Hog Jog

This morning I headed up to Charlotte about 7:oo to run in the Inaugural Hog Jog 5K. I haven't really been training specifically for a 5K. But I have been running 2-2 1/2 miles about 4 days a week for the past two months or so just to stay in shape. On Thursday I ran about 3 miles to see where I was compared to my past 5Ks. [For the record, my best 5K was 24.30 at the Greenville News 5K about 3 1/2 years ago. I was in the best shape of my life.] On Thursday, I was hoping for about 27 minutes. Then, reality set in. I'm 40. I eat chips/ fries for lunch almost every day. I drink two cups of sweet tea from McDonalds just about every day. And I haven't turned dessert down in a looooong time. My time on Thursday was over 31 minutes. WOW!

So I set off to Charlotte with some lowered expectations. I had two goals - one, finish the race without stopping and, two, don't die. Obviously, I accomplished one of those goals.

Here's a recap of my race:

My playlist for the race:

• Vertigo, U2
• Stars, Switchfoot
• Love Shack, B52s
• Check Yes, Juliet, We the Kings
• It's the End of the World As We Know It, REM
• Feels Like Tonight, Daughtry
• Like Whoa, Aly and AJ
• Awakening, Switchfoot

Pre-race - I stretched standing next to a tent that was cooking BBQ . . . at 7:30am. The smell of BBQ at 7:30am is not as good as it is at, say, lunchtime. I decided to loosen up by jogging up and down a couple of blocks. I had seen other people do this so I thought I'd give it a try. I was sweating when I got to the Start line.

Mile 1 - I get through Vertigo and I'm feeling really good. Most of the first mile is downhill. Stars kicks in and I'm feeling ok.

Mile 2 - Right after I start mile 2, I realize that the rest of the run is going to be uphill. As I near the half-point marker I pass a guy whose shirt says "You can't stop the Rock." He's walking so I guess you can slow him down even if you can't stop him. I make a tactical error at the H20 stop. I pour water over my head and it gets my left ear bud wet. I'll have to spend the rest of the race playing with it.

Mile 3 - As I begin mile 3, the course is going straight uphill. At some point during this mile, this thought crosses my mind. "If I could have any superpower in the world right now, I would want the super power of two extra lungs." Let's just say I'm strug-a-ling. Then things go really bad. Not only does the Rock pass me, but a little girl (maybe seven or eight) goes by me. I also make my second tactical error. "Feels Like Tonight" is a mistake on the playlist. How could I make that mistake? That's a rookie error.

The last .1 miles - I pass the 3 mile marker and hit the home stretch. I kick it into high gear, and by high gear, I mean I don't fall down and crawl the rest of the way. I cross the finish line in 28:59, well off my best time, even below my initial hope. But I didn't stop. I kept running the whole way. And I didn't die. So I accomplished both goals.

One other thought did occur to me as I ran. It's a 5K. Why do they set up mile markers? It doesn't say 3.1M on my t-shirt. It says 5K. It's odd that they don't set up kilometer markers.

Thanks for indulging me in my race recap. I think I'll go have a banana . . . or maybe some pancakes.


-- Peace, Jamie