MHAFB - Whistle Pig 5K - 1st!

This was a great event! I really liked the course. It's really fun to race on golf courses! It was a great race and well organized!

I changed at the office and decided I was going to run to the race course as a warmup. It was a couple of miles away, so I figured my legs would be nice and limber by the time I got there. The temperature was GORGEOUS, but it was a little windy... (hmmmmm....well we LOVE a challenge right??)

I showed up with just enough time to register and get my bib put on. Marian and Rianna were running a little behind schedule, so I found a friend who was volunteering and talked him into holding my phone and keys.

The wind was picking up as we proceeded to the start line. I saw some familiar faces lining up at the front. But there was one guy I didn't know... Hmm. Wonder who he is...

Everyone taking off (Marian and Rianna on the left... in the miserable wind)

Then they blew the air horn and we took off. Well rather... the NEW guy took off - cross country style. Nuts... I'd better go with him, I thought. I glued myself to his shoulder, and he was going at a blistering pace. Well... at least it felt blistering to me. My legs - despite a couple miles of warmup - felt like lead weights, instead of legs. They weren't responding at ALL. On top of that, we weren't even through the first half-mile, and I was starting to oxygen deprived.... Uh oh. Am I going to be able to stay with this guy?


We went up over the first series of little hills, and hit the fairway of the third hole. He maintained his speed, and kept sneaking 10 ft or so in front of me; and I was continually having to reel him back in. I was starting to get nervous that one of these time, he would sneak away and STAY away.

Grrrr. I'm a racer. I'm a competitor. I'm going to stay with him until I drop.

By now, we had thoroughly shaken everyone off. We hit the major uphill, and I shorted my stride and increased my turnover. I started to feel better. He slowed slightly, and I felt like my legs were finally starting to loosen. We hit the top and I felt ready to race!



We looped past the start line and headed out to the other half of the golf-course. The wind was really starting to pick up, and storm clouds were rolling in quickly. But hey... it's a RACE. We rolled over the last half of the course very quickly. We went off-course a couple of times (there were a few places where the course wasn't marked properly). We pushed the pace and maintained intensity. It was clear that he wasn't going to give me an inch - and neither was I. But before we knew it, the finish line was only a few hundred yards away, and we were still shoulder to shoulder.

I increased speed. He responded. He increased speed, and so I responded; and then we were sprinting towards the tape! Faster, faster FASTER--

Sprinting in to the finish line!!

We hit the tape at the SAME time! Woah! I didn't really care, cause I was about to black out..... and I wanted to PUKE. Marian dragged me over to the water cooler... and later found me some saltine crackers. (She is the BEST).

They ultimately called it based on some photographs that were taken by their photographer. I guess my foot crossed the line first. I personally hope that mystery man and I will get a rematch the next time they host a local race.

The prizes were great! They gave me some awesome schwag, and a gift certificate to Idaho Running Company. I can't wait to use it with the one that I got at the last race!