Cheetah Run - 5K Recap

What better way to spend birthday morning than running a 5K?

Oh, I don't know, maybe NOT getting up before the asscrack of dawn to drag a cranky husband and toddler down to the zoo to watch you run said 5K?

I decided that I wanted to do the Cheetah Run this year. I almost did it last year, and it would have been my first race, ever. After Sunday, if I had done the Cheetah Run last year I might have sold off my running shoes and given up on trying to be a runner, altogether.

Why?

Two words: Holy. Hills.

As my running buddy said, "if I had to design the cruelest 5k course ever, it would look something like that!"

Don't get me wrong, I knew there were going to be hills. The hilly reputation is known far and wide. What I didn't know was just how long and steep those hills were going to be. I was expecting the hills in the zoo, but I thought they would be gentle, rolling hills that I would handle with grace and swiftness. I wasn't expecting the gigantic ass-kickers of hills that were waiting for us outside of the zoo gates. Grace and swiftness went out the window. Instead, there was huffing and puffing and gasping for air and spitting (so that I didn't puke) and R-rated-mantra-repeating (more on that in another post). Plus, I stopped to walk when I got my cup of water. I needed that water. Turns out I could have used those 10 seconds at the end, but whatevs. I'm alive.

When the dust settled and I didn't feel like keeling over anymore, I finished in 26:22:00. I didn't even halve my 10K time, which makes me feel kind of crappy, but then I remind myself that there were hills on this course, and I had run 15 miles on my legs the day before, and I start to feel a little less bad. Besides, I still finished 31/686 women. I guess that's not too bad. And we were all schooled by the women's winner, who was a TEN YEAR OLD GIRL. That's right, we were all outrun by a kid. She was speedy, no doubt.

Looks like I've got some work to do to meet one of my 30 by 30 goals. Next time I'll pick a flatter course. Do they make courses that are all downhill?

But look how excited I am to be 30!



Here is me posing with Charlie after my race and his Cheetah Cub Run. He was SO proud of his ribbon, but he wouldn't come anywhere near me. "Don't touch me, Mama, you're wet and yucky!"



Moral of the story: Cheetah Run is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Cute tech shirt, tough course.