(This blog title came from the back of an 80-year old woman's t-shirt at the Mini!) Well, my mom and I did it! We crossed the finish line of the Mini Marathon after walking for 3 hours and 8 minutes. Our time goal was 3h15m or under, but we ended up at an average pace of 14:23--which for walking, means we were clipping right along! I have to confess, as we were all standing in our corrals counting down to the start of the race, I felt a huge wave of longing pass over me, because I wanted to be running. You could feel the adrenaline and nervousness of the crowd--many probably first time runners, or those shooting for a PR--and I just wanted to take off with them. But I wouldn't trade the experience with my mom for that. I'm sure there are several more mini marathons in my future.
Here are some highlights of the race this year:
1. Hearing someone at the very beginning of the race say "Wow! That first minute went by fast!" Honey, you've got 180 more of them...give or take.
2. There are always not-so-great teenage garage bands lined up along the streets of the mini, but this year there was one group singing a horrible rendition of "Scotty Doesn't Know." At one point the lead singer yelled, "You guys keep walking, and we'll keep rocking!" An older man beside my mom and I yelled, "If I stop walking, will you STOP rocking??"
3. Getting my mom to run the last quarter mile of the race and seeing that running isn't so bad after all.
4. Every year you see someone doing the race that makes you stare in awe..i.e. someone with an artificial leg who's blowing past you. This year it was a blind man, who was clinging to his dad for guidance, but moving faster than we were. They even stopped for the bathroom at one point only to come back and pass us a few miles later.
5. My mom and I have a lot of the same quirks in that as knowledgeable as we are in our respective professions, and other life topics, we still have our ditzy moments. (Ask me about the first time I tried to deposit a check at the bank drive-up window a couple years ago.) During mile 2, my mom asked me, "What's the pitareea?" I had no idea what she was talking about until I saw her pointing to a sign by the porta-pots...the PIT AREA. In her defense, there was no space between the two words, and the letters were vertical instead of horizontal...but still, we had a good laugh about that.
6. And as always, splurging on a big dinner and knowing you deserve every calorie :)
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