Bridgton 4 on the 4th... Another HOT HUMID HILLY DAY!

Yesterday was my triumphant return to short-distance-balls-to-the-walls racing after what....? 9 months of swearing off anything shorter than 10 miles? Yikes!

 

As I might have mentioned once or twice I am currently training for distance NOT speed AT ALL. I actually sat down pre race and tried to figure out what was a reasonable expectation of a finishing time (as much as I was talking smack about defending my top 5 finish from last year I knew this would NOT be the case!) I looked at my recent track performances (slow), considered my fitness (high) reviewed the weather (HOT, after a week of COLD) and my level of desire to woman up and win it all (high per the norm but totally unjustified!) These factors made me think that if I woke up with a legit need for speed I could probably manage a 7:40 pace. The 4 on the 4th is up a ridiculous mountain, after all...

(and yes. seeing that I was going to be running 4 minutes slower than last year made me puke a little in my mouth. but this was never scheduled to be my A race, duh...)

 

 

Me in my Mizunos. Kate looking fancy! Angie's first post baby race!!

 

We got there and it was 80 degrees an hour before the race started and 87% humidity. I said goodbye to everyone, got in the car, turned on the AC and went home. Screw racing! It was 62 and cloudy the last time I had a serious run (the day before...)

UGH. I kid! I kid!

I ran a few warm up miles and basically had to change all my clothing because I was soaked thru. Not, perhaps, the best omen...

I knew going out with the speedsters would be dumb. Especially since at this race EVERYONE seems to think that running the first mile at a sub 7 pace is brilliant, then you see the dead/puking/prone bodies at mile 1.2 and know this was not a good idea. So I went out easy. Mile one was completed in 7:15 which is a full minute plus than the blazing first mile I ran last year but as I climbed Mt Everest going towards the 2 mile point I knew my slow start was wise. Per the norm, people were out of gas.

With the exception of the agonistic pain and suffering that is the norm with a short race this was fairly uneventful for me. I maintained a very steady pace. My legs never got tired although I considered the possibility of a major cardiac event as the hill and my epic and unusual *ahem* speed kicked my trash. I knew it wasn't a PR/Top 10/AG win day but I was still determined to finish in a respectable time. Anything sub 30 was going to make me very happy! I sweated a truly amazing amount but did not puke, crap my pants or quit running on the roadside. As far as my "good day goal" of a sub 30:00 I knew it was going to be very close!

I JUST pulled it off. 29:28. I'll take it.

It was HOT as SHIT.

I snagged 4th in my AG and 19th overall woman.
A totally decent effort and quite acceptable considering my current sprinting fitness!
Which is NADA. Nothing. No 5K PR in my future this year (thank heavens, hahah!)

Somehow we missed Eric's finish.
But saw Kate make a big push to the end! She was easy to spot in those bright shoes.

Me: "EWWWW when we touch our sweat mingles and we slither!"

So Eric was 100% disgusted with his *lamentable* finishing time. He might have quit racing... Ridiculous person! I never quit racing after a tough/hilly/humid/sunny/gross race, pshhhhh!

Kate was happy to be done. They were both really sweaty and gross and since I was cool, dry and smelling of flowers and freshly showered armpits I found them quite offensive! GAHD!

 

We found Angie who had kicked her first post baby race in the teeth! Sue (who we dragged out, kicking and screaming) had a good race too, especially since non-training is kind of her jam lately. I think that is the way to go, summer running is gross! (but she's joining the Smuttynose marathon/half marathon gang this fall so this was step one in an amazing training cycle for her! yayyyyy!)  

We ate watermelon. Drank ALL the Gatorade. Talked about what a terrible, terrible idea racing is. Signed up for next year. (normal stuff.)

Then we went our separate ways to celebrate AMERICA. F**K YEAH!

The whole gang!
Good job kids!!!