4-Miler Report

Maybe this is the first of… report, but the jury is still out.  Many thanks to my supporters!  The “bulb” is still showing that they are a long way from their goal, but I also know several of my local friends did car washes and such, so they still have cash to turn in.   However, as a long-time leader in two different local non-profits, I know that donations are down, so…  I hope that there is another 41% of their goal sitting out there.

I don’t have photos.   I didn’t even have my phone with me.   Instead, I’ll share what I learned from my first race in … 25 years.

1. In this exciting digital age, the time on the official clock at the finish line is NOT your official time.  It’s your “gun time”, but your “chip time” is the real length of time it took you to cover said distance… unless you’re one of those awesome fast girls who started on the front row.
2. My fur-girls set a better pace than I do on my own.  Because there’s no way I’m letting go of their leashes, they’re far more motivating than even fast women passing me.
3. When you train, you need to train for the distance, the terrain, and the race surface.   Hem.  Yes, yours truly was ready for the distance, ready for the hills, but not for the road/pavement. 
4. Stretching really does help.  My shin splints, older than many of you, were a non-issue because I warmed up and stretched.
5. Women STILL sprint past you and then stop.  Why?!  That happens to annoy the snot out of those of us who keep a pretty steady pace, in case you care.
6. I really can, even on pavement, walk faster than some people run.  (54:44.5)  Cool.
7. Cheer team signs really do help.  While there were some that were truly motivational, the only one I remember was held by a UVA (male) student…  “Run now, tequila later”. 

Now, if there were more races where I could take one or both fur-girls, I could see me getting into this charitable race thing…