My First Race & I Placed

It feels a little silly to keep using the word "first" in my postings, since I've really done all these things before, but I suppose I wasn't the Gutsy Mom back then. I was just some gal trying to get in shape for her wedding. So, we're starting over.

This morning my husband and I actually were motivated enough to get our booties out of bed at 6:15, wake up the princess, and get all three of us out the door by 7:30, having had breakfast and coffee. The only minor snafu of the day was that we went to the wrong town for the race, and, at the last moment, thanks to a frantic phone call to a friend in the correct town, we had to haul ass over to the correct town. We were pinning on our race numbers as the race began...

Not only was this my longest run so far (3.1), it was also my fastest pace so far (11:53). If we hadn't gone to the wrong town first, we would've had time for me to do a walking warm-up before the race, and I could've started off running, but as it was, I started off the race with 10 minutes walking. I had the good fortune of linking up with another Gutsy Mom, whom I met for the first time there, and we huffed and puffed and chatted our way through the first ten minutes. I was sad to bid farewell to my new, gutsy friend when it was time for me to run (she kept walking), but I had to stick to my guns.

I finished with a time of 36:53. Turns out I won my age group, which, to my amusement, was the Women's Masters. In the real world, Masters are usually 45 or 55 years old. But here, in our special little world of freakishly young people, 30 and over counts as Masters. Anyway, an actual first for the Gutsy Mom -- I placed! And no, I was not the only one in my age group.

My husband won first place in the Men's Masters, and Jillsie, who rode along with me--quite happily the whole way, I might add--was also awarded a medal. Three for three medals in the Gutsy Family; yeeeeehaw!

Okay. Must. Go. Veg. On. Couch.