Actually, it really was coincidence, but I'd highly recommend doing races on your birthday. I made a sign and wore it, and honestly it provided quite the motivation when people would yell out, "Hey, Happy Birthday," or "So how old are you?" and "Congrats on doing this on your birthday!" It was just fun to have a reason people chatted with you as they passed by, which I told one lady, "That's why I'm letting everyone pass me, so I can give you the chance to wish me Happy Birthday!"
Anyways, it was really Boom (one of our good friends) that motivated me to sign up for this race. 3 years ago Tobin, Boom, and I had run the 5 mile portion of the race, so this year Boom and I decided that 5 miles just didn't seem worth it to drive all the way down to Huntington Beach. So we decided to do the 10 mile race, which I wasn't able to really commit to running until I figured out my schedule for October (which didn't happen till about Sept 30). Thus meaning I didn't have much time to train. To say the least, I was a bit nervous on what the results would show.
Here are the 4 of us girls who ran the 10 mile race. All doctors in residency and me the NP.
This was about 6:20am before the race began.
The Huntington Pier is behind us all lit up.
(L-R: Tina, Boom, Me, and Kristin)
This was about 6:20am before the race began.
The Huntington Pier is behind us all lit up.
(L-R: Tina, Boom, Me, and Kristin)
This is the 4 of us after. All sweaty, red, with tired quad muscles, but stronger for it!
It really was the perfect day for running: foggy, around 65 degrees, and along the ocean!
It really was the perfect day for running: foggy, around 65 degrees, and along the ocean!
This is me right at 5 miles
And this is just before the finish. You can see I had dedication of passing that finish line.
I think it was right after this that a guy who was on the sidewalk was trying to take a photo of a runner ahead of me, but he failed to realize that I was coming up behind him. Well, he must have gotten his shot because he decided to stroll over to the sand, just as I was coming up on him. Had he been any later, I think I would have ran into him, then fallen over myself because of sheer exhaustion I was in at that moment. I did muster out, "Hey, hey, Hey!" and he managed to see me and move out of the way just in time. I wanted to say, "Hey buddy, did you just run 10miles? Maybe you could have some consideration." Anyways, I finished none-the-less, and ran the race in 1:31:11, just over a 9 minute mile pace. I think that's pretty good for not really training much!
This is the sign I wore..."TODAY is my BIRTHDAY....and I'm doing this?!"
My wonderful support team!
I did it!
Then we went and ate brunch at the Sugar Shack in Huntington Beach. It was YUMMMMY! Tobin and I shared a huge breakfast burrito and cinnamon roll. By then the clouds had burned off to make it perfect weather to lay out on the beach and go boogie boarding. The waves that day were HUGE!!! Some of the surfers the waves were so big that the wave was beginning to curl over the surfers! Tobin caught a couple of those big ones, but I stuck to the white water (with my amazing and fearless husband's help).
After the beach, we went back to Boom's house with her housemates
(that had also run in the race)
...and we played Rock Band! We were an amazing Chick Band!
And they even made me a cake.
We definitely look a little sweaty, sun kissed Oregonians. =)
Here's to 28!
