Pumpkin Race

Bet you didn't know pumpkins could race, didja? Seriously, it was my last 5K of this year (no turkey trot for me) and it was, to me, the most important because it was what inspired me to run in the first place. And making it happen was no picnic!

Last week was one of the busiest we've had around these parts in awhile - basketball practice, new eyeglasses for me, yearly physical for Oldest Boy and flu shots/mist for all, and then the Space Shuttle.

Thursday is usually errand day around these parts and right now it's just me and Little One. We drop Baby Girl off at Pre-K and then we shop until we drop (or scream until we get out of the cart. whatever.). When we're through we head back to school to pick up Baby Girl, head home for lunch, take a quick nap (Little One) or work-out (me and sometimes BG), and then it's off to pick up the boys. It's a lot of driving. This week, while waiting in carpool to pick up Baby Girl, the battery in the space shuttle...died. It may have been my fault (although you can't prove anything!!). Anyhow, it ended up with the nice maintenance guy jumping my car with this fancy generator thingy - which was a good thing because I knew where the battery was but doing anything to it would have required, well, a call to AAA.

While it was great that my car got started, I was almost out of gas...and terrified to turn it off before I replaced the battery...and I had a car full of groceries. Drove home. Dropped off groceries while leaving the Space Shuttle running in the drive. Packed the girls lunch. Used the gas from the gas can in the garage so that I had more than fumes. Loaded back up (with a bag of tricks to keep them entertained...timing is everything...I was wishing those busy bags were here that day!). Got the battery changed.

When we got back in, I had to reset the code for the radio/DVD player to work. No problem. Mr. MOTH texted me while I was doing that to remind me of it. I texted back - no worries. I just did it and now am getting lunch for me and trying to decide what to do - head home or hang out before picking up the boys. I checked the time and decided it wasn't really worth it to drive home (25 minutes away) just to turn around and head back down to their school so I went to the craft store. 1:45. Perfect, I just wanted to shop around a bit before we needed to leave at 2:30 to get them. Turned off the Space Shuttle and checked my phone for texts from Mr. MOTH. @#$! 2:35!!! Doh! Taking the battery out also screwed up the clock. Luckily, I hadn't unbuckled the girls yet and we made it in time. Left the house at 8AM. Returned (for more than 2.5 seconds) at 3:45PM. {SIGH}

Ah, yes. The race. Here's where I would show you photos...but no one took any. That's what happens when you're always the one behind the camera.

I finished with a PR (27:39.00). I felt like it was a much harder course than my last race so I was pleased with my time. Around 1.25 miles I fell in behind this woman in a purple shirt. She was pacing around the same as me so I just sort of followed until we hit a hill. I cannot run outside of my house without running up a hill. A really steep hill - followed by a really, really steep hill - is my normal 3.1 course around the neighborhood. She slowed down on the hill. I did not. I passed her around 2.25 miles and since I never look back I didn't know where she was...until we came in sight of the finish. She pulled up next to me and turned on the jets. PUH.LEEZ. I was not about to let her beat me without a fight. I have never sprinted to the finish. But, y'all, we were neck in neck. Her time? 27:38.55. She beat me by 0.05 seconds. I call that a "tie". ;)

Plus I got to hold a very wiggly 2 1/2 year old immediately after I crossed the line...so I win.