Now I know that a majority of people would not be excited to wake up early on a weekend day for something they are personally involved in...and even fewer would likely be excited about waking up early on a weekend day to play a supporting role in something they weren't personally participating in. However, I was completely STOKED (as in, could barely sleep!) to cheer people on in the races these past two weekends.
Do not be deceived...I had my lame pity parties prior to the race days...Oh woe is me, I am so disappointed...I cannot run in TWO races that I had been SO looking forward to...but I promptly made myself can it...I slapped on my happy face and goofy (and probably a bit annoyingly crazy!) attitude and made the best of the situations. Sure, I couldn't run...but I could yell, clap, cheer, jump around and scream (although, I think my foot would've appreciated a little less jumping around!)!
In the ~20 races that I've been fortunate enough to have been a part of over the past few years, having SOMEONE on the sidelines cheering for me means so much. It truly is an amazing feeling. It's fun to run by a family member or friend who gives you as a runner a mental boost as you are pushing through the physical pain of running. It's even fun to be spurred on by the cheering of random well-wishing strangers. Clearly I am not some sort of world-class athlete, but having "fans"...well, it's a pretty fun feeling! So, I did my best these past two weekends to share the love.
The U of I Marathon/Half Marathon/10k
Two years ago, in April of 2009, I ran my very first half marathon....at the U of I! That was the very first year of this event! I ran the half marathon last year at the U of I as well. I was very much looking forward to this year's event...the third year of the event's existence, and my third year running it as well! My sister had also done it before...and my husband had agreed to join us this year! He and I joked for months that he was going to beat me (because we both knew that it would REALLY bother me if he actually DID beat me!). Well...turns out...he did come out ahead in this race, since I was incapacitated! :)
Friday afternoon, April 29, I headed to Champaign to pick up three race packets (unfortunately they don't have race-day packet pick-up...necessitating two treks to Champaign in a 12-hour period. It's not like gas is super-expensive right now or anything...)...one for my husband, one for my sister, and one for myself. I hobbled around the race expo feeling like a real winner in a walking boot on my injured foot. One wide-eyed man asked after eyeing me and my boot, "You're not running tomorrow, are you?!" Uh, no buddy. Thanks for your concern ;).
My sister Megan and her husband Danny spent the night with us Friday night before the race and then we all headed to Champaign (approximately 45 minutes from our home) for the big event Saturday morning. We made one pit stop at a CVS not far from the start in Champaign so the runners could "use the facilities" and Jeremy could pick up some ibuprofen to pop before running to help with some aches and pains. As any seasoned runner will know, "nature" typically "calls" a few times the morning of a big run :).
Danny and I deposited our running spouses not far from the start and hung out in the car for a while...it was freezing out there that morning! A few minutes before the start of the half (7:30am), we headed out to a spot we staked out about a quarter mile into the race. We spotted Jeremy (thanks to his easy-to-distinguish TALL frame topped with sunglasses and sweatband!), but didn't see Meg at the beginning.
After that excitement ;), we headed back to the car where Danny read a book he brought to entertain himself and I studied a copy of the race route map. I found a place to hang out where the 10k runners would be passing approximately 5.5 miles into their race! I ended up going out there and saw my good friend Ashley and her fiance Jason! It was great fun screaming and carrying on :). I even shot some very professional video ;) and ran "with" them for a few yards (yup, sportin' my boot!). It was Ashley's first-EVER 10k (her longest race to date! She had completed a few 5k's prior to this)....and I was SO EXCITED and PROUD of her!!
After that...Danny and I headed down to the football stadium where we waited on the half marathon and marathon finishers. The finish line for this race is on the 50 yard line, which is pretty sweet. It is one of the most exciting/festive finishes of any race I've ever participated in (Jeremy agreed after he finished :)). There were signs saying that "runners only" were allowed out on the field...so...I put my race number on my front (even though I clearly wasn't running ;)) and walked out on the field. No one stopped me! I made my way RIGHT to the finish...which was great! It was a ton of fun standing right at the finish screaming my lungs out as people I knew crossed. I saw both Meg and Jer finish, which was pretty cool.
Afterwards, we hung out in the "post race party"/food area where I saw a lot of my Lake Run Club friends. It was fun to catch up with some of them and hear about how the race went for them that day. I also saw Abbey, my friend Ashley's sister, who had just finished her first-ever half marathon! Oh, I just LOVE talking to "new" runners who have accomplished a new feat! She was pretty excited. Way to go Abbey! Also pretty awesome...she had been training with a friend, but just a few days before the event her friend ended up having to back out! So...Abbey's husband Jesse stepped up and said he'd run it with her so she didn't have to run alone! He hadn't been training for it (although he is a personal trainer and is in good general shape!)...but stayed with her the entire time! What an AWESOME hubby! Love stories like that :).
