PR: Personal Record. Achieving your fastest time for a particular race or distance. A common goal for runners, particularly those who don’t often place in age group awards.
This race, the Hit the Road Jack 2.2 mile /10k, I didn’t even consider trying for a PR. Just seven days before I was sick in bed with a respiratory infection. I had laid off of running for 10 days, and started oral antibiotics. Sunday’s race would be my first run post illness. a PR on the 10K course was out of the question. So I did the next best thing.
I ran with my daughter.
I knew she could cover the 2.2 mile distance since she had finished the 3 mile Petaluma Footrace in 33:20:00 . When I asked her about her time goal she said “Under 25:00:00 “ an 11:21 pace per mile,
My sixty three year old mother was going to be Kelsey’s chaparone on the short course, and the representative for the Petaluma Fitness Bootcamp. She drove us and we arrived at the race with plenty of time to spare. She told us she would see us at the finish, and to run our own race, as we headed over to the start.
We joined the throng of over 500 runners at the start, among the strollers, and leashed dogs it was tough to weave in and out as we overtook walkers and talkers. Since this race benefitted the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation there were also a large number of kids entered .
In regards to kids running….There were a large number of junior runners who would sprint for 200 yards and stop in the middle of the road to catch their breath. I nearly trampled a number of these “stop and go” runners in the first half mile. My daughter was one of them. So I tried to counsel her to find a pace, and if she had to slow down to get over to the right hand side. (We are still working on that concept..)
But I found I could relax as I ran along with her. She set the pace. I asked her if she wanted me to give her a heads up when we were close to the finish. She said 200 yards. At that point she poured on the gas and I had to put some pep in my step to keep up with her. We crossed the finish line at 24:31 and 24:32, with her’s as the faster time.
Kelsey starts her "kick" for the finish.
Probably my favorite race photo so far.
This was HER race, No doubt.
Not 3 minutes later we watched “Granny” with a laser beam focus charge through the finish. She never heard us cheering her on…She was intent on the finish.
Mom’s finish time was a blistering 27:35! Good enough for a 6th place in her age group. She obliterated her 3 mile race pace by nearly 8 seconds! Even with the 3X larger field in her age group she was still in the top 15%
Kelsey was middle of the pack for her age group. Not bad for no training prior. She has already requested to enter the Fitch Mountain Footrace next Sunday. You can Bet I’ll be there with her…
