Spinster Beth's Irongirl 5K Adventure!

in·au·gu·ral
 in-aw-gyer-uhl, -ger-uhl
adjective
1. of or pertaining to an inauguration: Harding's inaugural address.
2. marking the beginning of a new venture, series, etc.: the inaugural run of the pony express. 
(dictionary.com)

The inaugural Iron Girl Half Marathon and Coed 5K in Columbia, MD, also marked my first (inaugural, get it?) real 5k. I attempted one before, last October, but I walked so much of it that I just couldn't consider myself to have actually completed one. The Iron Girl was this morning, and I have now finished, jogging from start to finish, a 5K.

And I have the bling to prove it! 

I'm tempted to wear it to work tomorrow, like a necklace.

Here I am before the race, in the bracing 45-degree morning ... about 0715. The half-marathon (all female!) took off at 0700.









The half-marathoners were preceded by some of the most kind-hearted, generous, and awesome women I've ever seen ....

These ladies were pushing two disabled girls in wheelchairs. Can you imagine? Half the course was uphill (particularly a very memorable 1/4 mile stretch of it), and they were pushing wheelchairs while they ran! I was just bowled over. Wow! I imagine it was even harder going downhill.



 I didn't see these ladies coming back on the 5K course, so they were either relayers (7 miles) or half-marathoners. Amazing. They were part of a special program that helps severely disabled people to participate in athletic events. The two girls in the chairs were delighted.


Columbia is a lovely area, and we were running around a place I'm very familiar with -- the road between the mall and the library -- and it was a chilly morning. But sunny and everyone was smiling and eager.

I didn't do as well as I hoped, but not by much; I came in at 39:06, which is 5:08 better than the 5k I tried to run last October.

Here I am ... puff puff .... downhill, I can do it ... ignore the idiot in the foreground, he was picking up a penny or something.

Look! My feet aren't touching the ground! Just like a pro! 

Whew! I'm pretty tired, but I can see the finish line. The lady next to me seemed to be struggling, but she left me in the dust not long after this picture was taken. She found her inner beast, I guess.

There she goes! Buh-bye! I was trying to wave and smile at Slick, who was taking my picture. I was also trying to look all cool and refreshed, like I wasn't exhausted. I was just so thrilled to have done it.









That one hill just about did me in, and the halfway point was at the top of that hill. I actually didn't realize how long it was till I was running back down it. I am amazed that I was able to run up a hill that far. If it had been much longer, I don't think I could have done it without walking some of the way.

And that's my story! Thanks to Slick for motivating me to run, for coming out with me at 0-dark-thirty, for waiting while I ran, and for taking the pictures. I had a blast. The half-marathon actually sold out, so perhaps some more events will be coming out this way.

Now I've got to try to get in under 39:00.