My first MCM10K race (and not my last!)

My first MCM10K and it was a BLAST! Especially since I couldn’t even walk so well last Wednesday. Big time High 5 to Dr. Cheryl Lee-Pow! Throughout the race, I met some of the nicest people and saw some of my TNT friends. I’ll definitely do this again. What a great way to spend the day!!

The day started crazy as I have a clock-radio that automatically changes for daylight savings. The problem is it was programmed before the change so my clock said 3 am when it was actually 4 am. Thankfully I programmed my mobile phone alarm as a backup. That would have been a big problem, especially since I was picking up a friend at 5:15.

We left early since Metro was single tracking the trains and Sunday service is only every 20 minutes. We figured we get there early instead of worrying whether or not we would miss the start. We even found someone from the USO who offered us coffee.

Everyone seemed to be in really good moods and there really weren’t any strangers, just new friends. I was struck by the number of people running in memory of someone Killed in Action (KIA) and how young these people were. It’s true that a family joins the military, not just an individual. I was also in awe of the young people (most likely in the service) that were running with one or two prosthetic legs. How in the world could I complain about my leg problems when these guys had lost one or both legs. It really made me get over myself and keep going.

It was freezing cold this morning before the start and I had frozen piggies until Mile 2.The bridges had ice on them, so I said “no way” to running until I got back on asphalt. I’m sure I lost a lot of time, but I couldn’t take a chance, especially with the Rockville 10K next week. My legs are still cramped (my chiropractor had to work on one of them after the race (she ran too)), but at least they managed to get me through the race at a decent pace. Not my fastest race, but definitely a ton of fun. I had to make a  stop just around Mile 6, which cost me a few minutes, but hey – after having to slow down at the beginning, I wasn’t concerned about the time.

Once I got to Crystal City, the mechanics of my running were much improved. I felt the muscles warming up, I could finally feel and move my toes, and I could run longer without walk breaks. The crowds and military volunteers were beyond awesome! Plus how can you justify walking when a Marine is telling you that “doing great…keep it up…you can do it.”

I was so happy to get to Route 110 not because we were almost done, but because there finally were some hills. Flats are worse on my calves than hills, so I finally got some relief. I even reeled in a few folks. 🙂

I really couldn’t believe how fast the miles ticked by. Before I knew it, I was running up the last hill to the finish line. I misjudged the distance and started my kick too soon, but managed to hold on and finish strong. Then it was over to collect my finishers medal, take a picture in front of the Iwo Jima memorial, find my friends, and go to Rosslyn for the Festival. There was a beer tent (the first stop after getting our results). I don’t really like beer, but it tasted like liquid gold. Then off to UPS to collect our belongings (these people are super organized!), and then to the Metro to go home.

Getting up a 4 am isn’t easy, but I’ll gladly do it again for this race and others. While I was slower than usual, I’m cutting myself some slack as I am rehabbing some injuries.

As long as I’m having fun, then I’m gonna keep running!