Running with the Turkey

Back in 2010, while visiting my husband's family for Christmas, I decided to register for a local inaugural 5K, the Turkey Chase in Bluffton, South Carolina. My dear sweet husband HIJACKED my race by deciding to run with me. He TRICKED me into running with him by breathing so heavily I thought he might die of a heart attack only to totally destroy me at the finish line with a Usain Bolt like sprint! (You can read the full recap here.)

The following year, I went back and snagged my 5K PR (that still stands...but I really think the course was a little short). I remember that day well...and with the experience I have now, I KNOW I could have run harder on that day. I didn't understand what it meant to be hyper-focused and I didn't understand what it meant to truly be uncomfortable. Oh how I wish I was in that kind of shape again.

In 2012 we didn't travel to my in-law's for Thanksgiving. In 2013 I was 2 months out from IMLT and 2 months away from having shoulder surgery so I didn't race it. In 2014 I was dealing with a weird "injury/not injury" in my leg as well as working toward a "Grand Slam" finish, so I didn't race it that year either. (Grand Slam is a local challenge where you run 3 50Ks and a marathon within a few months of each other.)  In 2015 I was two month out from IMChoo and, I didn't know it then but, I was starting to have symptoms of what I would be diagnosed with about four months later-Autoimmune Encephalopathy, so I didn't race it that year either. Last year I was very out of shape and Dwayne was in very good shape since he had just finished his own IMChoo so I watched him race it.

When we made the decision to go to my in-law's for Thanksgiving I told Dwayne I wanted to run the race but I wanted him to run with me. He is training for Rocket City (marathon) and he was told my his coach (NOT ME!) to run a VERY easy 6 miles that day. His brother had decided to run the race (as his FIRST 5K in like 25 years!!!). I knew if Dwayne didn't run with me, he and his brother would try to kill each other by racing. My running (which is 100% walk/running) has been very up and down so I knew it was just going to be a "fun run" and I can think of nothing more fun than running with my husband. He (reluctantly) agreed.

The weather is a little iffy that morning, colder than usual and a little rainy. I knew when I woke up I wasn't feeling 100% but I was really looking forward to the race. I love the course, well, the whole town! The race has grown A LOT from just over 100 people that first year to almost 700 registrants this year (655 finishers)! We got there and got signed up and then waited in the car to keep warm. A little bit before the race, naturally, I had to get in the port-o-potty line which was taking FOREVER. I had JUST enough time to take care of pre-race business and get over to the start line before the scheduled start time.

I'm guessing there were some pre-race announcements that we couldn't hear because the race was not actually starting on time but we had no idea why. As we were standing around (near the back since I knew I was going to run slowly), I looked around and was very saddened to see about 75% of the people around me had earbuds in. I won't get up on that soapbox right now, but I will say I wish they were strictly prohibited in races for many reasons and leave it at that.

As we were just about to get annoyed, the race started and we were off to a nice jog while Cedric (Dwayne's brother) quickly pulled ahead. We passed the road the course used to turn right on and Dwayne remarked that they must have changed the course since it's always just a little short. Two blocks later we were met with a VERY LARGE group running back toward us!! My first thought was that a big group had decided to quit the race!! My second thought was an overwhelming irritation that a race director thought it was a good idea to have an out and back in the first 1/2 mile of a 5K with over 600 people on the course!!

And then we found out that somehow we were ALL going the wrong way and that turn we thought we were supposed to make early on was STILL the course!! ((We found out after the race that JUST as the lead vehicle took off a truck pulled in between that vehicle and the runners, completely blocking off the runners so the leaders went straight until they were stopped and turned back around!!! I think it was in that very moment that Dwayne decided it was okay to be running "for fun" with me! Unfortunately, that decision wouldn't remain strong. About a minute later Cedric passed us again. He was MUCH further ahead when the race got turned back around. I know Dwayne really wanted to race him but he stayed back with me like he said he would.

I have been starting every "run" off with a warm up walk, but on this day I just took off at a slow trot thinking I would be perfectly fine. I was for about SIX whole minutes! That's one of the longest run intervals I've had in a long while so I was dismayed when I felt like I needed to walk because my shins were KILLING me. From then until about the last 1/2 mile I battled my stupid shins. I knew they were really fine because when I would walk they would loosen up and not hurt. But I wasn't "able" to run more than about a minute at a time and my walk breaks were sometimes 3 minutes long!! My poor husband was smiling on the outside, but I'm sure he was seriously regretting his decision to run with me on the inside.

I have to say running a race "for fun" when you are hurting isn't fun no matter who you're with. As we got closer to the end of the course I finally started warming and loosening up so I was able to "push" just a little at the very end. My sweet husband held back and let me cross the finish line before him. We came in 525th and 526th out of 655 runners. Because of the mishap at the start though, they didn't have actual awards. Some people, like Cedric (who came in 83rd by the way) ran almost 4 miles for the 5K! Dwayne and I we just slightly over at 3.26 miles.

My goal for next year, that Dwayne has NOT agreed to (and says he will NOT agree to), is to do either IMChoo or IMLou with Dwayne. Training for the race and completing the race, prepared and feeling good, is a DREAM to me. He did 99% of my training runs for IMChoo with me and I loved (almost) every minute of it. (I didn't love it when he would run up nasty hills like it was nothing, taunting me every step of the way...but I sure loved every other minute of those runs!) That is my idea of a most excellent way to spend a day!!

He says we have to wait and see what happens. I'm registered for the LR marathon in March and we are both registered for IMChoo 70.3 in May...so is Cedric!!!! Dwayne knows I'm not doing as well as I need to be to even think about starting to train for an Ironman. But I think the real reason he won't agree is that he knows he can't keep up with (trained and ready) me. He needs to do this race with me because Cedric is planning to sign up for one in 2019. We'll be the cheering team for his first one, but after that, the race between the DeBardelabens will be ON in 2020.

Thanks for stopping in and sticking around.
:D