I WON A MEDAL!!!

I did!


I got 3rd place in the Women's 40-44 age group in this morning's 5K race!


How totally awesome is that?!


Never in a million years did I think I would win a medal!

Before the race.  Like my new racing outfit?  You can't see in this picture, but the shorts have green stripes down the sides to match the shirt.  I treated myself to them yesterday when Keira and I were school shopping.  I figured if I wore bright green, Doug and the kids would be able to see me coming.  :)

This morning's route was hard.  Well, not really that much harder than the other two races I've run.  Running 3.1 miles is hard.  On the treadmill, on the trail, or in a race.  This morning's route had a few tough hills although the route was pretty straight.  We ran out 1.5 miles, then turned around and ran back. 


I was pushing myself.  I ran the first mile in 9:40.  I know that because I always wear my heart-rate-monitor and I checked the stopwatch when I passed the 1 mile marker.  9:40 is pretty fast for me since I usually run a 10-minute mile.


I don't know if that's a good thing or not - to push myself - because I run out of breath and have to walk from time to time.  Maybe if I just paced myself, I'd be able to run the entire thing.  But then again, if I don't push myself, I'll never get any faster.  My dilemma.


Anyway, once I walked up the last big hill and could see the end, I really pushed myself.  I always tend to do that.  I guess I figure the faster I run, the faster I can get the whole thing over with.  :)

Me - picking up the pace to get to the finish line.

Doug took this picture of me crossing the finish line.  I think it's cool that he got the time that I finished in the pic.  Even though I'm not crazy about pictures of me from behind.  :)  The sun was behind me when I crossed the finish line, which is why he decided to go this route.  He didn't think he'd get a good pic shooting into the sun.

Me - wearing my new medal!  

(And you can see the green strips on my shorts that match my shirt.  :)

The kids were so pumped about the medal.  I think they were more excited than I was!


Doug worked midnight shift last night.  7pm-7am.  He always seems to be working midnight shift when I'm running races.  He left shortly after I finished so he could get home and get some sleep.  He's going back out at 7:00 tonight.  So he doesn't know about the medal yet.  I can't wait until he gets up so I can show him.

My medal!

Keira and Nick have decided that they want to run in the next 5K race with me.  Once they saw other kids running and crossing the finish line.  And winning medals.  I told them they could probably win one since not many kids run in the races.  It is on September 11, so that gives them a month to train.


We'll see.


So like we've done before, today we're going to take it easy and relax.  I'll probably take a nap later.  :)  And we're ordering pizza for supper.  The kids are excited about that.  And I don't have to cook.  I'm excited about that.


:)

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