Double Cap: CRIM and Merrell Down and Dirty

It was a bit of a crazy weekend. The problem with races are you sleep like a zombie and you wake up like a rooster. I already do not sleep well therefore adding 2 races to the equation took a toll on me.

The CRIM: Saturday August 24th 8am

• I got up on time because I kept getting up every 30 minutes from 3:30 am!
• The hubby was in a bit of a sour mood...we will chalk it up to pre-race jitters...
• Mom and dad were at the house at 6:15..The TIME we were SUPOSED to leave!

The RECAP: Saturday morning was a perfect 60 degree sunny morning. This was my 8th CRIM and my first CRIM that I would not be racing it rather running it with Austin. I was more thrilled to have the opportunity to run with my 14 year old then race it as I had in the previous years. Andy was also running the 10 miler.
I had a few emotional battles that I was working out.

1. I wanted to race this, run hard, barely be able to breath, pass people, and leave it all out there.

BUT....

TEAM SNAP FITNESS

1. I haven't been training for speed the past SEVERAL weeks. I have been training for my Ultra and training long slow distance.
2. I have taken the summer every Wednesday to train "Lauren" for her first Crim and promised her I would pace her the first 3 miles at a 8 min. pace and then let her fly.
3. I wanted so badly to be excited to run with Austin ONLY he wouldn't let me train him at ALL. He had a coach and I was no longer it. Therefore he NEVER trained past 7 MILES!!!
4. How was I going to pace "Lauren" and not bottom Austin out?? How was Austin going to run a decent race only going to 7 miles?
5. Austin and I were on a team for Snap Fitness.  "Jeff" was our captain who was rather excited for us to score big and I didn't want to let him down. However, I knew I was not going to be carrying the team well this year.
6. I had to give it to God and just go one mile at a time praying for the best.

AND THAT IS WHAT I GOT!

DAD, ANDY,AUSTIN,ALEC,ANITA, MOM

Andy, Lauren, Austin and I were gathered in the "B" corral. Lauren looked so nervous. I had no doubts that she was going to take 1st in her age. Every week we trained she was like a little cheetah out there. Her last 10 mile training run she ran a sub 8 minute pace. That is amazing for a 13 year old.

Lauren won her age division by 15 MINUTES!

The crowd began to run at the sound of "GO". Andy was quickly separated from us wishing us luck.
As the 3 of us took off I tried to lighten the mood with some fun conversation. We actually caught up to "Jeff" during the 1st mile and I laughed at him yelling "WOW, look at those Chicken Legs! MMM those are as smooth as mine, what do you shave with Jeff." People were turning their heads towards us and laughing all around.
Jeff was now behind us as we came unto mile 2. "Lauren" was itching to take off. Only I had trained with her long enough to know that if she blew out to fast the "Bradly Hills" were going to give her a hurting. "Come on down Lauren."
Almost to mile 3 "Lauren" began to disconnect from us. I yelled to her some words of encouragement and looked forward to seeing her at the finish.
"Austin, How ya doin?" I would ask every mile. I was trying to keep him at a sub 8 minute pace. We actually passed the 8 minute pacers but I could see Austin looking over his shoulder trying to stay in front of them.  I could hear him breathing and could see the sweat beading across his forehead. "Your doing great Austin, I am so proud of you, you are almost to the hills."
We took on the infamous Bradlys one by one. As we came down the 3rd and final one I could see Austin was getting tired. We were at mile 6 and he quickly regained his composure. I cheered and laughed with runners and the crowds. I saw a few runners out there I knew, one was "Mike", the guy I just met on the trail last Sunday. As I laughed it up Austin says "Mom, your Crazy."
As we ran through mile 7 I reminded Austin that we had just ran farther than he had EVER ran. He gave a grin over that thought. With mile 8 approaching I could hear Austins breathing getting heavy. His legs were beginning to hurt. We were by a very large cheering section. I lifted my hands in the air motioning them to get rowdy. At first they didn't know what to do and I saw a few of them pointing. Within seconds of me flaring my hands and smiling the crowd started to cheer us on. I reached out my hand and started giving everyone high fives.
"Mom, Your Crazy." I replied with a larger than life smile, "Austin, if you can't have fun then your doing it all wrong!" Then I followed up with "Besides, do you feel the excitement, can you feel how that gave you a kick start?" He smiled.
His legs were hurting. We had a mile and a half to go. "Mom, I just want to finish." He cried. "You got this Austin. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST...there is nothing in you that has the ability to finish this but with HIM it is already finished." I continued to talk God's strength into him. "Austin, I am praying for you." I started giving him landmarks to make it to one by one. As we came to mile 9 Austin mumbles "I think I am going to puke, I just want to finish." And again I showered him with Gods promises, "With his POWER, Austin, God already gave you VICTORY today, He has you already finished, You are done in less than 8 minutes, I am so very very proud of you.
We heard this loud music thumping and I began to dance down Miller rd. "Hip, Hop, Hippity... I gotta bang Bang... And all the ladies started laughing and yelling "Yeah Girl, That's it Baby.." And my shoulders were moving and "Rocking to the beat" and next thing I knew I did some crazing smooth turn at a 7:45 minute pace not missing a beat. That really had them all shouting. "YEAH Baby, WOO HOO, Come on Girl, That's it!!!!"
"Mom, your Crazy!" He was smiling through the sweat and pain.
"Last turn Austin, The BRICKS are right around the corner, You got this!"
As our legs landed on the uneven bricks with the finish just a few lights ahead I could feel Austin accelerating.
"Hey now, You better not leave your mom! I paced you this far don't leave me!"
"We have AUSTIN HARLESS finishing!!!" They recited his name across the speaker system!

He never vomited. He was so overcome with joy. We didn't even make it back fast enough to see Andy cross the finish line. Andy had a PR and had an incredible race also.

It was so much fun. I so many friends and other runners I know or have gotten to know.

Big Congrats to first time CRIM-ers JOAN, Jessica, Ken H, Lauren
To those who had PR's- Hiedi, Andy J, Bill K, Andy J, Matt A,
And to all those I knew that had a great race, Maryann J.,Ken K.,Kenneth H., Sara M., Paula G., Amber A,.Justin D, Lacey, Melissa, Ellen H., Anthony T. and Jeff B.

RUNDOWN:
Distance:10 miles
Pace:7:53
Time:1:18:58

Merrell Down and Dirty.
Sunday August 25, 2013 7:30am
10K Obstacles

I love this race. And I love that I got to run this with "DANIELLE"!
Another beautiful day. "Anthony T" found me about me 20 minutes before we started. We were all reunited from last years race with Shosh, and Jackie. It was fun to run this with them again. "Danielle" and I took off together with the rest of the group close by. We had about 3 obstacles every mile. We ran at Kensington on the trails. My knee was a bit achy so I was whispering to myself  "Light as a feather Anita."
Close by one another "Danielle" and I carried sand bags, climbed walls, did balance beams, climbed through tires, crawled through mud, waded through water, jumped over walls and seriously laughed and had so much fun together.

SUCH A Great TIME!! We even mustered 4 more miles afterwards!
ICE ICE Baby!!

Anita