What? Me, Tired?

Today I ran in a 5K race for the first time in a very long time.  I think the last one was a year ago.  I can't really remember.   

I didn't exactly stress over this run.  I'd been up all night - literally.  My downstairs neighbors blasted their stereo enough to rattle my floor and walls and bed and I'd talked with a couple of police officers, as had other neighbors.  This whole end of the complex has been up all night.  The whole thing came to a kind of climax when they apparently broke into the place.  It was quiet after that but by that time it was almost 5am.  I wavered.  Sleep or stay up and get ready for my planned race?  I fixed a piece of toast and an egg.  I read some email. I took a shower.  I drove to the park.

I started off at the very back of the pack because I didn't get into line for the restroom until 15 minutes before the race began.  I'd been hanging out, watching the crowd.  I took a couple pictures of the full moon.  I was a little daydreamy.  I realized it was almost race time and then I just wasn't as freaked out as I used to be. 

So I was walking toward the start line and I heard the gun.  Wow.  The race was starting without me.  So...I had a chip on my shoe.  It's not as if I'm racing against anyone but myself.  I quickened my pace a little and almost smacked into a group of walkers.  The walk didn't start until 8:15.  Why were the walkers in with the runners?  Why did I care?  I just laughed to myself and decided to deal with it.  I walked along with them until we got to the actual chip reader at the start line and then I skipped/hopped/danced my way quickly to as clear a path as I could find for the next few blocks. 

As a 5 a.m. runner, I didn't find the morning sun to be my friend.  The final mile was uphill but much of it - thankfully - was in the shade.  When I saw the grove of trees we were entering, out loud I said (gasped?), "Shade!"  A young man laughed out loud.  I said, "Hey, I run in the dark.  I won't EVEN pull the age card."  He laughed again and said, "You're looking good.  Keep going, old lady!"    Ha!  I'll tell you this:  At that very moment I was beginning to flag.  I got my second wind and I pushed on.  Not only did I finish, I finished ahead of him.

Believe it or not, my Runkeeper app says that I managed to run a 9:49 pace for the 5K.  The official times won't be posted for a couple days.  I think the overhead clock at the finish read 32 something when I crossed.  That seems about right.  If my chiptime is what I think it is, I'll be closer to 30:00, maybe even sub30.  That would be awesome.

So speed isn't my strong suit.  Apparently endurance might be if being able to get up and run on no sleep is any evidence of the same.  I don't ever want to try it again.  I'm about to hit the shower and then take a power nap.  I have plans for this holiday and I'm not going to let a little thing like fatigue stand in my way.


©Michelle Scofield, July 4, 2012 All Rights Reserved