Two Races and One Weekend

This Memorial Day weekend has been so much fun.  It started Friday night with an actual date!  My mom came to spend the night with us so Jason and I could go on a date.  We've been to races, just the two of us, since Eloise was born, but we haven't really gone on what you might call the traditional date.  We had planned to see the new Star Trek or Iron Man but all were sold out, so we ended up going to Bonefish Grill and having a lovely dinner there.  It was so nice to just sit and chat with my fellow.

The next morning we all four went to the Our Kids 5k.  This was the inaugural race put on by a local church and they allowed strollers in the race!  This was my very first race with Eloise and it was so much fun!  As always, she was a trooper and didn't fuss at all - not even when she missed her morning nap!  I ran my fastest stroller miles to date with my splits being 9:32, 8:58, 8:24.  I finished in 28:06 and won first in my age group.  That was a fun little surprise.

Just finished the Our Kids 5k with my girl

The fam!

Mom and Eloise won first in their age group!

Sunday we took a much needed rest day and hung out at home until Jason's mom arrived to babysit Eloise for our second race of the weekend.  Sunday afternoon we went to the packet pick-up for the Cotton Row 10k which would be Monday - Memorial Day.  My goals for this race were as follows: A - beat my Run Through the Roses 10k time (51:53).  B. Beat my Cotton Row time from last year when I was pregnant (1:14:00). C. Don't lie down on the course.

All goals were realized and I had a wonderful time.  This race is such a favorite of mine because it is a huge community event and I always see running friends, work friends, church friends - everyone seems to come out for this event.  I ran hard, but probably not as hard as I could have.  I'm not sure why.  I started WAY too far in the back and that was my first mistake.  My splits were all over the place and the first 4 were not even close to what I wanted.  8:31, 8:11, 8:35, 9:00, 7:59, 7:40.  What in the world?  My watch time said 51:44.  My chip time said 51:31.  My gun time said 52:13 (ugh).  At first I was happy with all of that.  But since the race I have become more and more dissatisfied.  I expected more out of myself, in truth.

On Friday I ran 9 miles behind my stroller.  And before that I had 3 days of 7 miles - most behind the stroller.  I had a 45 mile week following a 43 mile week.  I just expected all of that it equal more than 52 minutes in a 10k.  But what am I going to do about it?  I'm not sure.  Jason says I need at least one workout a week that is fast - speed or tempo.  He's right.  But am I willing?  I usually am for a week or two and then I slack off.  I'm more interested in high mileage numbers, an hour+ of exercise a day, not wearing myself out too much so I can't be a good mom to Eloise, yard work, house work, new recipes...

In essence, when I'm not racing I'm content with my daily stroller jogs around town.  When I am racing, I'm aggravated that I couldn't/didn't/wouldn't do more.

And then I'm annoyed with myself for letting my 10k time put a damper on what was a wonderful, excellent, fun, special, amazing long weekend with my family.  What kind of ingrate am I for that?

We closed out the weekend with some BBQ from my favorite local place and Eloise got a little something fun to start off her summer.  Who cares about a 10k time when there is a precious bathing beauty like that in the back yard!