I told myself that I'd never do another full (30K) bay after last year, since I hated it so much. What I didn't account for was the fact that one of my running buddies pointed out that I hadn't done the 2 man (15K) relay yet. I've run the Bay and Back 5K 3 times, the three man (10K) relay once, and the full 30k once. So I figure that I can do the two man relay and then refuse all offers to participate again, having completed the 'full house' of Bay options.
The morning dawned chilly and clear, I was up with the birdies since I was full of vim and vigor (and a wee case of pre-race nerves). I picked up two of my running mates and we headed for Copps.
This run for me was not about having a PB, it was about pacing a friend and fellow runner on her first Bay 30K. For the first 15k one of us ran with her and for the second it was me. This was the first time I'd ever been the 'coach' of anyone, the cheerleader and all around 'fresh legs' that kept another runner moving toward her goal.
We chatted as we ran, laughing, distracting, discussing....counting the fun of each KM as we passed the signs marking our distance. We enjoyed the cookies (Which I fondly remember from last year) at LaSalle Park, and didn't enjoy the experiment of 'new GU' flavours. For the record, Espresso Love isn't lovely and Vanilla Orange is horrid.
As we hit the home stretch, and entered Copps for the finish line, my running buddy started to cry. We were a couple yards from the end and I started to slow down, letting her cross the line ahead of me. She'd earned the right to be there first, arms in the air, jubliant and proud. The time on the clock wasn't relevant for me, for once it wasn't all about me, and that was really cool.
Today is a day of rest, before we start training for our next goal races. I'm losing track of what I run when, but I think it's the Chocolate 10 miler. Will I run for chocolate? Hell YES!
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