Recap: Race with Grace 5k

Sunday was the annual Race with Grace 5k in Medina. Last year I ran it with the Kabyle Chef, but I knew that with his crazy hours he wouldn't be getting up early to run or walk 3.1 miles with me on his only day off, so this year I asked my friend Katie if I could run with her.  It was Katie's first race, and well, that's always a special moment.

I got there early so I could put in a few extra miles.  I only had time for two miles because our team had to meet for pictures, but hey--two miles is better than nothing, right?  After all this is taper week.

Did I mention this is taper week?

This is EXACTLY how I look during taper week.

I guess some of my team members saw me running before the race, and somehow a rumor went around that I ran to the race.  From Akron.  Yeah.  I guess there are worse rumors.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I run 13 miles from my house to a race.

Our team consists of high school staff members and their families.  We are called Team Brenda because we run to support Brenda Hufford's fight against cancer.  The race is in honor of Mary Grace, who was an active Medina Community member.  You can read about her struggle with breast cancer and the race's mission here.

Team Brenda 

We had a good showing this year; team Brenda raised over $1,200 for the Mary Grace Foundation.  I am so proud of my colleagues.

The best part of the day was running with Katie for her first race.  I remember my first race; it was the Mother's Day 5k in Munroe Falls. I remember how nervous I was the night before, and I remember how keyed up I was during the race, so I asked Katie if she would like me to run it with her, and she said yes.

To seal the deal, I gave her a running tattoo.  I'm not a tattoo person, but I do believe in war paint, so my tradition is to wear temporary tattoos when I'm racing.

I got this tat from Bondi.  Order yours as well as some headbands (see mine below?).  Make sure to use my code (TroubleRun) for a 10% discount.

Another team member, Jess, joined us, and the three of us chatted while we ran in the sun.  Katie was tough, and she managed to save enough in the tank for a kick to the end, which is always exciting.  I am so proud of her; it's not easy to train for any race, and it's not always fun, but Katie did it with class.  I hope this is just the beginning of her running journey.

Look at this Badass!  She ran a 5k!

After the race, I got a FREE chili cheese dog with my former principal, Paul.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I'm standing in line for a free chili cheese dog in the morning.  I'm on the right, by the way.

All in all, I can say that this race is such a fun experience for me.  The course is nice with just enough incline to make it interesting.  The food and entertainment are amazing for a small-town 5k.  The opportunity to run with my colleagues is even better.  The best part was that Katie allowed me to share the experience of her first race.  Katie, you are amazing.  I hope you had fun, and I hope this is something we can do again in the future.

Next year I want to find someone else who has never run a race.  Who will it be, Peeps?  I'm betting on one of my kids.

This Saturday is the big day: The Akron Marathon.  I am in taper mode, and it is UGLY.  If you want to find me before the race, look in a dark corner where I'll be rocking in the fetal position and crying. Until then, run happy, Peeps!

Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter @itibrout!

Pre-Race Tradition

Shout out to my peeps!  Remember my post about pre-race traditions?  This is one of them:

This is EXACTLY how I look when. . . well, this is how I look.

Before every race we are in together, Julie, Deidre, Teresa, and I take our picture.  We sometimes have pre-pre-racing photos, too.  Those involve booze.  Ahem.

I just found out that I missed a PR in the Mother's Day 5k by five seconds.  I am not at all upset.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I miss a PR by five seconds.

  This race was about establishing a tradition, and this time I got to participate in starting a new tradition for some of the Towpath Turtles.  There will plenty of other races, and I have lots of PR's to chase.

You Run Like a Mother!

Today was the Munroe Falls Mother's Day 5k.  It is the first race I ever ran, and it is lots of fun.  Today was even more special because I ran it with the Towpath Turtles, and we have snappy new shirts this year.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am freezing my ass off in May.

Normally I complain about 5ks because if you really want to do your best, you have to know that there will be lots of discomfort, even some hurting.  If you are not at the very least uncomfortable during a 5k, you aren't running hard enough.  I like the Stop-and-Smell-the-Roses attitude of the 15k or the half marathon.  Today I felt more relaxed than I have ever felt before a race.  Normally I can't get to sleep the night before, and I worry about parking and bathrooms the whole time.  None of these things were problems this year, and I attribute this to the fact that it's a small race (last year there were about 400 participants) and that I've run a few races now, so I know the drill.

My main worry was dodging the strollers, the children, and the walkers.  I had a vision of me flopping on my face and ruining seven years of orthodontia after trying to go around a stroller with a family dog attached to it.  Luckily, it never happened.  I lined up with Deidre, Teresa, and Julie (as I do for almost every race), and when I got through the starting gate, I took off, dodging, picking, and rolling like LeBron.  Ok, maybe more like this guy.

I glanced at my Garmin near the end of the first split, and I noticed I was doing an 8:45 minute/mile, which is impressive, but the WRONG THING TO DO if you want to try negative splits.  Oh well.  I couldn't see my official time because there were too many people crowded around the boards, but I did see that my pace was 9:03.  I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure this isn't a PR for me.  That's ok; I left the race with my teeth and nose intact, and I got to cheer for some pretty terrific runners.

Towpath Turtles, you will always have a special place in your heart for your first race; this was mine.  I am so proud of all of you.  I stood at the gate and watched you come in, and it made me so happy to see how far you've come.  Congratulations!

Next week:  Rite Aid 10k.  Time to start worrying about parking and bathrooms.

Mother's Day Prep

The Munroe Falls Mother's Day 5k was the first race I ever ran. It was a small race--about 400 runners/walkers--but to me it was huge and important. It was proof that I am a runner. I remember thinking that if I could ONLY hit a ten-minute mile on this race, I would be satisfied. This was the race where Teresa, Deidre, and I started our fist-bumping tradition: We put our fists together and agreed that there would be no crying, no falling, no puking, and we'd get it done in thirty minutes or less. Now, no matter what race I am in, I chant that credo (keeping my time goal to myself, however) with anyone who is around me. Sometimes it's a complete stranger, but that person usually goes along with it; after all, nobody likes crying, falling, or puking.

Rosie gave me a tiny Turtle charm after the Shamrock 15k.  It is adorable, and I'm pretty sure it is magic.  I've decided that I'm going to carry it in my races from now on.  It will remind me that no matter what happens during my race, I belong to a group of awesome people, The Ohio Runners Network.  Runners are the most supportive community in the world.  Don't believe me?  Check out the running blogs that popped up after the tragedy at the 2013 Boston Marathon.  Whether it consists of chanting, dancing at the starting line, or fist-bumping, a tradition of support is a great thing to establish.

What is your tradition around races?