Lots to catch up on, race-wise!
Martinsville Half Marathon: March 24
My 16th half, where I had hopes of beating my PR of 2:10:56, which I set at this same race in 2011. Close but no cigar, with a finish of 2:12 and change. Why? It was 25 degrees warmer, albeit pleasantly rainy. Also, I started out way too conservatively and saved too much for the long climb at the end. Whatevs, I had a great time as usual, and Josh finished 2nd overall!
I wore relatively new (only three miles under their soles) Merrell Bare Access Arcs for this race and was very happy in them. Still am. These are my long-run shoes of choice as I increase my overall mileage for the 24-hour and 50K races on my fall calendar. I like how they hug my feet yet are roomy in the toe. The padded collar around the ankle is nice—that’s always a rubbing trouble spot for me. Plus, even though the Bare Access is zero drop, it has a little more stuff underfoot, which really helps ease my occasional numb/painful foot from the ol’ sciatica.
This year’s course was the same as 2011, but the organizers made one very welcome improvement by moving the awards ceremony inside the YMCA, right by the finish line. Last year’s post-race walk to and from the Big Chair was tough after running 13.1, and it was a little chilly standing outside in the March air. Kudos!
Weirdly, that’s the only race photo I showed up in. How did that happen?
Scott is still beaming after his sub-2:00.
Owl’s Roost Rumble Trail Half: April 28
My 17th half and my third on dirt. I had no goal in mind besides remaining upright and not breaking more fingers. (I broke my ring finger a few weeks earlier on one of the trails that make up this course.) Owl’s Roost fit into my general goal of running more trails this year. Basically treated it as just a fully supported long run with a T-shirt bonus. My finish time was 2:44 and change—better than my vague “let’s shoot for under 3 hours” agenda. I am so slow on trails that I’m well enough pleased with the result. Had a great time running and talking with pal Tommiann throughout the whole thing. We crossed the line together, which seemed appropriate.
Josh was going to run this one, but was uncharacteristically cautious after experiencing some weird aches and did volunteer course pointer duty instead. Scott crushed his sub-2:00 goal and apparently enjoyed a fair amount of dancing and hugging at the end. I might have to get faster just so I can witness this sort of thing. Shannon took a bunch of swell pictures after blazing to the finish.
Josh, Sunny, and Tito head to the start.
Greensboro Dog Jog: May 5
Of these three running events, this one might be my favorite. The Greensboro Dog Jog benefits Canine Companions for Independence, a fantastic organization that trains service dogs and provides them—for FREE—to people with disabilities. Free, people. That is amazing, considering other groups charge upwards of $20,000 for a well-trained service dog. And CCI’s dogs are indeed very well trained. Click that link and make a donation, why doncha.
Josh and Sunny had this race on their calendar for a while since his boss, Best Friends Bed & Biscuit, is a sponsor. Tito and I decided to go at the last minute. While Sunny loves to run and loves doggie daycare even more, turns out she doesn’t so much love crowds of people. She was a little nervous, but she still led the way to a first-place overall finish with Josh!
Tito, on the other hand, enjoys running, but loves crowds of people and dogs even more. He was sure everyone showed up just to worship him. He thoroughly enjoyed every second of the event. We started out quite fast—Tito dragged me along at well under a 10-minute pace. He was really into running with other dogs and didn’t stop until we hit the Bark Park at 3/4 mile, where he decided it was time for a poo. There was a LOT of pooping in this race, by the way! Even with the poop stop, little Tito and I cranked out a 10-minute mile.
The rest of the race saw more peeing and pole sniffing (Tito, not me), but the little guy is a lot more competitive than I realized. Whenever a dog passed us, Tito took off until we repassed the passer. This went on for the rest of the 3K race. We passed a boxer and poodle duo shortly before the finish line, and I swear I heard Tito chuckle.
At the end, Tito enjoyed a long drink of water, a couple of orange wedges (he LOVES oranges), and some delicious doggie treats. And? Tito placed first in his weight group! He was very pleased by all the people clapping for him when we went up to accept his award. I could not be prouder of the little dude.
