Pear Blossom Run

We did it!  Slow but steady...and not last!  On Saturday, Dan and I ran the 10 mile Pear Blossom Run in Medford, OR.  The course was beautiful, the community support was awesome, and the weather was ideal.  We did our 3 minute run/2 minute walk intervals through most of it.  I knew there was a hill involved but thought that the top was the turn around so I was not mentally prepared to go up and over the darn thing twice.  The second up was the killer.  My heart rate skyrocketed, my legs cramped up, my hips hurt so we started walking a bit more.  We kept an ambitious 14 minute pace in the begining and finished with a 15 minute pace in the end.  Still, not too shabby!  The course was a there and back.  We saw the leaders around mile marker three (7 for them!)...amazing!  I saw the winner lap us and thought, "In my dreams, I am a Kenyan runner..."  He ran with such determination and grace...just beautiful!  I definitely feel more prepped for the Eugene Half Marathon now that I have a practice race under my belt! 

I had several things that I was pretty worried about with the outcome, including:
1. Not even starting...we started!
2. Not finishing...we finished!
3. Not finishing in the 2:55 time limit...rough finishing time of 2:34!
4. Being last...there were at least 100 people behind us!
5. Legs feeling hurt...well, that one happened...can't win the all!
6. Throwing up afterwards...I did not lose it!

So 10 miles in roughly 2 hours and 34 minutes.  I'll take it!