PJs and Yoga Pants

Did my title trick you? I did not in fact PR because it was my first time running 4 miles, so there was nothing to compare my race too. LOL Just thought I’d see if you were awake on this Monday morning

Race

On Saturday I posted quickly about my race, but I thought I’d give you a little more detail today. I’m still really excited about it.

My parents picked me up around 4:45 on Friday afternoon and we had to make our way through rush hour traffic on I-95. Luckily, there were no accidents and we never fully stopped, but it was bumper to bumper almost the whole way. My dad stayed very calm- he must’ve meditated before the drive

We got to Salem at 6:30, found a free parking space (yay!) and went to the registration table. The first 300 runners to register got a shirt, but I didn’t know if I made it in the 300. Well, I did! I was number 78 and got this awesome t-shirt. I assumed it would be cheapy cotton, but it’s really nice dri-wick material.

After signing in, we went on the hunt for dinner for my parents. I’ve only been to Salem once, when I was 8, so it was fun walking through the historic district. We didn’t have too much time, but I would love to go back and explore.

After my parents ate dinner (while I anxiously waited) we went back over to the common for the start. The atmosphere was loud and excited.

At 8 pm, I started my very first race!

See my dad on the left cheering me on?

Before the race started, my mom reminded me to start off slow because I didn’t want to die out really fast. When I was waiting for the race to start, I checked out all the women around me to get a feel for their athletic ability. One woman had her dog with her, so I thought she might be a good person to follow for a bit. I mean, she could only run so fast with the dog. I did follow her for a while, but then she was going a little too slow for me.

I kept doubting that I’d make it a mile without stopping to walk, but I just kept trying to keep my brain busy and soon enough I was at the first water station. I didn’t stop to walk there and just chugged a couple of sips.

Then, I got behind a group of 3 ladies who were chatting away while running. I figured if they could chat so easily, then they must not be running too hard, so I  matched their pace.Eventually I passed them too and I was actually feeling really good. I think I had a goofy grin on my face for most of the run because I was just so excited to be running.

A little after the two mile mark I walked for maybe 30 seconds. I just wanted to be sure I could make it the full four miles. I couldn’t stand walking though; the (rarely seen) competitive streak in me must’ve come out. I didn’t like that other people were running by me! LOL. So off I went, running again.

Somewhere around the 2 mile mark, I saw my parents. They figured out where the runners were going and happened to be there in time to see me. That was nice

The 3 mile water station is the only other time I walked. I really needed some water and couldn’t drink it while running, so I walked for about 30 seconds and drank the whole cup. I told myself I wouldn’t walk anymore because I was so close to the end. I wanted to finish strong!

When I was on the last stretch, nearing the finish line, I saw the clock and couldn’t believe what it said. It was much lower than I thought it would be, so it gave me the last bit of motivation I needed to sprint to the finish.

My official time was 42:14! I had guesstimated around 50-55 minutes, maybe even an hour. This was way faster than I thought I would finish and I’m really proud.

Not only did I finish faster than I thought I would, I also only walked for about a minute. It just goes to show that being in a crowd and having some adrenaline really makes me work harder.

What better way to celebrate? Salem really loves their witches!

I had a nice big chocolate cone with chocolate dip! Mmm

Me and my mom after ice cream.

There you have it- my first race. I definitely want to sign up for another one! Woohoo!

Have a great Monday!