Today was my first post-baby race. I didn't even know what to set as a time goal, but I knew I could probably at least go under 19. I thought 18:30 was likely, and 18:00 would be a big surprise. Actually, my main goal was to come in second overall behind Teren. It's hard to gauge how this race really went. I think Murray will be a better indicator of my fitness. I warmed up 3 miles and did 6 30 second strides. The race started about 5 seconds from the actual start/finish line. This is the first race where I actually had a running start. The run started through the park. I missed a turn and had to backtrack. This actually happened a couple times throughout the race. The course was not marked very well. It did a ton of turns through the neighborhood, and sometimes you couldn't tell where to turn until you were right up on it. The first one I missed, I actually came to a complete stop and waited for the next person. I was in second place throughout most of the race. A Taylorsville High track graduate reeled me in during the third mile. I knew there was no way I was going to outkick an eighteen year old boy who would never let a 35-year-old mother of three pass him. So, I ended up third overall. I really want my fitness to come back faster, but I keep telling myself, "Just get fit. Next year will be a great year if I stay healthy." But, I'm off to a good start. Teren and I ran the course again for a cooldown, and then ran 2 miles back home. I don't think I'll do Zumba before a race again.
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