the shamrock shuffle

Outside the apartment...the first thing I saw when I woke up the morning of the Shuffle!



I ran my first race! I completed the Shamrock Shuffle (an 8K or 5 miles) on March 29 in just under an hour. The details...

Mile 1: My feet were completely soaked in the first minute of actual running. The road was completely covered in slush and snow, but I started off strong and ended up behind a group of three in green who were keeping a consistent pace, so I decided to stay with them. Wardrobe issues (i.e. pants) were already a problem.

Mile 2: Typically mile 2 is the difficult one for me. Even if I am not looking at the time or calculating how many blocks I have already run, I can tell when I am running mile 2. It was no different this time.

Mile 3: Grabbed a cup of Gatorade and tried to drink it while still running and failed. Side pains started creeping up, but a group of four people on the side of the road with a sign that said 'You can do it' kept me going. I actually started crying (yes as I was running) because I felt so proud that I was actually running a race. It was really heartbreaking last November when Jamie and I didn't run, so I was just thrilled to be doing what I set out to do.

Mile 4: I felt like I was moving at a turtle's pace. I lost the three in green and my knees were hurting, but I decided I was going to do this if I got this far so I shed my hat, gloves, and ear warmers and immediately regained energy. Clearly, overheating and me do not work well together.

Mile 5: I started seeing runners who had already finished and they were cheering us on, so I was dead set on finishing this thing running until we rounded Roosevelt and started going uphill. I am not sure who designs the course, but really uphill at the end? Not a good idea. After climbing the hill, I could see the finish line and knew this race was mine. I felt I finished strong although I was way too hot and in pain.

Here are some pictures from the day...


Just under a 12 minute mile...
My fans...
Contemplating life or why I decided to run in this crazy weather...

Overall: I was a little bummed that I didn't run with my partner in crime for my first race, but I am pretty sure Jamie would have hated the weather and running in it, so it might have been for the best. It was a good race since I ran the entire thing in the time I wanted!

Song that got me through: Alan Jackson's Boot Scootin Boogie.
Note to self: Overdressing is never a good thing. Wear less clothes.