Last Saturday we I got to run in the 12K’s of Christmas Race which benefited the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control efforts. Unfortunately I didn’t take many pics and didn’t have my personal photographer Paul because guess who ran too??????
Yep, first race as a married couple (or ever)! Usually half my motivation to get done with a race is because Paul is waiting at the finish line and I just want to get to him so he can shower me with love and praise (just keeping it honest.) So I wasn’t quite sure what it would be like to run with him in race. More than anything I was worried about him because he hadn’t been running in over a month, he’d been fighting a bad cold, and he has tendonitis in his big toe. I tried to talk him into dropping down to the 6K race, but he wasn’t having it, I think I’ve mentioned before we are all or nothing kind of people right?
The first mile was frustrating because the path was narrow and everyone was crammed together. I was hot and wishing I’d worn shorts and a tank top #arizonawinters
1 mile- 10:02
I finally got to break away around mile 2, but I knew this was going to be a “just finish race” and not one that I broke any kind of personal average at because the course was so narrow. Plus, it’s the longest race I’ve done yet which would make it an official PDR in an race, so I decided to keep a steady pace and have fun looking at everyones costumes and dogs (some with costumes). Each K’s marker also had a picture of a cat or dog that was helped with the race money, so I looked forward to that and the carolers they had at each K along the course.
2 miles- 9:15
3 miles- 9:02
Right when I thought I had broken away from Paul, I’d catch him in my peripheral vision right behind me. Around the forth mile I slowed down to run side by side with him for a while. Every time I looked at his face he looked like he wouldn’t go on, he was dripping sweat in his Santa hat and I thought for sure he would stop and walk. I decided when he did stop that I would stop with him.
4 miles- 9:26
5 miles- 9:16
And then it happened, at the second to last water station he didn’t take any water… he ran past me and he was gone! WTF?!?!?!?! I thought about trying to catch up with him but I was fairly certain I would pass out, so I just laughed to myself… go figures right?
6 miles- 9:31
7 miles- 9:40
I was running about 200 meters behind him until the last water stop when he again barely took water and I stopped and walked for water and he was gone.
My total time was 1:09:52 average 9:23/mi, 24 out of 92 in my age group… I’ll take it! It was definitely a fun accomplishment, we celebrated with chipotle!
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