The Perfect Day

I planned to write a glorious epic post recalling all my dreams, hopes and wishes for 2008, assessing how they came out, including charming Christmas photos showing all the new loot I got gave, but all I can think, or write about, is my NEW 5k PR that I set on Jan. 1, 2009.

Montgomery County Road Runners New Years 2009 5k:
1/1/09: 53/126 5/10 Jeanne McCann 51 29:48 (9:36 min./mile)

(Feel free to skip the rest of this post, as that's really the best part right there.)

You will recall the sad episode of the 5k Christmas Caper, where I missed running sub-30 by 1 second and had the audacity to try to sweet talk the race director into changing my time (or something like that). He held firm, though, leaving me no choice but to run yet another 5k.

I rang in the New Year with my BFFs at a PJ party where we drank champagne, talked about boys and sex, and laughed our heads off.


As much fun as I was having, and despite many tempting pleas to spend the night, I'm an ATHLETE darnit, and in training. There was nothing for it but to bundle up and and drive home, because I had a date with a 5k the next morning, and one of us was going down and it was NOT going to be me.

I set my brain for 29:30, since last time I had it set for 29:59, which was obviously not enough of a cushion. I fell asleep around 2 a.m., champagne bubbles floating above my head, listening to the 50mph winds tearing up the trees outside my window, a smile on my face.

New Year's Day dawned cold, 25F, but the wind had died down. I went through the motions of getting dressed in my nice new Christmas present Nike cozy warm turtleneck (thanks, E.!) and the blue vest that is known far and wide around the Metro D.C. area, because, well, it's all I ever wear (Brooks Motion Vest--shop around, you can find it much cheaper).

Unsurprisingly, I had the road to myself at 9 a.m. New Years Day. At times like these, I just try to turn my brain off (I hear you sniggering) lest it talk me out of things. Which I knew it was trying to do. So I stopped at a 7-11 to get some of my secret weapon

and since I don't drink caffeine, this stuff really gets me going, if you catch my drift.

I hopped around outside waiting for the start. Hopped because I was hopped up on no sleep and now plenty of caffeine and? I was freezing to death.

Old School Runner was there volunteering, as is his tradition, and documented the occasion. Here I am hopping:



This is a double-loop course, starting with a rather large downhill to a cul-de-sac, back up on the other side, where the course flattens out to another cul-de-sac, then repeats.

My canny plan: Run like hell until you drop.

mile 1: 9:10 (and that includes stopping to tie my shoe!)
mile 2: 9:30
mile 3.1: 11:00 (i've got the dropping part down, cold)

Finally running with both feet off the ground, the way the Big Kids do it.

Not hurling, just stretching. All photos courtesy of Old School Runner, thanks, Kent!

Montgomery County Road Runners New Years 2009 5k:
1/1/09: 53/126 5/10 Jeanne McCann 51 29:48 (9:36 min./mile)

1/1/08: 63/98 5/12 Jeanne McCann 50 30:22 (9:47 min./mile)

1/1/07: 63/83 10/11 Jeanne McCann 49 33:16 (10:42 min./mile)

As usual, I texted and wrote everyone I knew to tell them. And for once, the official results were the same as my unofficial one. Hells yeah!

The rest of the day I did nothing but snuggle on the couch, read and nap.

Like I said, it was The Perfect Day.