When we got the the park to sign in I saw some really really intense runners. My mom and I joked that the pregnant woman warming up would probably beat us both so I didn't hold on to my initial goal very hard. Competition can be intimidating and I was getting nervous.
The race started and a flurry of people sped past me - if you run races you know that this happens every time at the start line. Adrenaline kicks in and a good majority of people will start too fast. I slowly began to pass people on the course and at the turn around I had a feeling I was near the front of the line. While this was exciting, my lungs were burning, I wanted to stop, and I really didn't know where I stood in the pack of runners.
It can be so difficult to push past the lung burn.
The course was a winding trail along the river and at the turn around point you doubled back along the course to the finish. When I saw my mom after I turned, she held out a number one sign (to indicate that I was the first girl she saw) and I still had about 1.5 miles left to run. THE LUNG BURN.
I was pretty excited to cross the finish in fourth place overall and first place for girls. Goal met! I waited for my mom in the water tent and she finished with her best personal time in that distance.
I ate so many animal crackers after that.
At the award ceremony, the organizers handed out certificates for best times per age group (men and women combined) and trophies for the overall winners (one for men and one for women). We got a surprise when they announced my mom as having the second best time in her age group. She got a certificate and a cookie! And I received my first ever running award. The next day, I sounded like I had a horrible cough (the lung burn!) and I had some trouble moving around, but it was so worth it.
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