I have never run a race in the middle of a thunder storm. It was pretty crazy and thrilling. I figured in the midst of 5,000 people, that lightening strike was not going to hit me.
Bridget and I got there early because I had yet to pick up my packet and running chip. It was like a ghost town, with very few people milling about. I warmed up walking around the concourse of the baseball field keeping an eye on the light show going on above the Ohio River to the North.
As we lined up to begin the race, the heaven opened up and everyone was drenched. we chanted, "START THE RACE!!! START THE RACE".
And they started the race!
It poured at times, it drizzled at times. I overheard a runner imitating Forest Gump, "Sometimes it was stinging rain!!!" as the rain hit us straight in the face coming in hard from the North!
Despite the lightening and the OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHINNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG and AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHINNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG when the flashes and cracks were particularly close, it was wonderful and exhilarating.
I ran the whole way and had a terrible race time. Humiliating race time. Demoralizing race time.
Yet, I loved every minute of it.
On to the 10k (six miles) in two weeks. This time, I am going to practice more.
2 comments:
You slay me, the way you decide, "Oh, I'm gonna run a five mile race..." and just do it. I would have to train for a year to run five miles.
Glad you didn't hurt anything important. And that you didn't get hit by lightning. I would have been petrified to be outside in that kind of weather. I HATE ligthning.
I am really impressed, Mary.
And, yes, I am taking my new lf to the Sawdocs, as well as my sister and b-i-l, and I'm serving gray brisket and Guinness before.
Where ya goin' after?
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