There were 6443 finishers in the half marathon. Jeremy was in the top third with a place of 2035! His time was 1:59:43; he snuck in just under two hours...which was his goal! His average pace per mile was 9:07.9. Megan was 677th overall! She got a time of 1:45:39. Her goal was 1:45! Her average pace per mile was 8:03.54! Way to GO you two!! I am so proud of you :). Megan, you inspire me to keep pushing myself! :) You're the one who first got me into this love-of-running craziness in the first place! :)
The Lake Run (7k and 12k)
For WEEKS, I'd been anticipating this year's Lake Run out at beautiful Lake Bloomington!! Not only is it one of my favorite area races (it is a great time seeing so many familiar faces from the community out at this race!)...but I had organized a group of co-workers/friends to run this year's event! Running the 7k (4.37 miles): my super-fun co-workers/friends Kersten, Dawn, Jillian, Christina and Michelle (Christina's cousin). Running the 12k: Kory (my former boss) and Matt (Kersten's husband)...and I had registered to join in on the 12k as well.
When it became apparent that my stress fracture would indeed NOT be healing with some sort of super-human speed, I signed up to be a split timer instead of running in the race....it was kind of fun to have a new experience! I ended up getting set up with two new "friends"...a guy named Jerry and his buddy...the three of us stood approximately a quarter of a mile in to the 7k race with our timers poised...ready to hit start as soon as the starting cannon went off (which was SUPER LOUD, by the way! Egads!). As soon as the runners took off, we hopped in Jerry's civic and they dropped me off at Mile 1 and continued on to Miles 2 and 3, respectively. I stood there and yelled out splits to the runners as they passed by. I shouted words of encouragement to random runners...but particularly to my good friends Jillian, Dawn, Kersten, and Christina! I even got doused with water as they ran by (thanks Kersten! ;)).
As soon as the last runner in the 7k group passed, I was off to the next leg of my mission...I had to walk a half mile to where the 6 Mile marker of the 12k event was. I was a bit worried I'd get lost (as I was literally in the middle of cornfields with no one else around me)...but ended up finding it just fine :). There I waited (and messed around on facebook...thanks Droid! ;)) until the first runners started passing...
I ended up seeing and cheering for many people I know...not only Kory and Matt, but also Nate, Traci, Dan, John, Brad, Claire, Megan (from my spinning class!)...and probably a few others I am forgetting! I am sure I looked kind of goony...yelling splits calmly until I spotted someone I knew :). Then, I'd carry on screaming, jumping, running a few yards, and generally carrying on like a crazy person. It was a lot of fun :). It was so neat to be on the "spectating/supporting" end of things for once. It's pretty inspiring to see so many people focused on the same goal..and really giving it their all to finish strong.
So one of the runners in our little group, Kory, was running the 12k as his first race EVER! He did amazingly well...he got 9th in his gender/age group (men 30-34) with a time of 56:09.7 which boils down to a 7:32 pace! AMAZING!!!!! Way to go, Kory! I'm still in awe that this was your first race, ever...and you were able to pull off that kind of performance!
I am so proud of EVERYONE in our group....Jillian, Kersten, Dawn, Christina, Michelle, Matt, Kory....you are AMAZING! Way to go! Can't wait to run with you all later this summer! :)
In other news....
The following text, received today from one of my "running proteges" who shall remain nameless to protect her identity ;), TOTALLY made my day today: "I would like to know what happened to my former self. A few years ago on a nice spring day, I would have thought to myself, "I should go to a bar with a patio and enjoy a delicious cold beer" or "I should sit outside in the sun and read a trashy magazine." But today I woke up and thought "I should run 4 miles." And not because my training calendar says so, or because I'm feeling like a fatty and need to burn off last night's ice cream cone. But because it sounds enjoyable, and that's what I want to do. What the HELL happened to me??"
...and that, my friends...that is why I am a psycho who talks about running ALL of the time. THAT is why I am constantly trying to convince more and more friends to join me on runs, to sign up for that first race, to push themselves to try something new :). You never know...you just might find a new hobby, a new lifestyle :). You just might become addicted to the feeling of pushing yourself to do more (which then carries over to other areas of your life other than running, I daresay!) and expecting more out of yourself, etc., etc....I know to many people, running races and being as passionate about it as I am may seem silly or pointless...but I'll save my never-ending thoughts on the multitude of benefits of running for a later date :).
p.s. I did run two 5k's this year prior to getting hurt :). I got my personal best in the first on April 17...22 minutes and some odd seconds! (I am not sure of the exact time, because the race was small and there are not results online...but I was the 1st female finisher and 3rd overall! :)). Fun, but definitely looking forward to more to come this season :).
