10Kan 5K and Children's run

Well here it goes..... This was the First Novellis 10Kan Race. It featured a 10K, 5K and children races.

On Friday, the boys and their friend Larry, got to run in the children races. Why they had it on a separate day, I don't know. But I took 1/2 a day from work, picked up the boys from Elisabeth's as soon as they got off the bus, and headed to Oswego so they could run. It was an enjoyable time. They had air hops for the kids, face painting, a skateboard demo, and other things to keep them going. This was sponsored by the Oswego YMCA also. We meet Andy's friend Larry and his parents Kevin and Kathy Hatter. They are the one's how told us about the race.

How they had the races set up was very different. There was a 5 Year Old and Under race, a 6-7 Year Old race, a 8-9 Year old race, and 10-11 Year old race. Brian was in the 5 and Under race. They only had to go 70 yards. Brian can do alot more than that, but he was up for the challenge. They had the run in the baseball field. Brian asked me to wait for him at the finish line. "I'm OK by myself" were the words out of his mouth. So I go to the opposite side of the field to wait for him. The official says go......about 30 little kids take off. It was so funny to see. Here is my son, it looks like he is running for his life. Damn......I left the camera in the car. Three girls then pass him. He starts to build up a little more speed, but just can't do it. He finished in 4Th place...the first boy. He was so proud when they gave him the brand new soda can top with a lanyard around it and a sticker that said 10Kan run. It was his first racing medal. Then he realized that everyone was getting one. But that is OK....."I was the first boy" he says to me. He's got the bug.

They then had the 6-7 Year old race on the road. They only had to go 1/4 of a mile. I did not know anybody in that race. So I really was not paying attention.

Next is Andy's and Larry's race. the 8-9 Year Old. They get to the start line. Larry is up in front. Andy positions himself in the back, like he knows what is going to happen. They say go and all the kids take off. Andy is pacing himself towards the back. They make the kids go up a hill and I see Andy start to walk. I tell Brian, "Come On we have to cheer Andy on!!" Our friend Kevin (Larry's Dad) starts running with Andy and keeps him going. Brian and I get there and try to cheer him on. Larry now goes pass Brian and I. Kevin looks at me. I say go with Larry I'll stay with Andy. Kevin goes with Larry and I have Brian run with them. I know that Brian runs with Andy, that will bring him down. At the turn around they give the kids a drink of water. Andy gets one and starts to walk, I get him motivated to start running again. We get a slow pace going, but it really does not stop. I now understand how Teresa felt last week. We get to the last turn and Andy tell me to go away.....He is the last person to run in and he does not want his mother with him. So I run in the grass to the finish line. Here he comes and everybody is cheering him on!! He starts to run faster.....at least he learned something from his mom!! He gets the same medal as Brian.....but he is a little down from finishing last.

Saturday morning is my race. After what had happened at the Bud Run, I can only go up from there. I'm getting an OK feeling. I left the boys at home with Ron. Ron was so sick!! He got the sinus and cold that Trac and Wendy had. He was up all night and I knew that it was not a good thing to have him there. At home would be alot better. I meet up with Kathy Hatter, and her running friends. You got to understand, all of these people ran the Rochester Marathon last weekend....a 10K is nothing to them.

So I start to get a little down, then I start to think. Nobody know me here I'm going to treat it like a normal run. I make my goals not to walk and to run up Washington Street Hill and the hill at SUNY Oswego. I think that is reasonable goals.

The race starts at 10am. I start to realized that most of the course is uphill. But that is ok. It is just a normal Saturday Run. Something about this race, there was volunteers all throughout the course. They all gave encouragement throughout the race. It reminded me of the Harborfest race. I don't remember not seeing a yellow volunteer shirt at least every .1 miles, sometime even less.

I get to Washington Street Hill, mile one is in the middle of that hill. It is a very moderate incline. I get into a grove and I start to see people walking on the hill. I just keep saying to myself you can do it....just keep your feet moving to the beat. And that is what I do...I get to the one mile mark and the first water stop. I take a drink but don't slow down. I don't want to lose the grove that I have. We are now on the Campus of SUNY Oswego and we turn into the east side of campus. I made it. I made it up the hill and did not stop. One of three goals down. We are now going down a incline over to the President's house. This is the lowest spot on campus near the lake. I think this is the only flat stop.

I get to the turnaround spot for the 5K and the 10K people keep on going. I make the turn around and see the very steep hill on the campus. This is the steepest hill that they have. I remind myself of my goal. Now everybody is walking up this hill. The girls that passed me are even walking. I'm not. I keep on going and I make it up the hill. I did not stop!! Yeah to myself, I made it up.

Now we have to head back down Washington Street out of the campus and back to Briebeck Park. I head towards the steam station the same way that we came out to campus and the fastest 10K runner sprints by me. DAMN. He is fast. Just keep your pace Sue, I tell myself. I think that was some of my problem is that the 5K runners were passing me on the Bud Run. I knew that they would be done even before I got to Mile 2. Mind Games I like to play.

After I settled down, I got into the groove and went up the last incline. I was more speedwalking then running up that incline. But I did not really lose my speed, just the pounding of my feet. I get to the last turn and I start to run instead of a speedwalk. I'm almost done. I see the park and know that the finish line is near.

I get into the park and now speed up. It really was not that fast because at the same time I was doing that the first 10K female blows right by me. I don't let that get me down. I cross the finish line. I finish at 36:52.75. This makes a 11:53 m/m. I feel great about this...after the Bud Run I really did not run during the week. I just did not have any oomph because of how I finished. I did 2 1/2 of my goals. I can't count me not stopping as a whole goal because I did speedwalk up the last incline near the steam station. I am very happy with me time.

After I finished the Race, one of the EMT's from Novellis came up to me, handed me a bottle of water and looked right in my eyes and asked me if I'm OK. I told me yes and he said "Are you sure?" I must look like I'm ready to die when I finish every race.

I waited at the finish line for Kathy to finish the 10K. She does the race in about 50 minutes. Great after doing a Marathon a week before!!

They had great goody bags that I was able to pickup on Friday night. The kids got good goody bags too. Much better than some of the races that I have done. They had a Wellness Tent after the race that had wonderful booths. I got my bone density tested and got more goodies to take home. They had beer, but where they had the beer set up was out in the open. Right in the sun. So I did not partake in that.

After the wellness tent, I tell Kathy and Kevin (who showed up later with Larry) that I have to go. I still have grocery shopping to do before I go home. Kathy says that if I win a prize that she will get it for me. I laugh and say I won't get a prize.

When I get home from shopping, Andy says that someone just called and left a message on the machine for you. It was Kathy. I place in my age group and she will give me the medal on Sunday when the kids were in religion. I see her today and I won 1st place in the women's 35 -39 age bracket. All I could do was laugh. I get on the timing company's web site to check out the ages of everybody who ran/walked. Yes, I was the first in that age group. There is nobody before me and only one walker after me. But as Andy says, "Mom be proud. It is your first medal?" Thank God for the young.

The next race is in my Hometown of Burnt Hills, NY. This is were I got my PR for a 5K of 33:33. I want to do better. Now I got an incentive to run. This course is alot flatter compared to the last one that I ran, so I can only go up from here!! Brian is going to do the fun run. I think that I got the boy hooked. Andy on the other hand is still a little down, but I think once he sees his brother race and he is not doing it? One can only hope so.

Apple Run here comes the Thorp's!!!