"Keep trying don't give up, it's if you want it bad enough" - Niantic Bay 10k

So my Friday the 14th was my second day off. 

I am consistently the one who wakes up at 5, 5.30, 5.45am with Ace to take him out to the bathroom. Friday, Miguel woke up with Ace to take him out....and then once Ace peed and was fed, he came back to lay with me until 10.30am!!!!!!! I am never able to sleep in but was given this gem of a morning. <3 So Ace and I decided to take advantage of it.

 This is where he is the most content sleeping....my little (71lb) cuddlebug. <3

I get this look quite often.

Unfortunately we had a showing planned for 11.30am Saturday so Friday was spent cleaning to get the house ready. (I loathe house showings.) I like nothing about massive cleaning days. I feel like it is a huge waste...I'd rather do...well anything else. But Ace and I did it anyway. He helps me by eating his hair that I Swiff into a pile. What a trooper hahaha.

About 1pm Miguel's father came to pick up Ace. We had decided Ace could have a sleepover at their house in Niantic so he wouldn't need to be in a crate all day Saturday while we were busy. I knew it would be hard on us to not have Ace with us to sleep...I just didn't think it would feel so weird....I didn't have too much more cleaning left when.....

MIGUEL SURPRISED ME BY COMING HOME BEFORE MY RACE <3

I thought I wouldn't see him until 9pm! It made me so happy, I always feel better when our schedules work out where we get to spend a couple of minutes together. Because he works 2 jobs and I am always on call even if I'm not at work, it's hard sometimes to spend any period of minutes or hours together.

I showered quick. And left the house to get gas around 3pm. The race didn't start till 6pm but I didn't want to take any chances with Route 2, if you get stuck in traffic there you are D.O.N.E. I can't stand rushing either. I like to get where I need to be early and relax and take in my surroundings....boy am I glad I did get there early. The surroundings were just what I needed prior to my race.

If you haven't tried the Google Maps App, do it, it's so good! I was skeptical but it has great navigation. I ended up making it to Mc Cook Point Park just about 4pm...a whole 2 hours prior to the start of the 10k. I'm totally okay with it because this is where I got to hang out....

I was so pumped to run here. I can only explain how the ocean makes me feel by giving the example of being so in love with someone or something that it literally takes your breath away.

 Gorgeous.

I got my shirt and bib after I parked, they weren't kidding when they said parking was limited but I got lucky with a front row spot. A band was getting set up in the parking lot. There were only a couple other cars with runners hanging out around me. I really like the color of the shirt but I wish it was tech material. The woman who gave me my bib seemed nice and Niantic Parks and Rec appeared to be very organized for this event.

I had to take a bathroom mirror shot with this shirt even though I'm against them in general...Ruck On! Seeing as how it was Flag Day I had to rep my Boston Strong/Tough Ruck shirt from soSponsored, I had yet to wear it and thought this would be the perfect opportunity.

I sat in my car and waited...getting hungrier by the moment and about 4.45pm I decided to have my Bonk Bite! Bonk Breaker- PB & J flavored. I will say it is somewhat of an acquired taste, but if you like healthier stuff than it isn't bad at all compared to what is out there. They almost designed it to look like a deconstructed sandwich, the jelly is still identifiable in the middle of the bite.

I also had this about 5.15pm. I love these so much. It's pretty much the consistency of apple juice but has apples, mango's and strawberries. PowerBar reccomends taking one of these 30-60 minutes prior to activity and then as needed afterwards. I realized the earlier I took it, the less effects I felt during the race. I found this at CVS.

 My father won these Nike Women's sunglasses at a conference he went to. They were incredibly comfortable to wear. Typically I'm not a sunglass wearer during races.

The band that was playing was actually really good, not like wedding singer quality which is always enjoyable. They played good songs while we were waiting and after the race as well.

Niantic Parks and Rec bib and shirt set up. This was the second race I had to look my own name up and tell them my bib number...still seems odd to me. I was impressed that there were over 150 people signed up for the 10k. The 5k it appeared was less of an interest. This is first race I've seen the participants side up this way.

At the start line, the man with the tie is either the Mayor of Niantic or the First Selectman...if they are the same thing then you caught me...I have no idea what a selectman is.

