Today began the first of three races in the Wild Rover Series. They’re run 3 weeks in succession, and the distance increases every week. Week 1= 3 miles. Week 2 = 4 miles. Week 5 = 5 miles.
Week 1 = big f%&*S hill. Week 2 = HUGE F&*##(%# HILL. Actually, correction, it’s a mini-mountain. One that was so steep last year, I just gave up and started walking because the walkers were passing me while I attempted to run up it. Week 3= ?? because I was sick last year and didn’t run it. I’m looking forward to hearing the bagpiper play as he marches back and forth through the cemetery. Yes. More on that in two weeks.
As the title of my post indicates, this was a PR. A PR that almost didn’t happen. Because of Ruthie. She got out today from the back yard, through a post in our fence that was a bit loose, and with all the rain we got here, we think she just pushed against it and slipped out before she knew what was going on. Then, it snapped back into place. I’d just arrived home from the grocery store, and Bill greeted me outside with “I let Ruthie out to pee, and now I can’t find her!” Our backyard is not to large, and is totally fenced in, with really no place for her to hide. Plus, she usually comes running when we call her back in but this time, all he got in response was silence.
Luckily, we have tags on her with Bill’s cell number and because she’s so friendly, she’s a horrible fugitive, and was easily captured by a man wonderful enough to call us, as we were both out canvassing the neighborhoods and trying not to panick. She’d only gone about 1/4-1/2 mile.
As you can see below, she’s just fine now. Thank God, because I don’t know what we would do without her. She’s so much a part of our hearts, I was crying when I hugged her when we got her home, and begged her to never do that again. Bill told me that when he arrived at the good samaritan’s home, she started wagging her tail and trying to get to him. She then jumped into the backseat of his Explorer in a jiffy. Thank God, she wanted to come home!
Anyway, Bill has put lots and lots of barriers in Ruthie’s way so that she can’t bolt free again. Phew.
Anyway, here are the stats for today’s race. My friends Lis and Meg also ran it.
- 806 total runners
- 35/162 in F30-39 division
- 251/806 overall
- official time: 24:47
- overall pace: 8:19
- Mile 1: 8:32
- Mile 2: 8:11
- Mile 3: 811
Thumbs up:
- Ran with friends!
- Starting mat at beginning AND end (change from last year.)
- Disposable timing chips.
- Technical long-sleeve shirts, male and female cuts, flourescent color!
- Warm enough to run in only 2 layers, with lighter gloves.
Thumbs down:
- Only 3 porta-potties outside, 2 stalls inside for women, 1 of which wasn’t working (same as last year, not enough!)
- Smallish size bar, with not enough bartenders working so crowds got crazy afterward inside (same from last year)
My goal for today was to break 25 minutes. So glad I did it, especially because that last mile was hard. Harder than the first because at least then I felt fresh. The first mile is uphill for at least half of it. Enough of a hill that I think a fair amount of people walk up it or portions of it.
But, what goes up, must come down, as we all know. I concentrated on trying to make up speed. I knew I was in alright shape though, because the Mile 1 clock said 8:29 when I ran by it (gun time, remember) and that’s what it said last year as well. However, I didn’t remember the mini hills that followed. (As Lis said, she and I have a good way of blocking out stuff we don’t like to remember. Yep, she ran it also, under 30 minutes. I think that’s an awesome time, especially because she’s not been able to run in at least 2 months due to shin splints, and the fact that she’s a CPA.)
Mile 2’s clock said 16:30 as I passed it. My brain was somehow able to calculate that I was running faster at this point, which made sense considering Mile 2 included the mini but not mammoth hills, and some downhills. I knew could just try to hang onto the pace I was doing and my goal was within reach.
Mile 3 was when I felt like I was running much slower. I didn’t feel as strong during mile 3 this year as I did last year. But, the good thing was that I knew some landmarks this time around, and that, combined with my Garmin, helped me to know when I could really sprint at the end. Plus, I said a silent plea to any angels who might be around and listening, to please help if they could, and they answered. I looked down at my watch close to the end, saw 2.91 on the mileage, and an overall time that started with “24” and just ran as hard as I could. I’m really trying to improve on my times this year.
Some good news – a lady that has run indoor track with me for part of this winter, who I’ve mentioned on the blog, Lynn, ran it also. She’s 56, and afterward told me she’d just be happy to have come in within the top ten of her division. I checked her out on Cool Running, and she WON her age group, with a time of 23:48. (I said to Lis that inside I can beat her on the track but get us running further than a 1/4 mile and she kicks my ass!)
Anyway, I now have the center of this year’s 3-part medal. (If you run all 3, they fit together like the pic below.) Yay!
