Women Run Lubbock 5k

I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but running in Lubbock sucks. It's not like The Woodlands where there are hundreds of miles of trails, shaded by big beautiful trees and you find yourself in company with other joggers. Lubbock has nothing like that. To go three miles, I have to run a loop in my neighborhood three times. It's lame staring at the same stupid houses over and over. I've struggled to find the motivation to get out and run these last few weeks. That, and thanks to the massive amount of burs out here, two of three tires on my jogging stroller have been popped. And, I finally found my shuffles charger-inside the sofa and broken. Ugh. Anyway, I was excited to sign up for this 5k, hoping to get new motivation to keep running.I think I did pretty good-I was able to mostly keep up with this cute fifteen year old girl. She runs cross country, although they don't do more than about three miles. She cheered me on when I started to lag. What a doll. This is the first 5k I've done. I really loved it! The shorter runs are so easy, and when you hit the halfway point you can think, "Gee, this will be over in less than twenty!" So it's easy to push yourself a little harder.I've mentioned before I am not competitive. Not even a little. Well, occasionally I am sometimes. If someone else I know really, really wants something and is making a huge deal out of it, and I know I could have it and that it would bug the snot out of them if they didn't get it... I'll take it just to be obnoxious. But, I suppose that is more facetious that it is competitive. It doesn't bother me if I come in last in something. I don't care. But today for some reason I actually wanted to be in the first few runners. I wasn't going for first place-not after seeing the girl from Tech's cross country there, but I just wanted to stay up front. So when someone started to pass me, I picked up the pace. Then, in the last hundred yards up the last hill I just needed some air, I slowed down and got passed by seven other girls. The same girls who'd been right next to me the whole time, passing, or falling behind. That's when something clicked and I thought, "I didn't keep a steady pace this whole time to get passed by them!" So I sprinted past them all and beat them to the finish. Then I collapsed and died.

OK, not really.

I went and got a gatorade. And a massage. But I wanted to collapse.

Anyway, it was a great run, great people, and great fun. And the best part was my cheering team, my three favorite boys in the whole world. Sadly, they're not pictured because Chunky rolled in poop and no one wanted to be near him.

**Update*** ... the race results are in! I came in 14th out of 91. Not too shabby!