Cap10K 2011

We did it!!!!
TBO and I ran the Cap10K in Austin.  It was an awesome day!  The weather was perfect. Cool and overcast.
We ran faster than we thought by about 10 minutes.  So overall we are declaring victory.
This whole race day was one big adventure.  The first adventure was riding the bus.  We decided to ride the bus instead of trying to park downtown.  This was TBO's first bus ride.  I had ridden a couple of weeks before.  We figured out the best route to get us as close as possible that didn't require a transfer.
We got to the bus stop early and the ride was perfect.  Other than TBO not letting the blind man sit down.  LOL it wasn't completely her fault but it was funny.
Got downtown with enough time to stand in line for the potty ran.  

We find our place in line.  Way, way back in line.  We are in the last group way in the back.  And now we wait. And wait, and wait, and wait.  They started the race and we didn't even move.  They announced we were 10 minutes into the race and we still hadn't moved.  The race had been going for 26 minutes before we got to the starting line.  The winners were almost done before we started.
Everything was slow going when we got started.  We got into a groove about .5 mile in.  The rolling hills started at mile 1.  Then we hit a great down hill stretch on San Jacinto.  I decide to let it rip and let gravity pull me down the hill as fast as it wanted.  For a little while it was kind of like flying.  Poor TBO, she had a time keeping up with me.  It was great.  I got a chance to stretch out my hamstrings gliding down the hill.
We weaved around to Proud Mary Hill.  It's really 15th but will always be considered Proud Mary to me and TBO.  This time we were on the down hill side of Proud Mary.
What goes down must come up.  The next piece was a rolling uphill and then a good piece straight up.  Uphill is always hard but we made it through.
We crossed around Lake Austin Blvd and past Austin High School.   At this point it was basically alll over except the shouting.  We crossed the bridge and ran to the finish.
We made it through with no real injuries.  There were moments when my calves were a little tight and I felt my hips a bit right at the end of the race.
All in all it was the best race ever.
Now a brief moment to recognize my sponsor.  Thanks so much John the Trainer for keeping me whole while believing in me enough to help me follow my dreams.  We should talk.  I already committed to running the Flying Pig half in 2012!

Here is the link to our race route.  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/75706263

TBO and I about half way into the race.  Yes we stopped and took a picture. 
After the race we had to get back to the car.  That's when the real adventure started.  It's a story for another day.  The good news is we finally made it back to the cars.  The we were off to the best lunch ever.

Countdown to Sunday.....Cap10K here I come!

The race is next Sunday.  With all my travel I had a sketchy 3 week workout period in Feb.  But I rallied a few weeks ago so I think the race should go OK.
I did my finally long run yesterday.  Ran 6.1 miles of hills and it hurt.  Actually it wasn't too too bad but the last 2 miles weren't much fun either.  I worked real hard to keep my form and I think for the most part I was able to keep it pretty well.
After the run I soaked in the very cold pool.  It was really cold to start but I got used to it.  I distracted myself by calling my long lost cousin.  Technically she knew were she was so she wasn't lost but I hadn't talked to her in about 12 years.  I saw her at a conference in Orlando.  Imagine my surprise to see my cousin coming up to the booth while I was doing booth duty.  It was surreal.  But anyway, I talked to her and that distracted the pain from the cold.
I'm looking forward to the race.  This will he the first time I've run with TBO in over a month,  Between my travel and Spring Break we have been missing each other.  I hope she has kept up with her running.
This will be a pretty quiet week.  I'm running a light run on Tuesday and stretching most of the week.  I might take a Yoga class but nothing strenuous as I wait for race day.
It should be a lot of fun.  My time will be pretty slow but I'm determined to have a good time and not worry about the rest of it.