May 2, 2010. Today I am running the Patriots Cup 8K Corporate Challenge benefiting the ARC of NoVA. I've been in half marathon mode lately, trying to qualify for the Half Fanatics club, but I am totally excited to run this race. My ex-Super Nanny and brilliant special needs advocate friend works closely with the ARC, and I am a huge fan of this organization for helping us navigate our life with autism skillfully over the past 5 years. The ARC is the reason I learned how to succeed in my IEP meetings, get the visual communication software I needed, set up a will and special needs trust, and get a disability waiver and Medicaid to help my son, and *gasp*, they helped us for free. Free help is an opportunity that families of autism rarely see, so the ARC is way cool in my book.
I also love this race for the opportunity to meet other people with special needs who are out there running, walking, and cheering on racers for "A Life Like Yours". I can't help but be humbled seeing people participate in this event despite their various and sometimes significant challenges. How often do I take the time to be grateful for my health and physical abilities? Sure my legs get tired, but at least they can run. I forget my sunglasses, but at least I can see. I can hear the fans cheering me on. And when this race is over, I will hop back into my car and drive back to my home, where I live independently. Our health is a gift we rarely notice or give thanks for, until someone reminds us.
O.K., time to hop off my podium and get back to the race. This race was a lesson in pacing and respecting the shorter distances. What is the ideal pace for any given distance? Basically, fast enough to brag about your time, but just slow enough not to collapse until AFTER crossing the finish line. In theory, you ought to finish every race without an ounce left to give, knowing you've run your hardest. So you need to respect the challenge of the 5K, 8K, or 10K as much as that of a longer distance race.
I never take my own advice, so of course, I blew this race off as totally easy after the three half marathons I had just finished. 8K/5 miles? Whatever. I run that on my "off" days. Finally, no need to be nervous or prepare for the upcoming race. It was time to party. So I did. At National Harbor, the night before. I met some old friends at Bobby McKeys dueling piano bar, and though I don't drink, I sipped my bottled water and sang at the top of my lungs from 7 p.m. until midnight. Elton John, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, Journey, Ricky Martin, the McDonald's Give-Me-Back-That-Filet-o-Fish song, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and a few songs with unmentionable lyrics...whatever the crazy bachelorette parties and birthday groups paid enough to request. It was a blast, and I designatedly drove myself home, hoarse throat and all, and flopped into bed at 12:30 a.m., still calculating that I could get 7 hrs. of sleep before my race.
2:15 a.m. Hysterical laughter erupts from my son's room. Yep, that's 1 hr. and 45 minutes after I went to bed. Seems my son doesn't like to sleep through the night whenever it's convenient for me. Instead, he has an all night party every once in a while, and only he's invited. Sure, through many years of therapy and parental discipline, he's learned not to come out of his room until the sun rises, but one thing that never sunk in was the concept of volume control. So yes, he's partying at the top of his lungs, running around his room, squealing and laughing, and jumping off the furniture. Typical stuff for us autism moms on the night shift. And no matter how hard I try, my maternal instinct kicks in and I still can't sleep one wink as long as I can hear that one of my "babies" is awake. So, I lay in bed all night listening to his private party, pretending to be asleep.
8:30 a.m. I arrive at the race a little less than fresh, but determined to post a good time. In fact, my fatigue motivates me to try to run faster, so I can get finished quickly and head over to Starbucks for some much needed caffiene. I gave up coffee several months ago, but decided to bend the rules in honor of my exhaustion. I grabbed my race packet, used the indoor bathroom at GMU (a rare racing luxury, to avoid the port-o-john), and headed over to the start. Not much to say, other than in my sleep-deprived delirium, I started off way too fast. I neglected to follow my own plan to start slow and speed up toward mid-race. Instead, I started full speed and just as quickly ran out of steam at mile 3. Unfortunately, there was a lot of other steam, because it was also 84 degrees and incredibly humid. Definately jungle-esque weather outside, which didn't help the situation. So it was basically 5 miles of sweating, panting, and party-induced lethargy. I'll spare you the agonizing details. I did manage to finish in 40:21, a faster time than last year. Next year, I will plan on sleeping more than 2 hours and see if that helps my race time. The lesson I learned was to never overestimate your running skill, and if you're going to pay $45 for a song request, don't waste it on a Filet-o-Fish!
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