I registered for Run United and Run BGC even before I left for New York. I missed Run United because I didn’t wake up (blame it on the jetlag!) Fortunately, I managed to show up at the Run BGC assembly area last November 28 wondering if I would even survive a 10k run.
SLEEPY START
Together with the hubby and Mariel (The Solemates) we stood at the starting line among the sea of noisy, giddy runners. We stood near the end of the line chatting about the “relax mode” that we all fell into after New York. Had hubby and Mariel turned their backs on me, I would’ve made a run for the car and crawled into a backseat for a couple more hours of sleep. But, before I could make an attempt, the race started.
– with hubby and Mariel (The Solemates) –
PERFECT RACE
The race was very well organized as Coach Rio has definitely mastered the basic template to a perfect race. For each event, he adds unique features to make each one different from the other. Each time, it just keeps getting better and better.
Run BGC was definitely one of those perfect races. There was nothing to rant about from beginning to end, especially since BGC ended it by giving away a Chevrolet Cruze as the grand prize in a raffle!
So, here I was. Grunting and snorting my way through a rough and tough 10k. My injury was well behaved. I had slept well the night before. And, I was running at a pretty good clip. But, I just didn’t find my rhythm all throughout the run. I felt heavy (uhm, I really am with 4 more lbs. of post-vacation fat hanging on my hips and thighs), I was sleepy, and I simply wasn’t in the mood to race.
To make matters worse, there were three guys on three separate occasions who raced me. Each one would run by my side and go head-to-head with me. I wanted to look them in the eye and say “No, thank you. I am not racing against you today.” But, my inner bull would stop me from doing so. In fact, my legs would speed up on their own and attempt to leave them behind. The result: even more panting and grunting from this runner who shouldn’t have been running at all.
THE END
I crossed the finish line at 57 minutes (thanks to those 3 guys!) feeling so exhausted I thought I had just finished 42k. But, it felt great. I loved being drenched in sweat again. I loved the competition. And, I felt like it had ignited the fire in me to get back on track again.
It was a great way to end such a sucky race start. Although, may I say, it could’ve been way better had I won the keys to that Chevrolet…
– See that guy with the bag and race bib? He’s the lucky winner who won MY Chevrolet Cruze –
