My first 10k

Some of you may remember when I ran my first 5k. It was all Kim's fault. By now, I've realized that I don't even have to tell you who Kim is, because I have become conscious of the fact that the vast majority of my blogs contain the words, "My friend Kim..." Anyways, back then I felt there was no way I could say no to Kim's suggestion of us running a 5k while she was busy running marathons and triathlons. The last year or two, I've watched from afar as Kim has kept up with these ridiculous/awe-inspiring races. To my dismay, I found she has been luring our childhood friend, Danie, into the craziness. Danie seemed to be running 5k, 10k, and even a full marathon. Kim and Danie always did track and cross country together, so I guess I wasn't too surprised, but it still seems foreign to me. I kept up on my running after my black belt testing, but only because I don't want Grandmaster Jon to be able to sneak up on me somehow and kill me with a running day. I want to be somewhat prepared for what he dishes. As much as I hate to admit it, running has become less abhorrent to me. It has taken some miles, but I think finding my pace has been the biggest help. I was running around 2 miles straight when Kim and Danie suggested we run the Polar Dash race on January 1st. I jumped at the chance. With Kim living in AZ, and me living 4 hours away from Rochester, we seldom see each other anymore. Plus, Kim just finished a flipping Ironman triathlon, so again, how could I say no to a simple 3.1 miles when she just biked, swam, and ran 140.6 miles (who does that?!). Besides, I was tickled to be running in an official race again, and with Kim and Danie! We got a little Facebook message going, inviting others to join us.  That's when I saw Kim and Danie saying we might as well do the 10k. Pssshhht. Again... how do I say no to 6.2 miles after Kim's herculean feat of Ironman? I rationalized in my head that if I was strict with my training, I could work my way up to that distance in the two months I had until the new year. However, I didn't. I worked myself up to running a 5k without stopping to walk, which was a new record for me. I think the one and only time I ever ran three miles straight was in third grade. I wanted that damn 3-miler button. I can recognize now that sometimes I will nearly kill myself for the most arbitrary rewards. The stupid button with a cartoon panther and a "3". A piece of black cloth instead of red to tie around my waist. A t-shirt that says that I ran (mostly walked) a 5k. A medal with a snowflake that says, "Finisher". While I don't understand this mentality, I have come to appreciate it. Suddenly, I wanted that 10k finisher medal so badly that I would do anything to get it, including running on ice while school buses and snowmobiles belched their exhaust into my mouth. I learned how to dress to run in the cold, and to pack lots of tissues for the snot factory that my face became when I ran in freezing weather. I realized that although I am stingy, I really did need Under Armour to wick my sweat off my back and arms, because it was a wee bit chilly to be wet while running in the winter.  I was too stubborn to buy the fancy schmancy face masks or running pants sold to runners for $50. I figured those were just pompous extras.

On New Year's Eve, Genevieve and I stayed with my cousin Megan so that I wouldn't have to wake up and drive so early in the morning. I had to get up before 6 a.m. as it was. Megan, bless her heart, made me my race day breakfast. She is the hostess with the mostess. Megan had contemplated bringing Genevieve to watch me cross the finish line. Now, I am so glad that they didn't. Not only would they have been absolutely miserable, but I wouldn't have run the race, because as soon as I got off the shuttle bus with Kim and Jen (who was planning on running/walking the 5k), I regretted my decision immediately. It was just too flipping cold. I had on about fifty layers of clothes, but felt naked against the chill. Shawn had warned me the night before that it was supposed to get -25 to -30, but I didn't believe him. I don't know if it ever got that cold, but I do know that it was frigid. There were two warming tents where we waited after we picked up our bibs and microchips (which give you an electronic time). I have to admit that I was pretty proud to be wearing the 10k bib. When we first walked into the warming tent, it felt soooo warm. Such a relief! However, after a few minutes in the tent while we met up with Danie and her crowd (daughter Jade, boyfriend Will, and friend Amber), it was uncomfortably cold. My toes went numb, but I wasn't too worried about that since my toes go numb pretty easily in the cold. When my legs started to go numb, I worried. I was even clumsier than usual, and I found myself trying to snuggle strangers. How would I run? I kind of needed to go to the bathroom, but couldn't bear the thought of peeling off any layers of clothing. I would regret that, I knew, but still couldn't bring myself to do it. After far too long, we were called out to the starting line. I groaned and whined as we stood in the breeze, freezing our butts off, waiting and waiting. I pretty much hated Kim and Danie right about then. They were the worst friends, and had the worst ideas. Jen had decided to jump into the 10k and to walk that instead of walking the 5k so that she could finish sooner and we could all get on the road afterwards. I had hoped once I started running, I would get my blood moving enough to warm up my legs and perhaps even thaw my toes. Nope. I simply got used to bumbling along like an elephant. I ended up keeping pace with Jade, Danie's daughter, and we became partners. If I hadn't been so painfully frozen, I believe I may have enjoyed my time with her. Those weird neckwarmer/facemask things that I had thought were a frivolous "extra" were looking quite necessary about then. And those tight running pants? A lot better than my yoga pants, which were loose at the ankles and letting Arctic gusts of wind up my legs. I would have given my left arm for either of those "frivolous" pieces. I had tied a bandana around my face, but it froze solid from my breath. After mile two, I started keeping an eye out for the bathrooms. Somewhere before we hit the 5k turnaround, there were two porta-potties. I got in line, but watching people run by that I had worked so hard to pass drove me crazy. There is always someone that I randomly pick that I need to "beat". I don't know why I work that way, but I do. Competitive nature and all that, I suppose. This time, I had been irritated by someone wearing legwarmers. I say irritated as though she had personally offended me, but she hadn't. She was simply wearing legwarmers of a color that I did not like, and that was reason enough to be my target (mulberry legwarmers with black pants?!). When I saw Miss Legwarmers trot by, I couldn't wait any longer. I forwent the bathroom and jumped back into the race, irritated that I had lost probably five minutes of my time for nothing. Eventually Jade and I edged her out again. Some of the faster runners were coming back and passing us in the opposite direction. I was amazed to see them sporting thick, white eyelashes, mustaches, and beards of frost and ice.

