Valentine Fanconi Anemia Run 12K

[Guest guest]

I am grateful for many things about today.  It didn't rain, for one thing.  I am grateful to have the Sweat Shop at work downtown to store all my stuff during the run and to stretch and take a shower there afterward. 

I am grateful I was able to finish the race! My sheer size and purple hair drew some attention to me.  I was the biggest 12K runner that I saw there but I only stopped to walk through the water station and my 2 self created water stations, and those walks were very brief.   I finished the race in 91 minutes gun time so I'm slow, this is a 12 minute mile pace, but I feel like I'm the tortoise, or better yet, the strong, large but slower Clydesdale horse that wins the race. 

There was a woman dressed in purple who cheered me on at both directions and high fived me, but better yet, as I passed the path that only the 12K runners got to go on, this fast HUNK AND A HALF running toward me said something and smiled.  Damn that I had my headphones on and can't read lips!!  He was extremely handsome in the Redford kinda way. 

I am grateful I was able to do the 12K because last year I did the 8K and had to walk 2/3 of it due to an injury.  The 12K continues on further into the Greenwood Trail, a scenic wetland area along the Willamette River, and it was nice to run the rest of it this year!

This race on the surface is nothing to write home about.  For me it's special because 1) it's my first race for 2012 and officially marks the start of running season for me, and   2)  I've never had a valentine my entire life so this is a way I get to actually celebrate it somehow. 

I find it ironic that I got my 10 day late period toward the end of this run for anemia LOL.   I'm wondering if I'm at the beginning of The Change since my period was so late and I've been hormonally depressed lately.  Hmm.

My only critque of this race is that while there were plenty of volunteers, there was only ONE water station at 1.5 miles.  Thank goodness I had my hydration belt with me!   You hit this same station on the way back but still..

I had confused the goodie section with that of the Jingle Bell Run.  I was expecting free NUUN tablets and lots of other good freebies but they didn't even have bottled water for this race but again I had my hydration belt so no biggie.  I had a banana, 2 orange wedges, 2 small packs of peanuts, one small Cinnabon and the best thing though was a large, quality garlicy bagel.  The usual.

My ankles are sore and the cyst isn't happy with me, but I'm not in any real pain, just fatigue type pain. Next weekend I do my 10 mile route in preparation for the Shamrock run 15K.  Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!