First!

Where is the summer going?  Fall is inching closer when it's time for my hometown 5K.  I say that like I've ran it so many times they all blur together.  The reality, this will be the second time running it.  Unlike last year when it seemed like every weekend was a different 5K, this year this it's the only 5K on my schedule.  It holds a special memory for me, not only because it's my hometown, but because my parents get to watch me and lets not forget about the special signs throughout the course last year.

It's a been a long year.  CT has been dreaming, planning, and training to return to RC to lay claim on "her trophy".  I can't even count the number of times she checked the results from the previous year fretting over if the woman who beat her last year would show.  To make matters worse or add even more pressure, my mom sent her a picture of the trophy with her name on it with motivational thoughts, which now hangs on the wall for motivation.  She has trained hard and is faster.

What would a race be without a little secret?  CT has really wanted her dad to watch one of her races too.  It's never worked out, but a few days prior to the race, I got a call from her sister Downhill who informed me that her dad was planning on surprising her at the race.  How could I not help with that?  Never one to back down from some trickery.  Besides, I already had another little secret I was keeping too.

The weather of race day was perfect.  This summer heat has been brutal, it was a cool morning.  We arrived at the race just about an hour early.  No sooner did we get my dad situated, when a truck horn sounded and CT turned to see her dad pulling up.  She normally has a pretty big smile at all times, but after the initial double take, it grew even bigger and brighter.  She had no clue and was very surprised.  I of course played it off like I had no idea (it was all Downhill!).  CT's mind is funny, first she worries about who is going to show up, what if she doesn't win, then it turns to the excitement of her dad being able to watch her (for about three seconds), then suddenly it's all back to feeling pressure to win that damn trophy, because he's watching.

As I eluded to, this wasn't the only secret floating around.  My mom leans over my dad and says "They're not the only ones running today."  "Oh yeah, who else?" asks my dad.  "Me!" my mom gleefully exclaims.  For the past few months, she kept him completely in the dark about her training.  I've got plenty of emails to implicate myself in this deception.  Frankly, I'm kind of surprised breaking the news ten minutes before the start of the race didn't send my dad into cardiac arrest, but I suppose if you are going to keep a secret for that long, breaking it to him in a hospital parking lot is probably the best spot to do it.  It seemed to make for a good story, because the next thing I know, my mom is getting interviewed by a reporter!

Bang goes the gun!  It's funny how things work out, one of the last emails, my mom asked me what she should do the final week leading up to the race.  My "sound" advice was to continue what you are doing and don't feel the need to push yourself.  Trust your training and going above and beyond at this point won't help and will only increase your chance of injury.  Great advice huh?  I think the day I sent that email, I ended up injuring myself.  Twenty-five hundred miles since I've started running with nothing worse than minor aches and pains.  This whole time I don't think I've taken more than three days off, leading up to this 5K it was five days.  I couldn't miss it, but even trying to warm up, my ankle hurt.  I knew this wouldn't be my day, but that didn't matter.

First mile was good, second was slower, and the third mediocre.  Overall, I did better than I thought I would.  CT wants that damn trophy, all I wanted really was to beat my time from last year.  I couldn't do it, nine seconds slower than last year, but with a bum ankle, so I'll take it.  Waiting at the finish line, CT crossed the line with the same smile she had when she realized her dad was there.  Which, that by itself is impressive, because it has ALWAYS been a grimace prior.  It probably also helped that she not only got her PR, but she crushed her previous best by over a minute.

Officially my race was done, but I had to go run my mom in.  There aren't many moms out there who decide to run their first 5K at 68 years old.  I found her about a mile back.  I pride myself in coaching the girls I run with (okay, they all have natural talent and don't need to listen to me), but the first thing that made me smile when seeing my mom is she's obeying the rules of the road.  I watched her attempt to run on the correct side of the road, which meant following the extreme outside of a curve, while the police had it blocked off.  That's my mom, following the rules.  So much to learn, when it comes to the racing, you cut every corner possible!

We had a nice jog back.  I tried to do most of the talking, I know how it goes when pushing yourself and it seems like every ounce of strength is needed to keep going.  She was tired at the end. My final question was if she was going to finish strong?  Her reply, there's that hill at the end.  She might figure out this cutting corners thing after all.  My response, take it easy...until people can see you then finish strong, it's all about finishing, but it helps to look good while you do it.  Yeah, I won't train too many Olympic athletes.

Did CT get her trophy?  Well, there was only one first awarded today, and that goes to my mom!  She completed her first 5K!  CT and I both finished second and we were both good with that.  CT's dad got to see her best race and I got to run and cross the line with my mom, can't beat that!  There's always next year and maybe my mom will be doing her first 10K!