Running to the finish Bazan Bay 5K finish line. Thanks for the photo Christi Lundman
This is what happiness looks like! I ran my first race since October 2017 and since being injured in December with a piriformis injury, aka a pain in the butt.
My running the Bazan Bay 5k was pretty much timed because I was feeling in much better running shape and so that I could support my Bastion Run Club effort to win the Vancouver Island [Road] Race Series award. We came in a very close second with fabulous performances by all who ran. Congrats to the CEEVACS team for winning first place! Bastion will be back next year!
I rode from Nanaimo with a teammate to Sidney and we chatted about our injuries and about how happy we were to be still running into our second half-century. We were philosophical about how things had changed… our bodies in particular as well as our attitudes. Thanks, Jane!
At registration, I was so delighted to meet so many teammates and fellow competitors after such long a hiatus. Hugs and well wishes were exchanged and then it was off for a warm-up. A piriformis injury requires a lot of warming-up, the muscles have to get engaged and relaxed at the same time. In other words, warm and loose! A pre-race massage probably would have helped! I warmed up with a bunch of teammates as we all got into the spirit of the event. The excitement mounted as we approached the start line.
But somehow this race was different. There were no butterflies in my tummy. No internal conversations about pace and place. I felt so relaxed and was having so much fun hugging teammates and fellow competitors.
Before I knew it, the race was underway. And away I went – cautiously – across that start line. I figured I’d run on effort and not by pace, although admittedly I started my watch at the gun sound. Habit!
As I ran and stacks of runners passed me, I didn’t feel bad. I was enjoying the event. There were photographers and cheering friends and family members lining the course. As I passed them, I thanked all the course marshals who were all very supportive. And yes, admittedly, I even asked for “more cowbell” from one of the bell swinging cheerers! Volunteers and supporters deserve so much credit!!! I even thanked the traffic controllers although admittedly they were not cheering or as friendly. Perhaps they had other plans for Sunday morning than watching more than 500 runners stream by!
Hitting the 1k mark I was just over a 5k pace. Not bad for an old injured runner, I thought. I kept plodding along being buoyed by teammates who tossed out encouraging words to me as they ran past. I was not hurting, but I wanted to run carefully. Plus I have to say, a butt injury does not help with cardio. I had lost a lot of that over the last few months, but ask me about flexibility. I have gained a lot of that stretching out a piriformis injury for months. But flexibility doesn’t win road races! Clearly, I wasn’t out to win!
At about the 2k mark the lead runners had turned the corner in the out-and-back course and I was into full-on cheering mode. The only thing missing were pom-poms! Everyone I knew got a cheer from me, even if I couldn’t remember their names! They were blitzing it down the course. “Go, Shelby!” “Way to go Melissa!” “Whoa Jane – looking good!” “Go Bastion!”
Swinging around the turnaround at 2.5k was very satisfying. I could then see that I was not at the end of the pack like it almost felt like. Now I could encourage the other runners behind me! “Looking good!” “Keep it up!” “You can do it!”
I simply could not keep the smile off my face as I checked my watch with 1k to go and I was at about 23min. That meant that I could finish this race under 30min. And that would be a win for me! I picked up my pace and sped (in my mind) through the finish line to the sound of lots of cheering fans! A time of 28:39 could not have been more satisfying! And better still I wasn’t in much pain.
Bastion Run Club finish line group photo. Thanks for the photo Kevin Stedmon.
I was greeted by teammates for a group photo at the finish line. What a great group! Then there was water, please, now! Lots of conversations with friends (teammates and competitors). So much love and happiness! My hair was wild, my cheeks were red, sweat poured down my face and my heart was full!
A 16th place finish out of 25 60-64-year-old women was just fine by me! By the way, that is a lot of awesome 60+ women runners! Plus the other women in the older categories, too! Next year I hope to be back and maybe recapturing one of the top three places once more, but for now, I’m just happy to be racing again!
I am a runner.
Great to read this- so happy you are back in action!