Throwback Thursday: Strut for Strays

The Strut for Strays was held on July 11, 2015 in Battle Creek, Michigan where I just so happened to be visiting my in-laws. Mallory and I ran this race with her mother who had just completed the couch to 5k program and was ready to give racing a go. This race was $25 and each entry raised enough to treat 3 dogs to heart worm medication, which is a great cause.

As previously mentioned, Michigan is a pretty place to run and this was almost literally my first view of the area. I had arrived the night before at around 11pm, gotten a ride to Mallory's aunt's house and hopped into bed around 1am. Other than the two minute car ride to the start, I hadn't seen much of Battle Creek. It's very green and there are deer walking around the neighborhood in places. It's shady and temperatures are cool enough. Overall not a bad place to run.

This is a small race, so shirt and bib pick-up was just before the start. This was the first year with chip timing, although the mat was at the finish line only. Course is an out and back: down one road, around the corner, turn around and come back, run through a winding farm maze type area over hay, dirt and leaves, up a little hill and finish. There are very gentle hills along the course, but not bad at all.

Me, Vangie and Mallory pre-race

I sized up my competition at the start, because I'm an a-hole like that, who likes to pretend she's hardcore when she's not, and decided I would not be winning anything at that race. It seemed some members of the high school track team were there and I had heard there were no age group awards, only top three male and female. I did not anticipate beating any 16-year-old track star, so decided to just enjoy the experience and see if I could beat last week's time on a flatter course.

From the start, only 4 or 5 females were in front of me and they were booking it. I normally do the same and to a certain extent I ran a little faster than I should have at the beginning, but I decided I wasn't gonna fight too hard and kill myself to keep up. But... within the first mile, one by one the competition started to flail and I was still full of energy. By mile one I was the second female overall and had my eye on the leader maybe 20 feet or so ahead. Not a high school track star in sight. I finished mile one with a 7:11 pace and still felt strong. I was wondering if I might be capable of maintaining it. I was not, in case you're wondering, but neither was the lead. I kept gaining on her and by the turn-around, I was just a few steps behind.

I decided I would just stay on her tail, save my energy and kick it at the end. Mallory and I crossed paths and I gave her the sign I was feeling good and thinking I could win this thing. A couple of minutes later, I could tell my competition was struggling and I wasn't feeling amazing, but I was good enough to keep up the speed and didn't need to pace off her, so I went for first. It felt both good and bad at once. I was sad to take it from her, although I didn't know her, and happy to have it all at once. At one point she passed me down a little hill, but I kept my pace and took first back. I secretly hoped we could fight for it the rest of the way just for the drama and competition of it. This has NEVER before happened and being an out and back course made it more exciting. Mallory's mom saw me and people yelled out "first female" as I passed. It was pretty cool.

I didn't want to keep an eye over my shoulder, but also didn't want to lose the opportunity to be first for the very first time, so I kept pushing as hard as I could. When I found myself in the maze area before the finish, I hit 3.1, but the race just kept on going. And going. And going. Did I go the wrong way? I did not. I ran up the grassy hill and through the finish. It was not 3.1 and it was no where near a PR, but I had won! I came in at 25:10. Two minutes slower than the 5k I ran a week earlier.

All of us post-race and happy

The prizes weren't bad either. I got a medal, a water bottle and a free one hour massage from A Moment Away (which I cashed in the very next day). This is my first ever trophy, aside from the second-grade when I got one for reading the most books during the school year. It was an exciting day.

Mallory's mom finished in 35 and change, which is an amazing first 5k time!

Race bling