Another personal record day!
Both Heather and I beat our previous times by about 20 seconds. We're still slow as Christmas, but we're improving!
The morning started with our dear friend Lili meeting us at our place. She offered, for no other reason than the fact that she is a wonderful person, to wake up early and come out and cheer for us. Awesomeness! Brian and I finished getting ourselves together and then all three of us climbed in the Freymobile to head down to Decatur. Next stop: Casa Williams!
At the door to the Williams abode, we spied on Heather and Chris' television set through their window to see the CNN headline that Obama picked Biden as his running mate. Frankly, at 7am, I'm not really ready to think through any sort of political happenings, but it was an interesting bit of info to start the day with.
After a bit of kitty visiting with Heather and Chris' cats Amelie and Tenzin, we all climbed in Heather's car to actually get to the race. It was definitely more low-key than our last race, which had been very heavy on corporate sponsorship and marketing. I wasn't even sure where the start line was for the 5k for Hope until we were very close to race time. Not so much in the way of frills on this one, but the vibe was very relaxed and upbeat.
Once we actually set off, I kind of hit cruise control. It was cooler weather than we're used to running in, and it felt really nice. There was a downward hill near the beginning of the course that I suspected might really suck on the way back (the course sent runners halfway in one direction, then turned them around to run back). Once we left the main road, the course was really lovely, and we got to just enjoy the run. That hill did indeed suck when we were running up it, but we've handled worse, and there's always that feeling when you've reached the crest that the next part can't be THAT bad.
Some of my favorite sights along the way:
-A girl speed walking the course while cradling her chihuahua like an infant.
-A woman running alone and grinning ear to ear like she was just enjoying the ride.
-The group of older men who smoked the rest of us. They were SO FAST, and totally inspirational.
-A father and his very young (maybe 5) son running together. The father followed his son's pace, so they would alternately walk and sprint. When the boy was getting ready to sprint, he would cock his right arm back like he was winding up. It was really fun to watch the two of them together, and I feel compelled to mention that they finished ahead of us by several seconds.
What really stood out on this run was the heart of the volunteers from the South Dekalb Striders. What this race lacked in corporate dollars, it made up for in friendliness and positive energy. In addition to the usual assortment of volunteers handing out water and calling out times, there were people stationed every half mile or so along the course that cheered every runner on and gave positive encouragement. It was a really nice touch, and gave the whole event a great energy.
When we got towards the end and one of the volunteers called out "You've only got 200 yards, girls! Run it on home!" I floored it. Admittedly, my "floor it" pace is a total turtle trot to most runners, but I felt so exhilarated to be running flat out. When I saw the race clock and that we were actually going to beat our time from the last race, I was totally shocked. It sounds silly, but I actually started crying a little. Wooo for us!
After catching my breath and getting some hugs from my husband and a cup of water, it was off to our traditional post-race Chik-Fil-A breakfast. Huzzah! A great way to kick off a Saturday. :)
Many thanks to Heather, my partner in crime, and to our awesome cheering section! I'm so grateful to have all of you in my life.
