Sabino Canyon 4 (.5) miler race report

Let me preface this by saying that this was only supposed to be a 4 mile, rather hillly, race.  This past week, all participants received an email saying that a sinkhole decimated one of the bridges and that there would be a slight detour, making the race 4.5 miles instead of 4. I did get to see "said sinkhole" on the course and I think that the race organizers made a wise decision.

This race was an early one.  I drove down to Tucson last night, after our district's professional development conference, so that I would be able to make the 6:15 am start time.  Jamie picked my mom and I up from the house at 5:00AM and we drove (in total darkness, not many streetlamps in Tucson) to Sabino Canyon.  This race was my first managed by Everyone Runs.  I was originally drawn to it by its promises of a free mexican breakfast and a massage after the race.  I thought past the title which clearly proclaimed, "This race is a hill-raiser!" 

Jamie and I made sure to stretch in the pre-dawn minutes before the race.  I taught her my chorus line stretch which did get us a few comments from passerby:

The race was rather small, only about 400 people, and it had an amazing backdrop.

At 6:15, the race directior started a countdown and then we were off.  Once we crossed the start line, we could see about half a mile in front of us until the next turn.

Since I haven't run in over a month, I was starting to feel my legs about five minutes into the race.  Jamie and I powered up the first hill, which was relatively short, and were treated to a nice downhill of about a quarter mile.  So far, I was keeping up with my sister.

Then, it happened.  The most gigantic hill I have ever seen.  Well, that I have ever seen in a while.  It brought back memories of training for my first marathon in Griffith Park in LA where there was this monster of a hill right in the middle of our training course.  A hill that hurts when you walk up it, nonetheless run up it.    I tried, I really did.  However, I made the choice the tell Jamie to leave me so that I could walk up the behemoth.    My head spun from the exertion and my hamstrings already felt like jello.  Good News: I had just made it to the turnaround.  Bad News:  Only half way done.

The second half of my race consisted of more walking than running.  At the end, I did pull my pace up to 9:30 minutes per miles for that 0.6 mile straightaway.  I was about to walk the last 0.2 miles (how fitting marathoners) before the finish line, until a woman behind me yelled, "No, you can't stop now.  You're my motivation."  Well, who can stop when someone says that to you?  I thanked the woman for keeping me going and pushed on.  Here I am after crossing the finish line, trying not to puke:

The woman who kept me going is right behind me.  I definitely would have come in a minute later if it wasn't for her.  My stats:

Time: 53.17
Pace: Have to check my Garmin, I'll get back to you on that one.
Mileage: 4.5 miles

Jamie came in four minutes before me.  She did spectacularly!  All of her training is definitely making a difference in her speed and endurance.  Way to go, Jamie!

The bling here was a nice Technical-T.

And top-modeling it,

Wonderful breakfast after of refried beans, scrambled eggs, salsa and a tortilla.  I had an amazing massage where the therapist worked specifically on my tight hamstrings.  I lucked out and got the teacher of the massage school who was volunteering.  Total and complete score :-)

Lesson learned from this race: I need to run more.  Now that it's starting to cool off, I'm pretty sure I can make that happen. 

Thank you to my Mom, who came out at 5:30AM to cheer Jamie and I on.  We love you!  Good to see Chance out there too!