February 28, 2010 at 9:20 pm
that’s a cool medal! congrats on the pr 🙂 lol about the hill descriptions. hmm i’ll pass!
always scary when a pup gets out. at least she didn’t bolt too far… when my mom’s dog gets out – he takes off for the hills. i think he just wants to explore… but he’s so bad about just bolting it’s hard to trust he’ll find his way back / won’t get hit by a car (he seems to like trying to dart in front of them…) anyway, glad she was found quickly and is safe again 🙂
March 1, 2010 at 3:42 pm
When I realized where she’d gone, and that she’d probably not gone through the swamp to get there, it made me nervous. We don’t have many sidewalks, not that she’d know to use one vs. the street. But she is good at crossing the road with me on a leash, usually, and knows to get behind me when cars come along.
You like that description of the hills? Wait ’til next week!
February 28, 2010 at 10:14 pm
I’m glad you guys found Ruthie and she was nearby. It’s awesome to hear about how much she is becoming a part of your life. People keep suggesting to me that I should get a dog… Maybe…
Congrats on the PR! This is seriously such a cool race series. I love the way the medals fit together. I really like it when races do something unique, whether it’s a fun distance or a cool medal… just a little something to make them stand out. This one has both… different distances AND great bling!
March 1, 2010 at 3:40 pm
For me right now, great distances means SHORT! Just not running enough miles to run the longer ones. Maybe…
I highly suggest getting a dog. Especially for you, living and working at home. They can make life feel less isolating sometimes. And there’s something good about a creature that just loves life every day.
February 28, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Congratulations on the PR! That’s an awesome time 🙂 I’m relieved to hear that your dog didn’t get too far. What a scare! I know I would be devastated if I lost a pet like that.
March 1, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Thank you! We think she didn’t realize she had gotten out and then was like “I’m out! I’m out!” The guy who found her said she was just wandering down the street, and he was able to catch her easily. Phew…
March 1, 2010 at 12:50 am
Congratulations on the PR! Way to rock the hills! Glad your dog is okay. I grew up with dogs whose sole goal in life was to escape the yard and run free–caused us endless irritation and angst. I think it is a doggy characteristic. Once when I was staying with friends in Boise I accidentally let their young dog out and she bolted and ran for the hills. I felt so bad and was terrified she would never come back. My friend’s husband came home from work (I was there alone during the day) and drove around till he found her. (Now that she’s mature you can take her out hiking off leash in the hills and she’ll come right to you, though!)
March 1, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Well, I’m glad to hear that as the doggie aged, she got to where she can go right off hiking on her own! I think we’re still too scared to try that with Ruthie. As long as she’s on the leash, we know she’s safe with us.
Kristin, you’re doing so much running lately, you’re amazing!
March 1, 2010 at 8:47 am
I hope you have a great week! I hate when they have limited porta potties 😦 Glad to hear it went well though!
March 1, 2010 at 11:58 am
Luckily, since I knew they had done that last year, I tried to “time” my drinking of water before I left the house, not so easy when we were running around looking for Ruthie! But it was only 3 miles, so that’s what saved me, I think. There’s nothing like needing a bathroom to get you through a race as fast as possible! I hope you’ll have a great week too, Staci.
March 1, 2010 at 9:43 am
Do you know where we can check our times online from Sunday’s race?
March 1, 2010 at 11:27 am
Hi Kris, yep, go to CoolRunning and check on “race results.” Just pull up the results from yesterday. My results were definitely different, placing-wise, than they were when I first left JP McBrides! I hope you did as well as you wanted.
March 2, 2010 at 9:13 am
Congrats on the PR!
Very cool medal! That would make it totally worth completing the series!
Great photo of Ruthie. She looks totally guilty. I bet she woke up and just looked at you with her big brown eyes and melted your heart. If so, you’re ready for kids…..
March 2, 2010 at 10:51 pm
Yes, as my mom said, Ruthie is quite photogenic! And guess what, she got out AGAIN last night, and she was even more pooped when we caught her. We think it was like a game last night – she would run faster the more Bill tried to catch her, and then she finally realized, we think, that we weren’t around (she’d lost Bill), and then we think she might have gotten scared.
March 2, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Awesome job! I’m planning on running the 5 miler part of the series with my mom. I hope it’s fun!
March 2, 2010 at 10:40 pm
I’ve heard it’s pretty cool, and a bit eerie (not sure if that is the right word or not) with the bagpiper marching through the cemetery. I love listening to bagpipes, though, they always choke me up. When you find out your race number, please let me know – I think I will be keeping the same one throughout the series – I’m #548.
March 2, 2010 at 8:17 pm
What a cool medal!!
Those track sessions have really made you fast! Great job on your PR!
I’m so glad that Ruthie made it home safe and sound.
btw. you’ve been tagged on my blog.
March 2, 2010 at 10:49 pm
If only I could keep up with you, Lisa! You keep up that kind of pace for miles and miles and miles, while I’m just estatic to do it for 3! Loved your post with the sunshine award, by the way.
March 3, 2010 at 9:25 am
I think you still had some of that adrenaline from the Ruthie search still surging in your veins and put it to good use in the race. I love the medals everyone gets at the end. And hooray for PRs!
March 4, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Congratulations on a new PR!!
And thankfully Ruthie came back in time. I had a dog a few years ago that enjoyed escaping from our house and making everyone really nervous, but she always came back. They always do, specially around meal time 😛