure was yesterday, and believe it or not, I did finish without having to walk! I don't think you really could call it racing though, LOL. As usual, the first mile was the toughest and I wasn't sure I would be able to complete the entire race without having to walk. We were running jogging slightly uphill for the first part of the race without really realizing it, but just before the half-way mark there was a monster hill that just about did me in. I was afraid that if I stopped, I'd never get started again, so I just slugged up it and rejoiced greatly that the remainder of the race was down hill!!!

This was a really fun race to run as there were tons of people all along the course cheering us on. There were Girl Scout troops, and high school cheerleaders that had learned special cheers just for the occasion. There was even one group of guys that would make a tunnel for us to run through like our kids do at the end of their games. It was so much fun!

The best part, however, was that my friend, Denise and her husband, came to run as well! Of course, Jon ran far, far, ahead and finished 20+ minutes ahead of us, but we didn't mind. This was Denise's first race, and she hasn't been training long, so she was still in the "run awhile/walk awhile" stage of training. I had originally planned to just follow her lead and stick with her, but she runs faster than I do. So, she immediately took off and I told her just to go ahead, I'd catch up on her walking phase. So we did the back and forth thing for the first mile, with her being up front for awhile, then I'd pass her while she was walking, then she'd run past me again. Then for the second mile (which was the uphill part) I think I stayed about a block ahead. When I got to the downhill portion, I jogged in place to catch my breath let her catch up and then we pretty much ran it out together. We did get separated in the crowd for awhile, but we crossed the finish line together, so hopefully, when the pictures are ready, I'll be able to post one of the two of us finishing the race.

What's interesting is that Denise and I have tried to run together in the past. Back when I only had one kid and she wasn't even married yet, she and I would go to a local 1/8 mile track. Our original plan was to run a lap, then walk a lap, and continue the pattern. Our thinking was that as we built up our endurance, we would run more and walk less until we could eventually participate in a 5K race without completely embarrassing ourselves...we failed miserably. I don't think we could even run around that track one time! We gave up the whole running idea and ordered the "Praise Walk" tapes that would pace us and help us get into shape by walking.

Yesterday, she reminded me of the giant boombox we put in the basket of Benji's stroller so we could both listen to the tapes while we walked! We were so hip! We laughed at this while I was putting my armband MP3 player on my arm, and setting my MIO watch to keep track of my heart rate and calories, while Denise was syncing her IPod Nano to some little device on her shoe that kept track of her time and calories burned. We've come a long way, haven't we? Eleven years after our first attempt to train for it, and with 7 kids between us, we finally ran our first 5K together!

In a couple of weeks, there is a 10 mile WALK that Denise has signed up for and wants me to do with her. Apparently all the participants get a free meal at Serrano's Mexican Cafe, so you KNOW I'm totally in for this one!