After the accident, I found I wanted to try running since my knee was only holding up to so much climbing on the bike, so I signed myself up for Run for Regis in January and hit the trails. Somewhere, somehow and God willing I love them now, on the bike or on foot, muddy and full of bugs bring 'em on (I just keep baby wipes and clean clothes in the car now for after - HA!).
So our unofficial team leader, Daisy talked 6 of us from Team Bicycle Hub into signing up for the Northeast Running Clubs: Interclub Relay Race and still unable to say "No Daisy, that's a bad idea for me." I replied "IN." I was thankfully given the 3 mile leg. My other teammates (MarSassy and Ghost) would run the 5 and 8 mile legs (no sense in leaving the slowpoke out there any longer than need be). Team: Felonious Jogger Floggers was born.
It was low 30's and sunny. I ended up changing into capris and road shoes after I pre-ran part of the bridle trail and started cooking during my warm-up and saw it was fairly dry. It had been a few weeks since I had hungout with my teammates but we picked up right where we left off taking silly pics and joking around before sufferfest began.
Ghost took off at 9am with the 8 mile group and then MarSassy left 3 minutes later for the 5 mile route and then I would leave 3 minutes after that with the 3 milers. I started with B-Dizzle who was talking trash about the OSU vs. WI game and how he was gonna beat me, just like my Badgers had gotten beat. I had nothing good to say to his truths so I just wrapped my arms around him and hugged him until the race started so I could stay warm.
I detest 3 mile races. It's always balls out from the start, blow-up around the 1.5-2 mile mark and then curse my way to the finish for the last mile or so. I was in the second row and true to form the race started like there was a hole shot, ugh! I ripped through the first half mile before I finally convinced myself to back off. I was running comfortable not sure how much climbing I would have to do. I even felt good enough to yell at B-Dizzle as I passed him to quit goofing around because he had stopped to tie his shoe. He was up and past me before the first mile. The course was rolling and mile 1 clipped off at 8:20.
E-Gad!!! That was the slowest first mile in a race I had probably run in 4 years, not counting a marathon or half iron. Well, my pride was damaged and I started picking it up. I dropped a few people and passed a few more. Mile 2 was pretty flat and maybe a little more downhill. Downhills on a mountain bike or on foot --- SOLD!!! Mile 2 - 7:49.
The last mile was rolling (upish) and had 2 steep, albeit short climbs. I walked both briskly since hills tend to make my knee swell and I was moving as fast as the guy in front of me was jogging, hahaha! E-speed had once told me "walking uphill with a purpose is just as fast as running sometimes." The walking also allowed me a little bit of recovery so I started closing on the downhills on the guy in front of me and eventually got him before the finish. Mile 3 - 8:05.
Time: 24:14.
Thank goodness for the guys, they ran fast enough to put us in 5th place overall for the co-ed teams, with MarSassy running a 42:03 for 5 miles and Ghost ripping off 1:00:13 for 8 miles.
Total Time: 2:06:13
Our other Team: Two Roses and a Thorn (very fitting if you know Cash) finished 3rd overall for the co-ed teams even with Crash taking a wrong turn and ending up with a 5 minute detour. They still got him his wood after all.
