There was one word for this race and that was HOT. Holy, I'm not really all that used to running in the heat, the area that I normally run at is well shaded and we haven't had any really extreme temperatures yet as Summer is only just gearing up. It was about 33 degrees, only the occasional patch of shade and we were running on pavement. I sweated a ton, and felt like I was melting into a puddle on the road (maybe it was just the mirage??). Thankfully there were lots of water stations (two along our 5K route as well as the big one at the end) and there were ambulance attendants following along on bicycles in case anyone got into trouble. I didn't see or hear of anyone that did but it sure is nice to know there is someone there just in case.
I ran this race with Dana, my friend who has been training with me and ran the last 5K race (and will be running another one with me next weekend!). Very happy to have such a great friend who is dedicated to doing this along with me. It makes such a difference when you have someone to train and to go to the races with. She also made these great tutus we are wearing, thanks girl I loved them!
There was a big wall that had everyone's names on it (609 entries in the 5K) so of course we had to find each others and get a pic.
Then we headed to the start line ( if you follow me on Snapchat you will have seen the videos and many other photos of the day: mariahdupuy ).
The things I was most thankful for during the run? Friendly neighbors along the way who had their hoses going and were happily "watering" the runners who passed by, lots of water, and the many people along the sidelines who held signs and encouraged us to keep on going. Like I said it was very hot so it was nice to have the supporters braving the temperatures in order to keep everyone's spirits up.
This is my official finishing photo. The smile is fake, but that lovely shade of red on my face is not. It was hard going. I'm just thankful I saw the photographer sign before I crossed the finish line or this picture would have looked much bleaker. Dana was not so lucky..lol.
We did it! Definitely no PR's for either of us (36.57 for me and finished 175 out of 609) but I'm so glad we went. The event raises much needed funds for three different charities (Womans Transition House, Kidsport and the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre) and I was happy to donate both my money and sweat to them.
Our race packages included the shirts we are wearing, a necklace, a bag to carry our things in, and once we finished these great medals (my first one!).
Once we crossed the finish line, had tanked up on water and had a snack we found a shady place to rest and try to cool down.
Look at those freckles! The sun and heat brought them right to the forefront.
The heat was really the only thing that made this race a challenge. Everything was set up very well with lots of volunteers and a great energy. I definitely plan on doing it again next year.
Anyone else out there run this race? I ran into one other person I knew (great to see you again Ingrid!) and I did know a couple of others who ran the 15K (mad respect for you Danielle and Angie, that's a long haul!) but I would love to hear from you in the comments section if you were there and how you did.
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