Tulsa Run wasn't my best

Much like I suspected my performance in the Tulsa Run SUCKED!! But I got another medal to add to my ever growing collection.


To recap….

Friday I went to pick up my packet. Usually it is at a University in mid-town that is across the street from a mall. Even though the street is busy if you had to cross, there was plenty of parking at one of the two places. This year they moved it to downtown. There is a big push to revitalize the downtown area and they are trying to force everyone into moving activities there. It took forever for me to find a parking spot, and then I had to parallel park, not pretty. Pick-up wasn’t organized very well. They didn’t email race numbers so everyone had to stand in line to get their numbers. I found a list of numbers on a vacant table so I got in and out fairly quickly considering. I really wanted to buy a shirt that says “I run so I don’t kill people” and wear it to work on Halloween just for the crazy lady who thinks I might “physically harm her” but they only had short sleeve burn out shirts in my size. The lady promised to have a long sleeve hoodie for me at the Route 66 expo.

After that I met HMF and a couple of other running buddies at Olive Garden for carbs. Yeah it was just a 15K but I will take any excuse to eat pasta. Service was unbelievably slow and they got most all our order wrong but I think the kitchen was jacked up. We all got the buy one now get one to take home special. That is like dinner for a week for me!!  We still had fun and the waitress was so happy we didn't jump all over her for the kitchen and bar screw ups. 

I was really worried about how cold it was going to be. I sat out a bunch of clothes and even went to Wal-Mart the night before and bought a robe to snuggling up in while I was standing around. As it turns out that really wasn’t an issue. I couldn’t find my Garmin charger anywhere and I only had 41% battery. I tore the house apart Friday night looking for it to no avail. I thought I could just use my cell phone, but when I got up Saturday morning it hadn’t connected with the charger well and didn’t charge overnight, it too only had 40% charge!! I kind of went into panic mode. I got the phone put on the computer and went outside to check the weather. I went with a medium weight under armour base layer, a t-shirt and a long sleeve under armour pull over, I wore merino wool base layer pants and a regular pair of running pants (the base layer was a small and the pants and x-small so it looked really strange. I also realized I had no pockets, so I put one of the running skirts my friend made for me over the pants. Well somehow while I was tearing my house apart looking for my charger I lost my sports bra I couldn’t find it anywhere. I finally just wore a dirty one. After all that I didn’t get out the door until 8:30; race started at 9. I was a little nervous. I go to get on the highway and the on-ramp to get on I-244 was closed. That is when full blown panic started to set in. I drove a mile and that on-ramp was closed too. I had to go about 4 miles to find an open on-ramp. I was pretty sure parking would be a nightmare but I found a lot close to the finish line (3 blocks from the starting line) that was charging $5 and just parked there. Probably would have been a waste of time to find a free our curb parking anyway even if I had left an hour earlier. I got there and didn’t even have time to get cold when they started the 10 second countdown to the start.

I ordered a new charger for the Garmin, it should be here today.  Still can't figure out what I did with the running bra???


I was actually doing well, a little over 12 minute miles until the half-way point. Because of my lapband I try to take a Gu about every 2.5 to 3 miles. That usually works out well because that is about how far apart the water stops are. But, being the slow person I am, the water stop at the half-way point was OUT OF WATER. I thought about taking my water bottle the day before and didn’t even think about it that morning in my rush. I think that is when the adrenaline from the panic of the morning started to wane and the headache started to really set in. I did take a Gu without water, which is not a good idea but not much I could do about it. About 8.5K in I rolled my ankle on a rock the size of a smart car. My ankle was/is fine but it pulled my hip. Not long after that, a lady that is in my old running group that has always been slower than me passed me like it was nothing. I was pissed. I shouldn’t have been, but I was.  Kind of gave up from that point on. 

But, first or last, you cross the same finish line and get the same medal.

I figured my finish time would be a little over 2 hours but it was more like 2:15. Not pleased but I didn’t skip it. And I am already thinking about who I am going to get to do Little Rock, OKC, and Joplin with me. I swore I wouldn’t do OKC again because I am just kind of over it after 5 years, but if I don’t train for OKC I will feel lost. I am signed up for Austin in April, but it is a 10 miler and just not the same.

Now that the run is over, I am looking forward to the cold weather! I really need to get some sweaters and long sleeve shirts. Most of the ones in my closet are Large. I have a few small but not many. My shopping hiatus is only supposed to last until my birthday in a few weeks, but with a $3,000 dental bill coming up it will have to be extended. I will have to hit up some consignment stores.
Hope everyone has a great week.