You know, the name of the race should have clued me in.
Or the course description:
“The course features a variety of running surfaces. You’ll run through sometimes sunny fields, along shaded trails in the woods, down and up hills, and at times on pavement in the heat and humidity that the area is famous for in August. ”
But I just wasn’t ready for the struggle that was this race. It was hot. It was hilly. It was disgusting.
And yet I still had a blast.
This was yet another race in the Annapolis Striders’ Champs Series (I’ve missed too many races to be considered for an award – not to mention I’m slow, but I’m still participating in all the races I can). And I was glad that Jon, Kim, and Big Jen were all running it too. Kim is my running partner in crime, and I miss getting to run with her more often. Jen was willing to be slow with Kim and me, and Jon never seems to mind waiting for us at the finish line, so we knew it would be fun.
The race started with two laps around a field before heading into the woods. I think it was around the second lap in the blazing sun that Kim said “Well, this sucks.” And it did. But it was a good challenge – running on different terrains and dealing with the heat and humidity. We walked more than normal, some of that due to my heart rate issues (the heat always makes my HR higher, which is why I love winter running), some of that due to the fact that we were melting.
At one point, I was so hot that I considered stripping off my shirt and running in my sports bra. And I am way too self-conscious about my belly for that. Ultimately, it was the lack of sunscreen on my pale white torso that kept all my clothes on my body.
The race took us a bit over an hour. No pace records here. We weren’t last, but we were close to it. But I think we had a good time, chatting and catching up during the race. Even a rough race is great with good friends.
Afterwards, Kim and I needed a break. (And to take a picture of us in our Run for the Dream shirts!) The break may have included ice cream.