Labor of Love race, ET Midnight Race

OK, so I didn't post directly after my last race (April 2012 Labor of Love Race by Calico Racing), but it is a good story. I did not make my time, as it got very warm and the uphills really kicked my butt. However, I did finish in the middle of the pack for my age group (including both males and females), which is pretty great! So here goes the story:
Like I said, it was pretty hot. We started at 9, but after some retrospect, it would have been better to start at 7. At least for that particular day. Apparently, last year it was snowing for this same race. We have some crazy weather here sometimes. Anyway, started with a downhill, which then became uphill for the next 2.5 miles. Here I am, trucking along, enjoying a leisurely pace given the heat and hills. It takes me 45 minutes to get to the halfway point. Well, as it is rather warm, and I would rather not waste my bottled water by dumping it on my head, I get the free water from the aid stations along the way. Well, I thought it was water. Here I am, dumping small cupfulls of water over my head, which gave me the instant relief I was looking for. The other runners, and the aid station workers, are giving me some strange looks, which I thought was odd, but then continued anyway. I am sure they have seen someone trying to cool down in the heat that personifies Las Vegas. So I finally come to the end of the race, finishing the second half of the 10K in 30 minutes thanks to the hills heading down for 2.5 miles. I take out my headphones and the cord drops, getting caught around my leg. No big, I get my medal, then move on to the fruit stations. I chat with some fellow runners, then get on the bus to be driven back to the parking lot, about 3 miles down the highway. I get in my car after a quick stretch and start home. I notice I am running out of gas, so I stop at the first gas station to fill up and see if I can get some post-run treats. I go in the store to pay, and chat with the lady behind the counter. She looks at me funny and ask what I have been doing. I told her about the race, and she seemed satisfied that this was the reason I looked a bit fatigued. Now, mind you, I have not bothered to check a mirror. I just want to get home and shower. I walk to my car and see my reflection. I go to push my hair behind my ear and find that my hair is quite stiff. That's weird! I didn't use any product. So I scrutinized a little more. All of my hair was stiff as if I just dumped an entire can of Aqua Net on it. What the...? That is when it hits me: that wasn't water at all...it was watered down sports drink. I had sugar throughout my hair! I am so glad the bees have not come out for the spring, yet! I have been chased by bees before, and I probably would have been at the front of the pack if they had discovered I was a running flower. Now the looks totally make sense!

My next race is the beginning of August. It is the ET Full Moon Marathon, 1/2, 10K & 5K, another of the Calico Racing series. This one is at midnight in Rachel, NV near area 51, along Extraterrestrial Highway. I am looking forward to it because it will be so much cooler. The location is a higher elevation, and it is at night, so no sun to beat on me. It should be around 60F. Unfortunately, with the temps hitting 100F in mid June, I am confined to the treadmill for a while. It isn't so bad to stop at the gym on the way home from work. But trying to get to the gym on Sundays is a bit more difficult. I also try to get up early enough to beat the heat, but as the summer continues, this just won't be possible for very long. But, that is ok. I have learned how to use the treadmill to my advantage. I want to be faster, and a treadmill makes this a lot easier. I can increase the speed to see how fast I can keep up and for how long. I also incorporate inclines, which helps me increase my endurance. Although I would rather be in the fresh outdoors, I am ok when I can control the buttons!

Too busy to blog?

Life is crazy busy right now. I am still running, but I am also preparing for a Customs Broker examination, setting up a division of my new company. However, I have had a couple of awesome races:

1. The Color Run in Las Vegas http://thecolorrun.com/lasvegas/: most fun run ever! My oldest and I ran this 5K. Time wasn't kept but if we were to be judged based on how painted we got, we definitely would have won! I really don't think is was a full 5K, either. But, it was a blast and really a great way to just get out there and enjoy the art of running (pun intended!).

2. Run Away with Cirque du Soleil: timed 5K race where I hit a PR: 28:30.34. I am pretty happy with this. I still want to cut down the time by 4 minutes, but it will take a lot of training. The race itself was OK. Pretty crowded at the start and I lost a minute trying to get through the people.

I have a 10K in 3 weeks. My goal is to finish in less than 58 minutes. The course is an uphill start. I am working on my longevity. Time is fleeting, so finding the time to spend on the treadmill is getting a little more difficult. I was able to get a few outdoor runs in over March, but the weather has been rather unpredictable lately. Pretty soon, I will be confined to the treadmill due to the heat of Las Vegas.

I am going to try to blog after each race. I think it is good to keep a running log of races so that I know rather or not to sign up for the same race next year.