Liberty 5K: With Liberty & Waffles for All!

Once upon a time, I signed up for a 5K on the 4th of July and it changed my life forever.  The Liberty by the Lake 5K is my Runnerversary and has become my unofficial Running Thanksgiving.  I ran this race for the first time five years ago--a wide-eyed running rookie who just wanted to run the entire 3.1 miles without walking.  I showed up in the cotton race shirt with non-running shoes and I gave it my all.  I had no idea how life changing those 3.1 miles would be. I ran that first race in 34:41 and was ridiculously proud of myself.  A few years later, this race was my first age group award and it has become the prelude to Life, Liberty, and Waffles--the post race party that Mr K and I host at our house each year.  You can see why it holds a special place in my running heart.

Traditional Pre-Race Group Shot (pic by Mama C)

We caught a little bit of a break with the heat as it was somewhere around 75 degrees at race time.  I know better than to hope for a PR during the summer months, but I was hoping that I could beat my time from last year and at least get a course PR. Boy do 5Ks make me nervous, give me a half marathon any day! I had been in a bit of a running funk since Cow Creek and wasn't feeling very confident in my abilities.  I set out with the plan to run hard and try to keep my mile splits just under 8:00.  I was able to get a pretty decent start and began to focus on locking down a pace.  The first mile really wasn't so bad and my watch chimed a 7:50.  Perfect....everything was going according to plan.  The second mile felt harder, but I began to see Mr K ahead of me and steadily caught up with him.  My watch chimed 7:47 for the second mile...dang, this is not getting any easier.  I think that the third mile of a 5K is one of the hardest things ever.  At this point I am feeling tired, both mentally and physically, and everything in my body wants me to stop.  There is alot of self talk: you've come too far to quit now, if you slow down all the energy that you have invested so far will be wasted, and let's just get this finished.  I knew that I was running a great race and that I was right on target with my goals....my watch chimed 7:50 for the third mile, time to turn on the jets.  It was all happening too fast for me to know how close to my PR I was, but I knew that I was on track to come in under 25:00.  I gave it all that I had for a strong finish and was very pleased when I saw the time on my watch -- 24:36.  This was good enough for a new course record and I only missed my PR by 14 seconds. I was over the moon thrilled with my race execution.  Nope, it wasn't that dreamed of PR, but it was my most well run 5K to date. I consider consistency to be a cornerstone of my training, and the splits don't get much more consistent than that.  It was just what I needed to help me snap my funk and start to find my running mojo again.  I missed an AG award by 12 seconds, but felt very pleased to come in 4th out of 31 women in my age bracket, 21st amongst all women, and 88th overall.

Marci, Daniel, Me, Brian L, Mama C, and Fred (pic by Mama C)

After the race and the awards we made our way back to our house for waffles, bacon, mimosas, and frunners.  It is our third year to host this shindig and I'm fairly certain that our house set a PR for the number of people within its walls.

The Waffle Chef (pic by Mama C)

Mr K has perfected his waffle timing and we even had Fred frying up bacon out on the grill.  My cup overfloweth, y'all.  I love to pause and look around at all the faces here and realize that running has brought them into my life. 

The nice weather even allowed us to use the patio

I am very lucky to count myself amongst such an extraordinary group of friends.  They push me to take on new challenges and to be a stronger, better person.  July 4th has become one of my favorite days of the year....all because I took a step outside of my comfort zone and signed up for a race five years ago.

Cow Creek Classic Rally: There's a First Time for Everything

When I got my bike last year I set a goal to ride a century sometime during 2013 and as the spring approached, I selected Cow Creek Classic as my one shot at that century.  It set up beautifully as it was Erin's birthday and there would be a large group of us riding. Plans change, however, and I ended up conquering my century goal at Shiner GASP in early May.  I knew that I would be better trained for a century attempt when Cow Creek rolled around and I wanted to give it a shot with the benefit of more structured training. 

Me, Mr K, Fred, Drum, The Cyclist, DK, Ninja, Erin, TPG, and Marci photo by Mama C

Bike rallies are never anywhere near our neighborhood so Mr K and I loaded up Subie and headed south towards Waxahachie at a stupid early hour.  I was feeling quite proud of myself for getting all of our "stuff" organized the night before (oh my goodness, does cycling require so much STUFF), when Mr K asked if I had gotten our water bottles from the refrigerator.  OH NO.  After a few moments of panic and a few frantic messages, we found four extra water bottles from our friends.  These people are so resourceful, they will never let you down. Riding extended miles in the Texas heat with no water was simply not an option.

Ninja is pretty handy with the camera!

After a few pictures and final preparations, we were off and rolling. That Pink Girl and I had already agreed to buddy up for the day as Drum, The Cyclist, Erin, and Mr K were all planning a quicker pace than we were interested in keeping.  We were having ourselves a grand time, talking with other friends and laughing as Stude recorded with a sneaky video recorder. It was a great time...until suddenly it was not.  The winds were pretty ridiculous at times and even though we were promised a flat course, we spent most of the first 50 miles climbing...into the wind.  Don't forget the chip seal!  I'm not one to whine, after all I voluntarily signed up for this.  I could tell that my legs were tired as we approached the 50 mile rest stop and I was starting to wonder how I would make it for the other half of the ride.  I felt like I was teetering on the edge of a bonk, like I was eating and drinking plenty but somehow it was not enough.  When TPG and I stopped for a break near 50 miles, we both decided that there was no shame in taking the turn and riding 80 miles that day instead of the planned 100.  When I started cycling, I decided that the only rule was that there were no rules--it was all about fun. When I stopped having fun, I knew that something had to give.

The happy foursome (photo by Ninja)

The day got even better when we found a smiling Ninja waiting for us under a shade tree at the 80 mile turn off.  I have never seen attitudes swing like ours did. A stop in Italy for Dr Pepper and it was suddenly the best day ever. Our gas station stop happened to be on the 100 mile course and TPG just happened to spot The Cyclist passing by as Ninja and I were inside the store.  And then there were four!  The ride got much easier too as the wind was at our backs and we found ourselves riding mostly downhill. The sun was still hot, but the company was good and the finish was growing nearer.



Smiles brought to you by Dr Pepper (photo by TPG)

We finished up our ride and found our Mama C, Marci, and Fred there waiting for us.  We took a rest under a shade tree while we waited for Drum, Erin, and Mr K to finish up their miles.  It was great to be in the company of friends, laughing and enjoying the day.  Soon enough everyone was finished and we celebrated Erin's birthday with cake before we all went our separate ways. 

Mama C, Drum, Marcie, Fred, Ninja, Me, Mr K, Erin, TPG, and The Cyclist

I had conflicting feelings about this ride as I set out to ride 100 miles but instead finished at 80.  My ego was a little bruised as I have never dropped a distance in any ride/race before.  It made me appreciate my century ride success at Shiner GASP even more than I already did.  I also had to take a step back and realize that, even though it wasn't the goal, 80 miles is still a heck of a long way. Who can really be upset about "only" riding 80 miles?  At the end of the day, I'm grateful that I got to spend a day with people who constantly inspire me to go further and faster than I ever imagined.