Fiesta Five Flags 5k

Boy, what a weekend it was!!  The itinerary was a busy, hectic one: Sand Volleyball, Hot Air Balloon Glow, racing then straight on to see our granddaughter in her Show Choir performance in Hattiesburg.  She was beautiful!!  I don't think she missed a step and they performed a LOT.  We are so proud of her.  What a weekend...whew!!  It was tough but we got it all done.  None of these things were in the same vicinity...can you say, "on the road again"?? 

Friday, the 1st, we went to the beach in Gulf Shores to watch the Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship.  Gorgeous day it was.  Some of those girls were soooo dark, especially from Long Beach State, California.  Could all those girls play volleyball!!  Guess that's why it was a National Championship. 

The Hot Air Balloon Festival began on Friday, too.  Since we knew our weekend was packed we decided to go on Friday night and see the Hot Air Balloon Glow and miss the rest of the weekend's treat.  It was cool!  Here are a few pics. 

Getting to bed early was a challenge because we needed to be up early.  Unfortunately, it ended up being our normal going-to-bed time.  Waking up to the alarm the next morning at 3:45, our Saturday began.  We had a favorite race of ours ahead of us.  Normally, it takes about an hour to get to Pensacola and the race began at 7:30.  Great time for a race, if you ask me!  We didn't pick up our packet Friday and since Pensacola was a little ways away; hence the earlier rise time.  Also, everyone had to be bussed to the Starting Line and the last bus left at 6:30.  We took a different route going to Pensacola this day and boy, did it cut off some time!!  A lot of it.  We have now found our new route to Pensacola.  Though a little early [we are early people anyway], we were fine with that.  The temp was perfect!  It was 52 when we got out of the car.  No wind and a gorgeous day.  One couldn't ask for anything better for racing. 

I was so unprepared for this race and wanted to be "ready"...but it is what it is.  Reason behind this: I attended a scrapbook crop the weekend before.  Okay...you say but that was the previous weekend.  The deal is that this was a 24 hour crop for 3 days.  I am one of the few that do all my work standing.  Aha!!  That's the deal!  Yep, that's the deal.  By the time I'm finished with any crop my ankles are swollen pretty bad; so much so that they hurt.  I'm not worried about this except it takes an average of TWO+ days afterward before I can get on my feet again running or walking.  For the first time, the swelling and discomfort lasted longer.  :(  Hence...not much preparation for the race the week OF the race.  I knew it would be tough but there was no way I was going to miss either event.  For one thing, I WON the crop!!  I love my life now!! 

Back to the race.  I was real nervous about this race as I had a goal this time to beat my last 5k time.  We started out and I really felt pretty good.  My knee hurt as I warmed up before the race and I was anxious about that.  But as the race got started, it didn't hurt.  Whew!!  Though the course is pretty much flat there is a hill going over the bridge in the 2nd mile and a HUGE hill going down a long street in the 3rd mile...hence, "kneeeee challenge".  Settling into my pace, I felt pretty good.  As I crossed the Finish Line I noticed that I had beat my time by 9 seconds!!  I know, you say that's not much...BUT...every second is a lot when you race.  What an encouragement!!  I can hardly wait until I get my time down by another minute or two.  I KNOW I can do this. 

I'm now looking forward to my next race...whatever that is.  It may be in the fall as I am not a summer racer.  I won't stop running but not sure about the racing.  I've now gotten excited about racing again.  It's been quite a while and I want those feelings back...whatever the time may be. 

Kent did VERY well, too.  He came in ahead of when he had hoped and that paid off.  He placed in his age group.  This is a tough race to place as there are many there.  Congrats, Honey...I am ALWAYS proud of you and you ALWAYS inspire me to do my best. 

I leave you with one thing.  Never give up!  Do what you can, whatever it is.  Some days are better than others and you will push through it.  I'm ready to be injury free.  It will soon be two years that I have fought "something" with two things being major...but I won't give up!  Reach for that better time or PR or whatever eludes you at this time and go

Run 4 It!!