Race Day!

So I've been debating on how to tell the race day story.  So I decided to tell the story in context of some of my playlist.  Because, it's all about the playlist. 

Pre-story:

Tuesday before the race, I was in a car accident.  Someone got their pedals confused, and slammed into the side of my car.  My back was not happy for a few days, so I didn't train at all last week.  The week I cut my hand, I didn't train at all, because I didn't want to screw up the stitches.  

Race Day:
At 4:30 am, I woke up with extreme race anxiety, to the point where I wanted to pack up and go home.  Dana had a moment where she had to convince me to stay.  So I ate some breakfast, we packed up, and got there early.  We had our moment with the paparazzi (otherwise known as Dana's parents).  We got to the corral and then tried to stay warm.

While standing there I received many compliments on the shirt.  I love the shirt.  My apologies to Charm City Run, as I would have worn a CCR shirt if it had been warmer.  Alas, it was cold.  I listened to "I Will Survive" ala Cake, while waiting in the corral.  (My green shirt was long sleeve, my Charm City Run shirt is short sleeved.  Oh well, next race)

Promptly at 8:15 am, the race began.  As I crossed over the start line, I hit play on the iPod. 

Playing at the start line: Tik ToK by Ke$ha

I'm a slow runner.  I'm a new runner.  It was like playing a weird version of Frogger, trying to get to a spot where I wasn't in anyone else's way.  Walk, Walk, Walk, Run, Run, Run, and I get to the clock at mile #1.   

Playing at mile #1: Lose Yourself by Eminem...Internal Monologue at that moment: 17 Minutes?  17 Minutes?  Awesome!
During "Lose Yourself," I almost lost it.  In the intro: "If you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you wanted in just one moment, would you take it, or let it slip?"  I have had a goal of running a 5K for years, and I was on my way to do it.  In addition to that, I'm about to live out a childhood dream.  I'm heading to camp...to one of my favorite places on Earth!  

During mile #2, I was taking it pretty easy.  People kept passing me, and complementing me on my awesome shirt.  I even had 2 people thank me for allowing them to pass!  I had some great music to keep me going.  Let's be serious, "What you Own" + "Don't Stop Believin" + "Three Little Birds"?  Awesome.  The water break was also helpful...I was beginning to need some water.  

Playing at mile #2: So What by Pink...Internal Monologue at that moment: How long did it take me to do that mile?  It took me a few minutes to do the math.  It was about an 18 minute mile.  So I was consistent.  And yes, I am still a rock star, thank you Pink.  

The course got really narrow at this point (narrower than it had been before).  And I'm thinking to myself that I'm going to finish in under an hour, which was my goal.  I get to the top of a hill, and I can see the side of the Art Museum, which means the finish line is approaching!  I believe I was listening to "Early Bird" by Erasure and Cyndi Lauper.  It might have been the Backstreet Boys, I can't remember.  Regardless, at the very moment that I realized I could do the race in 55 minutes, I tripped and fell.  I scraped up my knee and my left hand pretty badly.  Some folks helped me get up, and someone handed me some napkins to initially clean up my knee.  So I had conversation with myself.  I could still run, or I could walk the rest of it.  I had a 3-5 second moment where I kinda wanted to give up.  I could let a "simple" fall keep me down.  Or I could keep going.  And then it passed.  I brushed myself off and just kept going, pausing occasionally to wipe blood off my knee.  And then.  I saw the official clock.  And I was shocked.  Absolutely shocked.  The clock said 53:30.  Before this, my fastest training run was 55 minutes. So, I started running at full speed down the hill to the finish line.  My official chip time was 54:05!  (Clock time: 54:16!)  I did it!  I couldn't believe that I beat my best training run by a minute.   I believe I was listening to the Remedy by Jason Mraz when I crossed the line.  Dana and Dana's Parents were waiting for me.  I was nearly in tears, as I was so proud of myself.  I did it!  As I said, I have wanted to run a 5K for years, and I finally did it!
After that, I got my knee cleaned by the medics.  It's healing well.  I think.  I had it looked at after I got back to Baltimore.  It still hurts a bit, but it looks much better than it did on Sunday.
It's been a couple days since the race, and I'm still shocked that I ran it in 54:05.  I'm looking at races to run in the fall.  My goal is to run one in the fall in 50 minutes.  By this time next year, I want to be at a 45 minute 5K.  I think that's pretty attainable.  (East Coast Friends - Who's with me for my next race?)

Here's the official play list:

TiK ToK

Somebody to Love (ala Glee)

Come on Eileen

Lose Yourself

According to You

What you Own

Don't Stop Believin

Three Little Birds

So What

Say Hey

I want it that Way

Holding Out for a Hero

Early Bird

The Remedy

4 Minutes