My 1st Indoor Track Meet...

For XLMIC....Barton Hall....I'm the pink dot on the right.

Oh, the pain! 

Thing 1 asked me to take him to an open track meet today. I don't know what got into me but before I knew it, I was registered in the 1500M. I almost puked as I handed over my $3...especially when Thing 1 made me seed myself at 7 minutes.  I mentioned it as a lark the night before, and got some surprising supportive feedback so as I lay awake nervous as heck, I decided to do it.  Although it was an open meet, it was definitely overwhelmingly teenage there.  Like, a few older guys that can still kick ass on the track, a bunch of under-10 kids in the local running club trying out the track for the first time, some race walkers.....and me...suburban mom.  I do not run short distances.  I don't even really like running 5K's.  I like longer races where slow is cool.  Slow is not cool in the 1500M.  I had to wait around for a while before my race.  Thing 1 ran the 800 and did well.  He has been sick and after a round of antibiotics is starting to feel better running.  So today was a test.  And he hit his time easy and feeling good...no coughing up a lung, so all was good. I tried to pass the time by jogging the track beforehand.  Maybe a mile or so.  I wasn't counting.  They finally called my race & the slowest heat would run first...6:35 and slower....OMFG....this was NOT going to be pretty.  I think it's the most nervous I've been at a race start.  I felt so out of place.  But before I knew it the gun went off and so did I.  Longest 7 1/2 laps of my life.  The kids were awesome though.  I have to say, it so touched me that I heard so many of them cheering me on and encouraging me especially when I was feeling like I was going to die...somewhere around the 6th lap.  Such a good group of kids.  Thing 1 was even there calling my lap times to me.  It was hard.  Really hard. Harder than a marathon I think...at least to me.  But, oh my, so very satisfying that I put myself out there & as my MIL would say "didn't disgrace the family name"!

I just think this is adorable

7:17 ...I finished 2nd last....to a racewalker.

The best part of it though was Thing 1's take on it.  "I think you could have hit 7, but that's the most pain I've ever seen you in. You had a really bad pain face".

Frosty's gone Ragnar!

In other news, after I got home, I went to my first Ragnar Niagara team meeting! I am SO excited! I am Runner 6....around 19 miles and will run by my family twice during the race! Yay! We have an awesome group of women. It is stacking up to be a very fun time!

Thing 1 also reworked my marathon training plan.  It is going to be challenging, but I think he did make it better. If I can hit his splits, I will definitely go into my spring marathon a stronger, faster runner. Maybe even capable of beating Oprah ;-)

And because, who doesn't like a cat picture....Bad Kitty giving me the evil eye while hugging Thing 1.