Part 4: (Our first official race together)

Our next official race was to be May 30, 2009.... The Field Station Frenzy aka "Frantic Frenzy" We chose this race because it fits into my 'rules' All races must be A) within a 1 hour drive from home B) under $20 a piece (except for the big races) and C) if it has kid care -- we're IN!!! Well, this race had all 3!!! Now, having 4 children under 5 -- it is impossible for us to ever run together.... and at the time, Chris wasn't into doing any maintenance runs or training runs, period.... he likes to sprint around the yard -- and BLAM he's ready to race....... Anyhow -- I train and train for this 5K and I am really worried, this is a trail/pavement run.... try as I may, there is nowhere around me to trail-train..... so I find myself running in people's front yards on my runs :-( At about the beginning of May, I am feeling pretty confident, and even getting excited about the race. Now, mind you, I am a slow runner -- at the time I was averaging a 10 minute mile..... so I am not in this to WIN it, I just wanna do it!

Race day: We are ready... throw the kids in the van, and out the door we go. We get up there and see there is NOWHERE to park!!! Now this makes my (irrational) pre-race nerves go into overdrive!! I go to get the race packets while Chris and kids park the van, and long story short -- we finally find each other with about 7 minutes to spare before the race starts, and we STILL have to drop the kids off at kiddie care and line up!!!!! Fortunately this was NOT an USATF race, so it was really laid back and we had time to spare!!!
Once the race began, all I wanted to do was get back to those kids!!! The baby was screaming when we left, the 2 year old was bored before we got out of ear shot, the 4 & 5 year olds were hoping this would take all day!!!

The race starts, and we are on our way!! We rounded a bend in the trail and I could see Mr Dude with his stopwatch, and soon I could hear the time he was yelling out......when I got to him he said 8:56. I knew this guy needed help -- there is NO way in the world I just ran an 8:56 mile!!!! But, it was enough to stoke my running fire -- and I kept running a steady, solid race. At the 2 mile mark, I heard a 18:49 as I passed this Mr. Dude. Soon I saw the back of Mr Hotness (aka my hubby) so I steadfastly (well, maybe more like clumsily, but steadily) caught up to him just as he started walking. I yelled at him and told him there were 4 little faces wanting their mommy and daddy! He simply (and maybe a little grumpily) told me I better go get them!!! (uh, the nerve!)
I wound up running mile 3 with some guy who was just pacing off of me, and this made me feel like a "real" runner. When I came around the bend at mile 3, I could hear the cheering and just barely make out the red TH Timing run-through-timing-thingee..... and I was so happy, I felt SO good!!!! I knew I had lost some time, but I didn't care -- I felt great!!! After I finished, I tried to go get the kids and get back to the finish line in time for them to see Daddy cross, but we were too slow!
I finished in 29:49 and Chris finished in 32:01 -- I REALLY wanted to break the 29 minute mark, but oh well.... it was so much fun to run on that trail, I didn't even care!!!!