The Turn Around-Mama's Virtual Race Report

Wednesday Hump Day sounds funny, but like an out and back run it marks the turn around to the work week. This week is a special week for MCMama as she locks down another decade. In celebration she has organized a pretty freaking awesome virtual race with varying distances. Since I had 4.0 on my schedule today I was ready to rock it out.

4.0 miles in 47 hard earned minutes

So a smart person would have done a before picture, I am not a smart person and as you will read, a post race picture was so not going to happen.

Plan: meet a girlfriend at 5:15 for a 4.0 miler before the heat sets in with a goal of 42 minutes or less.

What actually happened: I woke up at 3:30 am anxious about a big presentation at work. Fell back asleep, woke up with digestive issues and was running late for the 5:15 run. I guess book club night at the movies with a pre-meal of wine, cheese and salami is not the best pre race meal. I step outside in my long sleeve and it feels like 75 degrees already and humid. Oh wait, it gets better, I took the wrong exit on my way and was even later than expected.

Race Time: We started out on a country road and about a mile in (11:26 pace) I knew it was going to be a rough one, darn pre-race "meal". At mile 2 I had picked up pace (10:30). Approaching mile 3 I had to walk a little just to ensure that my intestines wouldn't fall out. At about this time my run went to hell in a hand basket. A wild dog came running from a farm house and my partner who was a few steps ahead of me was prepping to discharge her pepper spray. I of course did not see her doing this because I was watching to see if the dog was actually going to cross the road to come after us. My partner swung back towards me and the dog and discharged the spray. The dog was too far away, but not to fret my face picked up the slack. Wouldn't want to waste pepper spray after all.

So of course we stop running, I am completely blinded in my left eye and my right eye is tearing pretty badly. Oh yeah, and my face is on F-I-R-E! My friend is obviously worried about me and worried about the dog, ahem, now two dogs that are way too close for comfort. I couldn't see them, but the ferocious barking sounded scarily close. We are running in Walnut Orchards and I just so happen to hear sprinklers. My partner grabs my arm and walks me over. I rinsed, rinsed, rinsed while she yelled at the top of her lungs "Go Away Dog" and threatened to pepper spray them. Was enough was out of my eyes we start walking to make sure the dogs wouldn't chase us. When we were far enough away we resumed running. My friend was mortified to say the least, but really it wasn't that bad. So we start trucking along and I have completely forgotten about my digestive issues, we're going to salvage this run after all. Then about a 1/4 mile later a duster started spraying the Walnut trees and we had to pull our shirts over our faces to be able to half way breathe for about an 1/8 of a mile. Yeah, apparently pepper spray wasn't enough. Half mile from her house I my body remembers I have having digestive issues. And that is how the 47 minute 4.0 mile Mama Goes Master's Virtual Race came to an end.

I had long sleeves that I used to wipe my eyes over and over. Unfortunately the skin on my wrists were on fire for a couple hours even after my shower from pepper spray being wiped on them. My lips burned for a couple hours and my face felt the pepper burn until about lunch.

I was going for a "Do Over" tonight at the track, but the heat was awful and I had an opportunity to run with a group instead of alone so I did a leisurely 3 miles instead.

Thankful Three

1. For great stories to tell, I mean really Bears and Pepper spray in one week? I'm a lucky girl.
2. For running partners, totally worth the pepper spray in the face.
3. For 4-Food Groups Dinner, classic in our house and delicious every time.