Run the Gates 5-Miler

Yesterday I ran one of my favorite races, the Run the Gates 5-Miler.  This is the fifth time I've run this race.  Here are my results from those races:
2008: 46:43
2010: 51:58 (I'm chalking this up the fact that Shane was only a year old)
2011: 44:14
2012: 41:33 (3rd in my age group!)
And in 2013: 41:33--good enough for FIRST PLACE in my old-lady age group!  SO EXCITED.

Despite the fact that I'd already run this race FOUR times, my dumb brain didn't think to bring a hand-held water bottle with me.  It was HOT.  And considering the weather had been so inconsistent over the past few weeks, my body hadn't adjusted to the warm temperatures yet.  Despite the 120+ ounces of water I'd consumed on Saturday, I felt thirsty and dehydrated by Mile 1.  Multiply that thirst and dehydration by a million billion and that's how I felt at Miles 2, 3, 4, and 5.  Between miles 3-4 there was NO WATER, not even any friendly neighborhood folk spraying their hoses at us like the usually do.  I was grunting and heaving and swearing so loudly I'm surprised the medics didn't come for me.  As I'm dragging my tongue on the ground the jerk guy in front of me had the audacity to dump his water bottle over his head.  What the heck?!?! 

Despite the fact that it was a VERY uncomfortable race, my legs felt like lead, and I wanted to stop and walk numerous times, I think I impressed my kids by sprinting across the finish line.   They'd been playing on the playground all morning and were exhausted and cranky so we left before the awards ceremony.  Any honestly, I felt like my run was so crappy that there was NO WAY I could've placed.  (I felt AWESOME last year and placed third)  SUPER-SURPRISED to find out this morning that I placed first in my age group!  So what if I was the only 34-39 year-old who ran?  I'm thrilled!  (Kidding.)

I'm not smiling because I'm actually happy.  I'm smiling because the race is OVER.

LESSON(S) LEARNED:
1) Self-talk is really powerful.  I was screaming at myself to "DIG DEEP!" without caring who heard!
2) Encouraging others helps YOU.  By telling fellow runners to "Keep going!" and "You got this!" I started to believe it myself.  Go figure.
3) When in doubt, carry water.
4) Don't skip town before the awards.