Once the gun went off I started out a little fast, these people by the shoreline don't play...about a half mile in I got a call from one of my guards that threw me off big time. I put the phone on speaker, I am sorry if you were running around me. I can't go into too much detail about it because I do like my job. It took me a good mile and a half to get out of my funk, not because of her, but because of the situation. The course was the most beautiful I have run to date. Along the shoreline and through the most gorgeous neighborhoods of Niantic. Like Race Brook School's Rockin' Road Race this was an open course as well. Although I found these drivers to be much ruder than in Orange. Once I hit the 3 mile mark I was feeling good, they had about 3 water stations up to this point. The course then looped around a block and went back to where we came from, I enjoy that kind of course because then I know where I'm going.

A most of the time during the race I was pacing with the same women....

Dear One Of Those Women, please learn how to take water from a water station. Next time I will not try as hard to stop myself from slamming into you...Take your water as you continue to run through the station and then pull to the right and slow down or stop if you need to. You DO NOT stop the moment you get to the water station, there are others behind you. Thank you.

Trust me, I get it, I sound like a jerk and yes, someone could very well call me out for some of my race day etiquette as well, but singing "Karate Chop" while I'm running is not hurting anyone physically, maybe spiritually, but I needed that song. Back to the race... So at this point, for the record I HAD NOT WALKED ONCE....4.5 miles in, still chugging along......4.75 miles in...death-like feeling sets in....I slowed my pace and a man who appeared to be shuffling slower than me...passed me. Sick....I just kept saying to myself to stay consistent, stay strong. Then a damn hill hits me around 5 miles, once I get to the top of the beastly hill I slowed down and walked. I was going to give myself about .10 of a mile to walk, catch my breath and chug on to the finish. We had left the calming water scenery and we were back on a residential road which made motivation tough.

I do not normally run with music, this was only my second race ever doing so. I tuned out everyone successfully until about mile 5 when a girl who had blown past me at the start and had ran and walked around my pace as I shuffled on from mile 3-5 caught up to me. I had told myself once I hit one of the driveways I would begin running again. As I did she pulled up next to me. She turned to me and said something so I took my headset out. She asked how I was doing, I said crappy, how are you. She said the same. We then began to pace each other and talk about the course, about running, how great vomiting would feel. She was talking about how she had lost her drive and had stopped running for a significant period of time (coincidence!?!?!) she was trying to get back into it and was having trouble. All her friends were runners and were pacing better than she was so it wasn't really making the comeback any easier. We had about .20 left and she saw one of her friends walking towards us. Her friend started running next to the two of us and I turned to her and asked if she thought she could push it at the end, she said no and her friends boyfriend(?) stayed with her and I picked up my pace, the woman running next to me was so encouraging, and kind I almost threw up from too many emotions. I didn't know this woman, I didn't even know the girl I ran the last 1.2 miles with... never thought to ask her name. I then heard the announcer call out "Go Meg, keep pushing, you're almost there!". I crossed the finish line around 1:10...and hey ya know what? I'm psyched. It might not be my fastest time but I ran more this race than ever before, even in training runs, so I am proud with that as my finish. I turned around after I stopped seeing white lights everywhere and high-fived the girl I ran the end with and thanked her for helping pace me and push me. 

There was a short walk back to the parking lot. I walked as fast as I could towards to the water buckets and grabbed two bottles and saw...oohhh juicy slices of watermelon, grabbed 2...sugar cookies, yup 2 of those. Clam Chowder...yeah no thanks. If you have heard of Flanders Fish Market then you know it was great quality chowder, they've been on the Travel Channel I believe. 

Personally, I believe clam chowder after a 10k makes about as much sense as giving someone milk who is suffering from heat exhaustion (sorry American Red Cross, it's almost instant gagging liquid). 

I sat down and listened to the band until they started to call off age group winners. One day I'd like to place in the Top 3 of my age group...until then I am going to hope more courses are like this one. I felt amazing at the end, despite feeling like poo the whole time.

My feet were in a good amount of pain but I didn't want to think about it too long, not only was it 7:30pm by now but I had an hours drive home and a 5k in the AM.

Typical post race bib shot.

I made my way home and got there about 8.45/9pm. Miguel and I made dinner without the sound of jingling chains or the tick of puppy nails on the floor, I don't know if I will ever be able to have him sleepover anywhere else again. Miguel was even thrown off by it big time too.

After we ate we went to bed. A very lonely, big, lots of space having bed....at least I got to stretch out for my Saturday am 5k.