Run Momma Run

Yesterday morning I competed in my first ever 10k, and as I sit down now to reflect on the race, I can just finally feel my legs getting stiff and lower back twinge with exhaustion. Because up until the moment I just sat down, I have been riding such a wicked high from starting and finishing a challenging 6.2-mile course that I watched even the most experienced runners stop and walk on. The Shamrock 10k started and ended at Asheville Catholic School, which is the school affiliated with our church, and winded you through the Grove Park neighborhood, up a mountain that overlooks the Inn and then back down through the Rose Garden on your way back. And if you’re not from this area, let me just simplify that for you: I ran up a MOUNTAIN.

And even though I had already practiced running the course, that steep incline up Cherokee kept me up the night before the race. And I also started to get nervous when I read the quote from Father Sheridan of St Eugene’s regarding the race in the paper the day before – “I rode up the 10k course in the car, and the car had trouble. The 5k has some hills, but it’s not as bad as the 10k. I told the parish, anyone doing the 10k, I’ll be there to give them their last rites.” Thanks for the pep-talk, Father.

Oh. And I was also a bit anxious about the race because all the pre-registered competitors’ tags were numbered alphabetically, making yours truly numeral uno. No pressure.

And because it was a SHAMROCK 10k, St Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and green is just a good-looking color, my friends Paige, Kelley and Lessye decided festive attire was a must.

Well. I was a ball of nerves before the race. A even with Chris and T coming with to cheer me on, I was almost too anxious to eat breakfast that morning. I stretched and was ready to go by the time they pulled the trigger, and after fighting through the initial mass of runners and finding a good pace, I settled into my run and jammed out to my iPod. My playlist was timed to the course, with First Tube pumping through my ears and propelling my legs up the side of the mountain. And I started to pass people. I even passed some obvious hardcore runners, complete with their skeletal frames and bionic gear. And I didn’t let the incline get into my head. And then I finished. And other than labor, it was the most physically challenging thing I have ever done. But, I finished. I crossed the finish line in 1:02, scoring me as the 12th fastest female in my age group. Which, out of 350-plus runners, makes me say, Yea, me!

And all of Team Momma kicked some serious tail at the race, with Lessye finishing in less than an hour, and Paige and Kelley right behind me.

And I’m so proud of all of my friends, especially Paige for deciding to run it at the last minute as a birthday present to herself. Happy Birthday, Friend – I am so proud of us!