So a few weeks ago, one of my Ragnar Tennessee vanmates sent out an email saying she was running a race and did we wall want to have a reunion and run it with her?
HECK YES!
I thought it would be nice to see some of my vanmates again and also had been looking for a race to add to my schedule I find that I run more often when I have an event coming up.
There's just something about a deadline to motivate you.
Like, "Jessica, you have a race this weekend... Maybe you should actually run?"
HECK YES!
I thought it would be nice to see some of my vanmates again and also had been looking for a race to add to my schedule I find that I run more often when I have an event coming up.
There's just something about a deadline to motivate you.
Like, "Jessica, you have a race this weekend... Maybe you should actually run?"
So I signed up for the race. The 12 South Winter Warm Up had both a 6k and a 12k option, with the 12k runners doing two loops of the course. With my knee still being a little... weird... I had opted to run just the 6k. I figured it was just over three miles and that I could manage that for sure!
Well the week of the race, the event page on facebook said that they were still in need of volunteers. Oh, and volunteers would get a free long sleeve tee shirt.
I'm a sucker for a free tee shirt. :)
And so it was that I got my butt up out of bed at 5:00 AM. I didn't have to be at the race to volunteer until 6:30, but we had a pretty nasty rain the night before and temperatures had dropped real low, with there being some pretty large amounts of ice out on the roads. They sent a runner our to check the course at 5:00 and by 5:30 had given the go ahead to hold the race! I will admit it though, it was pretty chilly outside when I woke up and I was torn between really wanting to run and also really wanting to curl back up in bed.
It's a runner thing, right? Letting that over-powering desire to run convince you to go out in to the freezing cold when the rest of the world is tucked in, all nice and warm?
Well the week of the race, the event page on facebook said that they were still in need of volunteers. Oh, and volunteers would get a free long sleeve tee shirt.
I'm a sucker for a free tee shirt. :)
And so it was that I got my butt up out of bed at 5:00 AM. I didn't have to be at the race to volunteer until 6:30, but we had a pretty nasty rain the night before and temperatures had dropped real low, with there being some pretty large amounts of ice out on the roads. They sent a runner our to check the course at 5:00 and by 5:30 had given the go ahead to hold the race! I will admit it though, it was pretty chilly outside when I woke up and I was torn between really wanting to run and also really wanting to curl back up in bed.
It's a runner thing, right? Letting that over-powering desire to run convince you to go out in to the freezing cold when the rest of the world is tucked in, all nice and warm?
So I showed up at the race at 6:30 in the morning, ready to work. I ended up not having much to do, and just helped with setting up one of the water stations. Nothing to fancy, but I was still more than happy to help. The event was organized by Start 2 Finish event management and they did a pretty good job overall.
Y'all know me, always looking for ways that things could be run better or more smoothly. If I ever tell you a race was run perfectly, check me for brain damage. :)
I met up with my Ragnar Tennessee teammate. She was running the 12k and I was able to watch her cross the finish line. Another one of our teammates was going to join us and run the 12k, but he ended up having to cancel after having not gotten home from work until almost 2:00 AM. No one blamed him for staying home and sleeping. Sometimes it happens!
Y'all know me, always looking for ways that things could be run better or more smoothly. If I ever tell you a race was run perfectly, check me for brain damage. :)
I met up with my Ragnar Tennessee teammate. She was running the 12k and I was able to watch her cross the finish line. Another one of our teammates was going to join us and run the 12k, but he ended up having to cancel after having not gotten home from work until almost 2:00 AM. No one blamed him for staying home and sleeping. Sometimes it happens!
Overall the race went really well! I had wanted to keep about a 10:00 or 10:30 minute per mile pace. It's slower than what I would have hoped to be running by the end of this year, but with my knee injury I didn't want to push it.
I started at the very back of the pack (like, the very last runner!) and went out at an easy pace. It felt like I was going fairly slow and I was worried that my pace was pushing closer to 12:00 minute miles than the 10:30 I had hoped for. I was pleasantly surprised when I looked down at my watch and realized that I was actually doing 9:15 minute miles! It felt good though, so I didn't worry too much about slowing down.
My knee felt really good until about the 3k mark, when I started to experience the same pain that I had felt during Ragnar Tennessee.
I was pissed!
I started at the very back of the pack (like, the very last runner!) and went out at an easy pace. It felt like I was going fairly slow and I was worried that my pace was pushing closer to 12:00 minute miles than the 10:30 I had hoped for. I was pleasantly surprised when I looked down at my watch and realized that I was actually doing 9:15 minute miles! It felt good though, so I didn't worry too much about slowing down.
My knee felt really good until about the 3k mark, when I started to experience the same pain that I had felt during Ragnar Tennessee.
I was pissed!
I backed off my pace, but I refused to stop and walk. And while I'm glad I pushed through, I may regret it later. Once I stopped running, my knee immediately felt better. I was able to breathe a little easier knowing that maybe I hadn't messed up my knee quite as bad as I had thought!
It ended up being a little stiff after I sat down and had brunch with my fellow runner. (No, not that guy pictured at the right... My Ragnar teammate!) After sitting still for so long after the race, my knee locked up, but I managed to walk it off (while doing some holiday shopping!)
Overall, it was a really good race, and while I'm bummed that I still have to deal with my d@$%! knee, it was good to know that even though it still hurts, I can still run with it.
We'll see how I feel after my 6 mile run next weekend! EEKS!
But hey, it's only 2.3 miles more, right?
Oh goodness...
Wish me luck!
#runlove
It ended up being a little stiff after I sat down and had brunch with my fellow runner. (No, not that guy pictured at the right... My Ragnar teammate!) After sitting still for so long after the race, my knee locked up, but I managed to walk it off (while doing some holiday shopping!)
Overall, it was a really good race, and while I'm bummed that I still have to deal with my d@$%! knee, it was good to know that even though it still hurts, I can still run with it.
We'll see how I feel after my 6 mile run next weekend! EEKS!
But hey, it's only 2.3 miles more, right?
Oh goodness...
Wish me luck!
#runlove