W.O.O.F. recap: Repeat performance

Move that body: 5.48-mile run

I have one word to describe today’s race.

Booyah.

Yeah, I said it boo-yah. You’re looking at the first-place female relay team – that’s me in the middle there.

Pre-race

My lovely teammates were nice enough to let me run the last leg so we could show up late and rush less in the morning. Mark, Miles and I arrived about an hour, hour and a half after the 10 a.m. start and had plenty of time to get situated. I went to the bathroom a couple times, drank some water and jumped around. 

The only downside to being the last leg was trying to figure out nutrition. I ate a PB&J at 7 a.m. and then had a Cliff bar and banana at 10:30. I could have done without the banana.

Oh, and loaning my jacket to Mark and discovering he may look better in it than me. It was a bit chilly to hang around, even in the shelter and its two fireplaces, but it was perfect running weather – sunny and 45 degrees.

Team Victorious Secret – ready to rock. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the timing mat and wait for C, who was doing the second leg.

The race

My leg started with a high five from C and enthusiastic cheers from L and ladies my teammates met in a half-marathon class.

From the moment I hit the trail, I knew I was starting too fast. The distance, 5.3 miles, is still not a comfortable one for me and I needed to approach it as a “long” run. But I just felt so good. My legs were fresh after a light-ish week, the sun was shining and I was running through a beautiful trail – I couldn’t help but see what my body would do.

Just after the first mile, 9:14, I saw my teammates and the half-mary class gals. It was so awesome to have them out on the course for support. It’s a small race and it’s not unusual to run the entire loop by yourself. It can get a bit lonesome if you thrive on the adrenaline of spectators and other runners. Seeing my friends/teammates (four times in all) helped encourage me to keep pushing.

Once I hit the 2-mile marker, I decided that it would be in my best interest to slow for a bit at the beginning and end of each mile and speed up in the middle. Somehow it worked out that I saw my teammates in the middle parts when I was really pushing.

The worst part of the course is a stack of hay bales that you have to climb over about mile 4.

I hated them last year and I hated them this year. It’s at a point in the course where you are ready to bring it home and the last thing you want to do is slow to climb over some hay.

Thankfully, I had my sight on a member of another relay team. Having a “rabbit” really helped me to stay strong in that last section of the course.

I finally caught up to her (sorry, Pattie) around the 5-mile marker. I don’t think she was expecting to see me, giving her a bit of a surprise. I stayed on her heels until we hit the final straight away, at which point I gave it all I had.

It was enough.

I felt a bit sick at the finish but I am proud to report that I did not toss my cookies. Thanks to teammate C for handing me the water. It was greatly needed.

Post race

One of the great things about the W.O.O.F. – in addition the gorgeous course (complete with bison), fantastic volunteers and being well organized – is the post-race party. There’s hot beverages, vegetable soup, bison burgers, baked beans, cornbread and baked goods. There were even local microbrews this year!

I had a bunless bison burger (x2) and vegetable soup.

Miles had a bottle.

As we were finishing up and getting ready to head out, we got the good news that we placed first in the relay. Mark packed up the stroller, and my teammates and I picked up our awards.

I guess we really were the Victorious Secret.

A big thanks to L for sharing her photos, C for being such a great cheerleader, C and L for being the best teammates ever, my husband for being an awesome support and Miles for sleeping most of the race.

Who else raced this weekend? How did it go?