Okay, back to the races:
(Look at that hair fly, what speed!!)If there was every any doubt about continuing to run, it was erased when I got an email from my brother Craig. He forwarded on a link to the Boston Athletic Association website. In conjunction with the Boston Marathon, for the first time they were organizing a 5K race to be held the day before the marathon. “Sign up” Craig said, “You’re going to be there anyway.”
Craig was running in the marathon and I was meeting him to be his head cheerleader. At that point I told him about my 50 by 50 in 50 plans which was all the more reason for me to run, I’d be able to mark another state off my list. He thought my idea was pretty neat. (However, a couple weeks after our Boston trip I got a call from him: “Camille, I’ve been thinking about this idea of yours and it has to be the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard. Sure, a marathon in every state, but a 5K???”)
Race morning arrived with a field of almost 4,000 people and a lot of spectators, including brother Craig and friend John E. from Iowa. We got to the start early so had time to kill, got coffee and donuts and I started checking out the competition. Craig, John and I decided that I needed to beat the gal from Nebraska we referred to as “Cornhusker” who we met in the donut shop. She was a good sized farm girl in red shorts and a red sweat shirt – I could definitely keep track of her in the crowd.
The nice part about this race was that the uphill was all at the beginning and spectators could move around to watch “their runner” at a couple points along the route. Craig and John proceeded to hoot and holler at me whenever I went by, berating me for not going fast enough at one of the turns, which got a laugh from all the runners around me. I ended up with my best time yet, 33:05 and finisher number 2,800 out of a field of 3,523.
And yes, I beat Cornhusker!
Craig was running in the marathon and I was meeting him to be his head cheerleader. At that point I told him about my 50 by 50 in 50 plans which was all the more reason for me to run, I’d be able to mark another state off my list. He thought my idea was pretty neat. (However, a couple weeks after our Boston trip I got a call from him: “Camille, I’ve been thinking about this idea of yours and it has to be the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard. Sure, a marathon in every state, but a 5K???”)
Race morning arrived with a field of almost 4,000 people and a lot of spectators, including brother Craig and friend John E. from Iowa. We got to the start early so had time to kill, got coffee and donuts and I started checking out the competition. Craig, John and I decided that I needed to beat the gal from Nebraska we referred to as “Cornhusker” who we met in the donut shop. She was a good sized farm girl in red shorts and a red sweat shirt – I could definitely keep track of her in the crowd.
The nice part about this race was that the uphill was all at the beginning and spectators could move around to watch “their runner” at a couple points along the route. Craig and John proceeded to hoot and holler at me whenever I went by, berating me for not going fast enough at one of the turns, which got a laugh from all the runners around me. I ended up with my best time yet, 33:05 and finisher number 2,800 out of a field of 3,523.
And yes, I beat Cornhusker!
The Boston Marathon the next day was an unbelievable experience, even for a spectator and the Bruce Springsteen show we stayed an extra day to see was definitely worth it.
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