Manitou 15K

 

On Saturday, June 7th, I ran my very first 15k (9.2 miles!).  This 15k is the longest distance to date that I've ever attempted to run.  Ok.  This race SUCKED.  It wasn't the distance that was too difficult, but the conditions in which we had to run it in.  Around 5 am that morning, a round of thunderstorms passed through the area. By 7:30 am, the second wave was on its way.  Race time was 8:00 am.  The temps were hovering around a cool 53 degrees, with winds gusting to 20mph.  Brrr.  Normally, that would be perfect for running, but this time, there was rain as well.  When Matt and I arrived (he was my support group), I asked the woman at the registration booth if the race was still on.  Yep, she informed me it was, unless there was lightning. Ok, crap.  As the few 40 or so of us walked up to the starting line, it began to rain.  Then came the lighting.  But instead of stating "let's cancel this", I heard "Ready, set, go!".  And we were off.  And so was the rain and lightning.  It poured.  Like standing in a cold shower, wiping my eyes off to see poured.  More lighting.  By mile one, a few people stopped.  I heard one guy say "this isn't worth it".  By mile 4, still pouring rain, I had seen more people turning back.  A woman in a vehicle who was at the booth pulled up along side me and asked if I wanted a ride back.  By then I was wondering if they decided to cancel, so I asked her.  When she said no, I  thought to myself, "well hell, I'm soaked through and through, so I might as well keep going!".  Mile 5 I was laughing in my head thinking this was nuts.  By mile 6, I was exhausted; I was cold, drenched, and wanted to quit.  Every time Matt had come by in the car to cheer me on, I thought about how easy it would of been to jump on in and just call it.  But I knew I had to do this!  I pushed on.  I noticed behind me that there were a couple of cyclists tracking time, and I knew then I was the last one in the race!  I didn't want to be last, so I pushed past one woman in front of me and managed to stay ahead of her for the rest of the race.  By the time I hit mile 9, I was so ready to be done!  Only a little more to go.  When I came up around a curve on the trail, there was the guy at the finish.  I made it!  A few moments later I heard someone call "Last one!"  There was the woman I passed.  I stood by the finish line to cheer her on.  We did it!  From the 40 or so that originally began, only about 15-20 of us stuck it out and finished.  Though I finished 2nd to last, I finished! 

 

 

Post race after the finish line.  I'm an exhausted, cold, drenched rat!! 

Finish time:

 26    7 W35  Lisa Groene, 39               44.83%    1:45:53   11:22

The tee shirts everyone received for running.  The Manitou 15k was hosted by the Boy Scouts; I believe a 7 year old designed this.  I like how the fish is "fishing" for the human; the bait being an ice cream cone no less! 

I did walk away feeling pretty beat up.  My arm band, getting wet, rubbed my arm raw and left this huge burn that still hurts today, two days later!  Ouch!!