So a couple days before the race I was starting to get a little nervous.  It was going to be cold out and so I wasn't quite sure what to wear.   It is a small race (64 people for the 8 mile and 84 for the 3 mile) so with my slow pace I was worried about how things would go.  I got to the registration place about an hour before the race.  Got all signed in and I was ready to go (still getting nervous).  The race was to benifit some of the High School marching band members that were injured in a bus crash that happened a little while ago when they were coming back from a competition.  I got all warmed up and stretched out.  Then they announced that it was time to move to the start line.  So down the block we went.  I was standing in the back of the pack since I was not planning on going out with any blazing speed.  We started with the group that was running the 3 mile.  I was chatting with someone next to me when all of a sudden we were off.  So I am chugging along at what I think is a good slow pace to get me to the finish.  At mile 1 they had a  man yelling out the time.  10:21 oh boy was all I could think!  I was going out way to fast so then I was worried about my pace and burning out before the end of the race.  So I slowed down and little to keep chugging along.  At 1.5 miles the 3 mile racers turned around and headed back so the people really started to thin out.  I noticed then that I was the last one to keep running past that point to continue on to the 8 miler.  Really beautiful course through the country side and farms with a light snow coming down.  Some rolling hills but nothing bad.  Even though I knew I was the last one out there I just kept plugging along and singing to myself.  2 miles from the finish I had to go back over the overpass over the highway and I was thinking that I think they made the hill bigger.  But just pushed myself to keep going.  I turned what I thought was the last turn and headed in for the home stretch.  Good thing Santa saw me head the wrong direction cuz he stopped me and headed me in the right direction.  He joined me in the final part of the run.  Then I was finally on the home stretch.  Finished with a time of 1:33:52 which was a minute faster than my goal.  The temp was 13 degrees and when I stopped my hair immediately froze.

 

I had a lot of mixed emotions at my finish.  I was excited that I was able to finish and I felt good.  But I was also last and so it made me sad and a little embarassed.  I am still trying to fight with myself and focus on that it was a good race for the standards and goals that I had set for myself.  I also don't know how I feel about the medal that I got.  I place 3rd in my age group but since there were only three of us running I am thinking it's not that great of a thing. 

 

But it's a place to start and next time I have a time to beat.