In my quest to get back to shape somewhat quickly I am running races even though I am no where near my best shape or my best race times. This means I have to accept having my arse handed to me! I'm ok with that, as long as I run faster along the way, but it has brought me to another mile stone if you will. I am now "that girl", or even better "that woman"!
Recently I ran a 10k and briefly took the lead only to lose it again going up a hill that always causes me pain, whether I am in shape or not. After the race I wished the winner congratulations and asked who she was. She said she had just gotten done telling her mother that I was the woman who always won the race in her home town back when she was in High School. So basically, I'm old! LOL! I made sure I mentioned the fact that I had just had my second child 3 months ago!
This whole experience brought me back to when I used to run for WVU. It was either my Senior year or the year after that I stood on the starting line of an indoor mile with a 38 year old mother of two. My team mates and I looked at her like "this old lady has no chance, we are gonna crush her!" The gun went off and she proceeded to absolutely kick our arses, running a sub-5 minute mile on a slow track. I was impressed! I vowed that I would one day be that woman!
Now, I'm no where near a sub-5 minute mile, but I'm training hard and hope to be back there someday. That's the wonderful world of running I guess. Here I am 36 years old and I still feel the same as that 22 year old who thought she couldn't get beat by the old lady, and then I go to a race with a 22 year old and I all of a sudden feel like a 36 year old mother of two. But, I am proud to be that 36 year old mother of two, after all, I could just throw in the towel and never run a step again and keep all my mommy weight on and talk about when I was 114 lbs. back in the day and ran 17 minute 5k's.
My competitive self has vowed to never let that girl beat me again! At least not until after the next baby. We'll have to see.
