Sunday, April 23, 2006

Rejoice, Victory Is Mine (Updated)

Warning: The story you are about to read may, or may not, be accurate. The writer offers no warranties as to its veracity, because the people who run this event are apparently NOT on my timetable, and have yet to post results from 8:30 a.m. this morning. Sigh.

Update: So blogger has been down all day. In my moment of glory!! I'll never forgive them for this.

Place: George Washington Parkway, Alexandria, Belle Haven Park
Event: George Washington Parkway Classic
Time: 6:30 a.m.
Temp: Effin' cold


This is a point-to-point race, which means you must park and be bused to the start. Which means, if you forgot to pick up your packet the day before, because, let's just say, you were too lazy, then you must get up at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, fiddle around waiting for things to develop, get your butt to Alexandria to board the shuttle bus early enough so that you can get to the start and get your bib and chip, all of which had to be done by 7:15 for an 8 a.m. start. (I know you all love the details.)

Which meant: I picked up bib and chip by 6:45, and then had to wait around in the cold.

Which meant: I got to pee like 47 times!! (I honestly do not know how it is humanly possibly to produce that much liquid in the space of an hour. I mean really.)

This race was nostalgic for me. It was the very first race I ever ran, back in 1999. I was 42. I had never run more than 2 miles in my life. I was certain I would never ever finish and that someone would have to pick me up. (Gee, some things never change, do they?)

Time in 1999:
38:14/12:14 min miles:
See? The proof!

Then I quit running for six years.

TODAY: Here is the totally completely and utterly unofficial time, which is too good to be true, but I can't stand not telling every single person I know (that means you, sorry), so by my watch:

31:13/10:03 min. miles

Update: Official Unofficial time:
(net) 31:08 (gun) 31:27 (pace) 10:08 min. mile
(although we all know my NET time is what really counts. right? RIGHT?


Holy sweaty boobs, batman!!!

(I will cry when I have to add a minute to that when the official results come out. I. Will. Cry.)

It's mostly a flat course, a few uphills, but I felt like I was cruisin'. For once I didn't start at the wayback. I kept picking people I thought were going my speed (or a little faster) to follow, but then kept on passing them. Passing. Other people. Other fast people.

There were two water stops in three miles. I laugh at water stops. NO way was I stopping for water. A few seconds here, a few there, and the next thing you know you're running 12-minute miles!

At the finish, which was a long straightaway on the backstreets of Alexandria, I ran so fast I thought I would die. How is is this possible then?

Mile 1: 10:26
Mile 2, (f'd up watch, of course): 0:8
Rest of mile 2: 9:58 (oh, i got excited when I saw that...even though it wasn't real)
Mile 3.1: 10:39 (Here is where I KILLED MYSELF. I'm pretty sure my dead limp body is still laying around the finish line somewhere.. )

Let's briefly recap:
GW Parkway Classic, 1999, age 42: 38:14/12:14 min. miles
GW Parkway Classic, 2006, age 49: 31:13/10:03 min. miles
(July 4, 2005, 5K "Cure Autism Now"; age 48: 33:50/10:53)

Who said getting old sucks?

25 comments:

Nancy Toby said...

WAY TO GO!! I'm going to blog in response to this in a minute or two! I did this one in 2000. Woo.

Simba's Mom said...

Great job!!

Jon (was) in Michigan said...

Yea, Jeanne! What an awsome run. And so very cool to DESTROY your old PR on that course. Very nice. Be very proud!

PS
Why is the a purple ball going to hit you in the face?

Taunya said...

Congrats!! You're only gonna get better and better!

Dawn - Pink Chick Tris said...

Most excellent my dear. And I certainly don't think getting old sucks!

Darrell said...

Cograts to you on the PR. I had to laugh out loud at the batman comment! 8-)

Anonymous said...

DAMN girl! That is AWESOME!!!!!!

ps thank you for your comments today, I needed them!

Triseverance said...

saaaaweeeet, great job jeanne!! Old is only a state of mind, I have never met an "old" runner.

jtsmooth said...

Did I ever tell you you're my hero?

21st Century Mom said...

That is so impressive. I feel like I need to find a 5K now to see if I can keep up!

Anne said...

Yeeeehaw. See what waiting until the last minute to pick up your bib while full of pee-pee and shivering in the cold can do to make you move?! Wonderful news, Jeanne!

a.maria said...

WOMAN!!! you = en fuego.

job well done, kudos, congrats, all of that. awesome, AWESOME.

hey... its been 7 years right? 42 to 49.. .and you shaved off 7 minutes?

damn. think how fast you'll be when you're like... 90!!!

hee hee. you love me.

Anonymous said...

WAY to go momma! that was fantastic!! ITs kinda ridic your older, and you did way better AND you ran the whole thing! wish I could have been there!

Rae said...

Awesome job!!!! You're such a rockstar. Way to go!

Unknown said...

Congratulations Jeanne! Keep on laughing at those water stops.

Mark said...

You da MAN! Er, sweaty boobs batman woman!

That's AWESOME Jeanne. And such a terrific improvement.

What a great one to be able to write down.

:)

Lynne said...

You totally rock! What an inspiration!!

Anonymous said...

Totally cool!!!!
Well done!
I'm still in the 12min range so you're an inspiration :)

Dori said...

That is freakin' fast! Congrats!

Thomas said...

Good work, champion. Now try and beat that time another 7 years from now ;-)

Bolder said...

booyah!

keep at it, in 7 more years you'll be running sub-8!!

Rhea said...

Again, congratulations! I have big, BIG plans for you .... I like the idea of the Virginia Beach Half in September. We need to get together over french martinis and I'll map out your training plan for that :-)

jcerunner said...

You have done a real impressive work!! You can be proud of it. What an important improvement!! you can see your evolution!! Continue like that!!

Anonymous said...

Hey! Congrats on your PR! I just PR'd myself last month in a 5K, so I know the feeling.

And thank you for the comment on my blog: so true. :)

Greg McElhatton said...

Congratulations on your PR! I found your site from the Phedippidations Frappr map (to see who else was in the area)... well done, very well done indeed!

-Greg