Urban Cow, etc

Is it wrong to start with a recovery photo? This is a "cookie recovery" photo following the Urban Cow Half-Marathon in Sacramento on October 3, 2010. This was my first half-marathon. It was fun!

The first 2.5 miles were definitely the most painful--I'm still trying to figure out how to warm-up my muscles earlier because that has been a problem for me since I started running distances. Unfortunately, the run for the APFT is two miles, which means that I'm in pain during the entire APFT! Runner friends--any suggestions???

My pace was 13.07, and I finished 13.1 miles in 2:51:49. I walked for most of the last two miles because I felt like I was getting a Charlie horse--I ran in the end.  I want to be faster, but I feel good about my race. This was my first half-marathon, I'm a fairly new runner . . . and I loved it!

Unfortunately, while Katie and I were on the course, someone broke the window in her car and stole everything that was in it--including my purse. My car keys were in my purse .  . and my passport (I know). So, after calling the Sacramento police (who don't respond to auto break-ins--at all), we drove back to my car. BMWs are very secure I learned. Both AAA and BMW Roadside Assistance told me that I needed to have my car towed to a dealership and have them re-key my car. After several hours and renting a car, I was finally able to get into my car with the valet key (don't ask). By that time, I was alone with two cars . . . what do you think I did? 

After finally getting into my car and starting it, I drove my car home and parked it in the garage. Then, after completing a half-marathon (13.1 miles), I walked over a mile to get my rental car and drive it home. I got a lot of exercise on Sunday!

I'm not complaining though. Today has been a hassle, to be sure. But I keep finding things that would normally be in my purse, but somehow they weren't. I had my WDL, my CAC, my debit cards, my BlackBerry, and my camera with me in a small backpack. I left my glasses and my iPod at home among numerous other things that I normally carry in my purse. It will still cost $1450 to re-key my car because the thieves have my keys and my address. I was lucky--it could have been so much worse. Katie, her husband, and I still have many hoops to jump through to make things right . . .

Katie and I were out making sacrifices to help people live longer while some pathetic person chose to take things away from us. I feel sorry for that person.

I would so much rather give freely by choice than take away by force.