Tutu 2 Miler - June 28, 2013

Two posts in two days, you lucky ducks!

I did my first "evening" race. Though it really wasn't a race. We didn't have bibs or anything. However, I'm really not a fan of the after-work races.

1. it's too hot (well, yes, it was June 28 in So Fla.)

2. my body isn't used to working out in the evening, i'm a morning worker outer.

3. i feel too rushed after work to get there. (i get really anxious about parking situations, check-ins, etc. before a run.)

But it was fun, AND it was Dan's first run!! We met up with a couple of our friends; Kim and Melissa. It was just a 2 mile run, and the proceeds went to benefit the Special Olympics.

We got there a little over an hour before the start. Melissa and Kim revealed the Braves tutu that they crafted for Dan (that was the deal: if they could find him a Braves tutu, he'd run this race. Done!)

he's pumped!

 It was really hot too. There was a contest for "best costume" ... we hoped that Dan's Braves tutu would be good enough, but some guy came in a complete Captain America costume (no clue how he did that without dying of heat exhaustion.), another guy had a Yankees jersey, baseball tutu & Yankees knee high socks, too. Guess Dan wasn't the only one influenced by baseball.

By the time the race was finally ready to start, I just had to kind of chuckle at the "start line." No one was really lined up or anything, where they usually are pretty serious about it in a timed bibbed race. But we were off!

Dan took off right away, and Kim and I fell into a groove running together for a while. The path went around a lake, then through the Downtown at the Gardens outdoor mall area. So we got to run through by the all the shops (and shoppers) and restaurants (and diners). It was really fun! People were cheering and everything. (I'm sure it was quite a sight to see these people running through in tutus!) The route was this loop twice. Dan ran his first mile in 7:28 then he walked and I walked with him for a while, we jogged off and on for the 2nd mile (soooo hot), and then race sprinted it out at the end. Hey, had to show him that's what you do in races to reach the finish line. He out ran me by a second though.

I don't even know what my "time" was, and I don't even care. It was fun and was great to be there with Dan for his first run! And he's even told me that he will do a 5K now!

Today I was re-inspired to go out running. I almost made the mistake of running outside around 3pm, but it started to rain. I texted Dan and he said, "why would you run outside at 3 in the afternoon?" And I realized I really WAS being stupid. So I went to my community gym and used the treadmill. I felt really good and made myself go faster each mile of the 3.1 mile run. I kind of think I could've even gone further.

And you know what else is odd? The treadmill was sort of facing a mirror. And I haven't been on a treadmill where you SEE yourself run since probably freshman year in high school. And it kind of HELPED me to run. Not sure if it was an inspiring thing or what, but it felt good!