I set a goal for myself this year, that during my "good months" I was going to accomplish a certain # of races. THAT I did, actually more than that, so maybe I didn't follow that plan to the T either, but I digress...
My desire, was to blog about each race experience, training, challenges, triumphs, etc. and possibly "get noticed" out there in the "bloggity blog eats blog world." Why? So that people, who suffer from Fibromyalgia, can gain insight, and hope, through what I do. Plain and simple...I help people, it's one of many things I do. But as the last blog pointed out, I am a juggler, who "dropped the balls." Well I am here, I have picked up the balls, and am still working on technique, but I am going to do it my way, as usual. So back to the beginning we go. (See time travel IS possible.)
The year was 1986, I was 13 years old...OH WAIT...too far. Man I sure do love the 80's though...ok, enough.
My first race of the 2012 season, was The Old First Ward Shamrock Run 8k, in Buffalo, NY on March 3. Sounded like a great place to start, for two reasons, I was going to do it with some of my friends, and there was a beer tent at the end, with UNLIMITED BEER. Seriously? Ooh, this was too good to be true, for my "fun" loving Irish self. Well, training didn't go as well as I hoped. It was still very cold (and snowy) here in WNY, as we didn't have much of an early winter, so I was relegated to the dreadmill. But I still felt ready for this distance when the day came, but as luck (bahahaha) would have it, we were unsure anyone was going to get to run the race. There was a wicked March wind blowing, 30-40 mph sustained, with gust up to 60mph. WHAT?! We are an ambitious (read crazy) lot, so we drove to Buffalo anyway. The parking lot we left the car in, had a run down building, telling us to turn back every time it's metal facade, half hanging off, clattered in the wind. In that same parking lot would be an SUV with it's two passenger side windows blown out. I KID YOU NOT! The race had to change it's course somewhat, due to a downed telephone pole. But we would not give up!!
How do I describe this race? Like running against The Hulk. Like lifting your frozen legs out of oatmeal, and kneeing The Hulk in the gut. There were times (mostly on bridges) when I screamed into the wind, and icy snow, and was reduced to a walk. Well, we finished the race. We got our complimentary "Embroidered Garment" a "shit brown" (credit to Kathy) fur lined, wind and water resistant coat (a very nice one, but you sense the irony here.) And we actually skipped the beer tent (a corral outside) for a nice warm, satisfying, delicious, trip to Pearl Street Brewing Co.
With all that being said, it doesn't seem like much of an encouraging post. On the contrary, I did it, and like child labor, your forget the challenging parts, and remember the pay off. And I was proud of myself, which has more healing power than anything you can EVER think of. What a great day that was!! Thanks to my running gal pals.
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