I don't know who this is, but I think she's a pretty good example of what we all looked like with our frosty faces.

 I recalled watching an episode of Alias where Sydney Bristow goes to Antarctica or something. She had ice patches on her face, and I laughed at how unrealistic that was. Silly Hollywood, didn't they know that you're skin would melt the snow/ice before it could form on your face?? Ha ha. I ate those words. You certainly can have a frosty face. We eventually reached the 5k turnaround point, which was a relief. It's always nice to know that you're halfway done. When Kim ran by she laughed at me because I apparently had a big ol' icy mustache going on. By this time I had abandoned my bandana, but I guess I was still wearing the 'stache that had formed above it. I saw some people that had frost formed in the buttcracks of their pants, and I was grateful for the two pairs of pants I was wearing. On the way back, I knew I absolutely needed to be patient enough (and brave enough) to use the porta-potty. When we finally reached them again, I hopped in line. Jade waited for me again; what a sweetheart. When it was my turn, my legs were so numb that I had to double check that my pants were where they should be. It reminded me of having an epidural. My legs were there and I knew how to move them, but I couldn't feel them. I poked and slapped them, but felt nothing. Then of course my mind wandered, and I thought about proposing to doctors a safer epidural involving pregnant women standing outside in subzero temperatures until they went numb, but I scrapped that idea as soon as I remembered how hormonal and angry us ladies are when we're that big. It would be safer for the doctors to just put needles in our spines. Back to the race I went, and Jade and I took off again. I felt fantastic after the bathroom break, as though I had rested for a long time and was fresh to running. There was a hill, and we attacked it, because what was I going to do, let Annoying Legwarmers beat me? No! Well, that was kind of dumb. My asthma is super under control, and I know now that the only time it flares up is if I go too fast. I don't know why going to the bathroom suddenly made me think I was invincible, but it did, and soon I was gasping for breath. Then we had to go really slow for a bit and tell I got all back to where I needed to be. But bless her heart, Jade stuck by my side, and encouraged me, and I passed Legwarmers. At mile five, I blurted, "I think I need to walk." Jade would have none of that, and it didn't take much to convince me that after running all this way, I should not give up during the last mile. And then, there it was- the finish line. Kim, Danie, Amber, and Will were all waiting for us with big smiles on their faces. I knew I would be proud to finish the race, but I hadn't known for sure if I could actually do it. It felt AMAZING to cross that line and be able to say to myself, "I did it!" I got all emotional, but didn't want to look like a wuss, so choked back my tears. That, in turn, led me to having trouble breathing again (running too fast and getting emotional when I'm physically taxed are my two triggers, I suddenly remembered), so I had to calm myself. There was hot chocolate being handed out, as well as bananas, chips, and granola. I felt like a star (especially when I saw Leggies cross the line much later). Then, I saw people handing out finisher medals! They may as well have handed me an Olympic gold medal, I was that proud.

Why do we look so happy?

The feeling did not last long, however. Now that we weren't running, the cold temperature quickly became unbearable. The 5k race was just getting started, and that's when I realized just how important it was that Jen had decided to do the 10k for us. The thought of having to wait until the 5k was done made me want to cry again. We all huddled in the warming tents, but it was miserable. Some comic relief was when our eyelashes melted. Will looked like he had started crying mid-sentence, and us girls looked ridiculous with our mascara melting down our faces. Note to self: when running in Siberian temperatures, don't bother with even a little makeup. At long last, we went to go meet Jen at the finish line. I could have kissed her for doing that for us, because now we would get to LEAVE! I just wanted to go home. 

 A highlight of the day was picking up Genevieve and getting the #1 "ribbon" and poster that she and Megan had made for me. How nice to have others be as proud of me as I was of myself! It was a wonderful, terrible experience that I hope I never do again, but probably will if someone dangles a worthless prize in front of my face.