Firecracker 5k.....#102

Asia found a new gear today......But as usual, I'm going to do things backwards. ***ANNOUNCEMENT*** This is going to be one huge, run-on paragraph, because for some reason I can't enter line spaces tonight. So ya'll put in the paragraphs where you think they belong, because I can't. Maybe I can change font colors to indicate paragraphs........we'll see how that works. Last week was the Solstice Run. It was the first time Asia had run that race, and she did really well........just 10 sec. shy of a PR for a 10 mile run. Lotsa fun, and all that, and hopefully I can write more about that race later, but right now I really want to write about the Firecracker 5k. Yesterday was the 2nd Saturday long run of Running Fit 501's Summer 2010 session. Katie and Asia had planned to run together, even though they are not officially training together this summer. Katie is working on her speed since qualifying for Boston and is training with a faster pace group. Asia struggled some over the winter to keep up with that group, so Coach felt Asia would benefit from running with a different group. (I really hesitate to call it a *slower* group, because they are still danged fast!). Asia's schedule called for her to run 10 miles yesterday....Katie planned to run 14, so she went out for a 4 mile run before practice started.The group was scheduled to start at 7am in order to finish before the heat of the day. I left Asia with Katie and the group and headed out to the first water stop. At each of the first 3 water stops Asia was easily keeping pace with the rest of the group, running between an 8:15 and an 8:30 pace. As usual, Katie had to reel her in on several occasions when Asia would get out in front. At the 4th water stop, Asia was slightly behind, and by the the time they arrived back at the meeting spot, Katie and Jen both said Asia had tired between mile 7 and 8. Still they finished not that far behind the rest of the group. After the run, Asia asked Katie if they were running together at the race on Sunday. Katie replied, "No, I'm racing, and so are you. I'm gonna try to beat you tomorrow." We left practice, ran some errands and went home to get ready for a birthday party yesterday afternoon. This morning I fixed Asia's tried and true race day breakfast of Jimmy Dean's Hot Sausage and scrambled eggs, plus a little canteloupe on the side. She had selected her American Flag shorts for the race, in honor of Independence Day. We arrived in Ann Arbor about 7:30 for an 8:00 AM race start, plenty of time to get her bib and timing chip. While Jerry was supervising as Asia did some warm-up laps I went to get her checked in. (I have been dealing with a badly sprained foot for about two weeks now, so my walk up to the registration table was not at my normal speed. My slower-than-normal pace allowed me to look around more than usual). I found myself seeing so many people that I/we knew and it really made me conscious of just how many people we have come to know through Asia's running career. So many wonderful people...... I claimed her bib #, timing chip and race t-shirt and made my way back through the crowd to where Jerry and Asia were waiting. The lines for the porta-johns was ridiculous, so we made our way to the start. Jerry gave Asia a kiss for luck and headed out for his viewing/cheering spot along the course. Most of Asia's best running buddies were already there, right up front....Katie, Jen, Gwen, Jon, Michael, Aaron, Rick, Carmen, then Gianna arrived and Ted and Claudio, who were not racing today, stopped by to wish everyone well. And then it was National Anthem, *Runners take your mark! Get Set.!* And at the sound of the horn, they were off and running. I waited for Asia to cross the timing mat and set my watch. This was a spectator-friendly course, in that the runners passed by us once before the finish. With Jerry out on the course, that gave us at least 4 opportunities to cheer for Asia and her team before the finish. At races like this Jerry and I stay connected by cell phone to report the results as we see them. I am always at the finish with the watch, and Jerry alerts me who's coming down the course to the finish next. When the group passed by the first time, Asia was well out in front of Asia and Carmen.........but that's happened before, and it almost always changes by the finish. When the first finishers had rounded the last corner and were on their way down Liberty Street, I crossed to the other side to have a better view. Jerry called them out as they passed him, and one by one, they streaked past me to the finish: John, 13, Jumanne (Carmen's son) 43, Aaron, 51, Rick, 52, Jon, 54, Gwen 65, Eric, 80, Gianna, 99.....and then he started yelling for Asia..........she was on the home stretch and the clock read 20 minutes and some seconds! (In order to get a PR in this event, Asia had to run it faster than 22 minutes and 49 seconds.) I could see far enough down Liberty street, and Asia's American Flag shorts were distinctive enough, that I could spot her from quite a distance away. I'm sure the poor folks around me are functionally deaf now from my screaming. Asia crossed the finish line in 21 minutes, 40 seconds! A 1 minute, 9 second PR! Her pace was 6:58, the fastest she has ever run a race! I limped/hobbled to the finish line and met her at the water station just as Katie came running up, eyes big as saucers, "That was like, a minute PR for her, wasn't it? I couldn't catch her! I'd just catch up to her, and I'd say, ' Great job Asia, you're doing awesome' and she'd take off like she was shot from a cannon! She helped ME get a PR today too, just trying to keep up with her!" And one-by-one her teammates came up to congratulate her on a fantastic race. Carmen, Gwen, Jen, Jon, John, Aaron, Rick, Ted, Michael, Claudio, Gianna. Their joy for her, and their pride in her accomplishment was almost overwhelming. Even though she beat Carmen, Katie and Jen, I don't think they could have been any happier if she were their own sister. Katie said, " I wanna race with you in another 5k and get a sub-21:30!" And, of course Asia immediately wanted to know when that race would happen! We all hung around the Running Fit Store, eating giant muffins and Rice Crispie treats waiting for results to be posted and for the Award Ceremony to begin. The award medals were given 5 deep in each age group and the Running Fit 501 team cleaned up! John (Katie's husband) was 1st in his age group, Aaron, 1st, Rick, 3rd, Gwen, 1st, Gianna, 1st, Asia, 3rd, Katie, 5th, Carmen, 1st and Jen, 4th, Linda 4th, and Beth 5th!! (And remember, most of these folks ran at least 10 miles yesterday as part of their regular training runs!) Jerry took pictures of each with their medals. We almost didn't go to this race. We were talking about sleeping in, something we rarely get to do during the summer race season. But so many of Asia's team mates were running it, and encouraging her to run it too.........that I decided to take her if she wanted to go. Well, duh! Of course she wanted to go if the rest of her buds were going to be there. Jerry almost didn't go. He was feeling stressed and over extended and thought the day would start off better if he didn't get up before the crack 'o' dawn and didn't rush out the door at 7am. In the end, he decided that if he stayed home, he still wouldn't get outside til 9am or after.........about the time we'd get home after the race.........so he decided to go. And, as it turned out, it was a race neither of us would have wanted to miss.