Whoops, I didn’t tell you…..but I signed up for a race late last week and ran it on Sunday!  Gasp! I know, I know…always share it on your blog first…sorry peeps!

I signed up for the MEC Race One in Halifax last-minute as I wasn’t sure what the weather was going to be like or child care for the girls. My husband was home and was going to run it too but injured his neck. The girls stayed with my sister and parents and had tones of fun!

The weather was calling for lots of rain but I was hopeful it would still be on. I even tweeted about it:

A run (race) in the rain is better then no run at all. Getting ready for the #mecraceone in #halifax #novascotia @mec_halifax #run #runchat

— Anna Sherwood (@PipersRun) January 12, 2014

 

Word on the street (twitter world) was that it was a go! So we left the house and headed down to Point Pleasant Park. It was raining pretty hard when we arrived so I got my bib # and waited it out in the car until Krystol arrived. At 8:50 we stood under a little tent before the start of the race; there was less than 100 people. This was by far the smallest race I’ve ever participated in. I was starting to feel like this was a race I shouldn’t be doing. Totally second guessing myself.

We started the race and I felt terrible. I don’t know if it was the rain, the terrain (wet, slightly muddy crusher dust) or if it was because I wasn’t really warmed up but this wasn’t going to be ‘my race’. The first 2km was terrible for me or so I thought. I wasn’t mentally or physically ready for the HILLS but there they were facing me and everyone else.

Krystol was running the 10k which was the same loop twice and somehow she managed to stop at an outhouse (we were in a park) and catch up to me on the first big hill! Killer strong girl she was!

We ran together and at times I told her to go ahead if she was wanting to, I didn’t want to hold her back. I’d eventually catch up to her and we’d run again. I had a friend volunteering on the course, so that was nice to see her just over the 3k mark.

I really struggled with this race, not because of the weather or the terrain but just physically and mentally. As I mentioned I almost felt like I shouldn’t have been there, that I was over my head. Which is odd considering I run 5k’s lots and further distances in the past. It wasn’t a bad event, it was well-organized and had everything you needed, minus the public washroom opened before the start. The weather – meh – you can’t change that and I am totally fine to run in any type of weather we have in Nova Scotia. I guess I was just not feeling like a runner that day.

I high-fived Krystol as she turned to do a second lap and stopped my Green Garmin at 32:46. I was disappointed in my time. Saï came over and asked how it went and all I could say was “I did worse than that Valley Harvest” (back in October). I struggled with the Valley Harvest 5k but finished 32:21 so why was I so disappointed in this run, in my pace. I really don’t know. I guess I had a set expectation in my head that I was going to have a great run and rock it.

But I didn’t. And that’s okay (now).

Overall it was a great event and I am happy I did it. I am very tempted to do the other four runs throughout the year that MEC has planned all over Halifax.

Sometimes you just have to have a bad (to you) run so that you can refocus and have great runs!

PS – Don’t forget about my little giveaway!!! You’ve got till Friday to enter 🙂

Any one run this weekend?

Anyone do Disney? Dopey? Any distance at all? 

Ever get your mind-set on a run and have it go down hill?