A terribly unflattering picture: Camryn greeting dear old Mom (in the rain) after I wandered around aimlessly at the finish line for a while.First and foremost, thanks so much to the many people that donated to JDRF in honor of this race. We are now up to over $4,000 on our ride donation site: http://ride.jdrf.org/rider.cfm?id=8602 . The minimum to hit the road is $4,000 - so it looks like we are for sure on our way to Killington, VT for the JDRF Ride to Cure diabetes. Thanks so much to all of you!! Our fundraising goal for the ride is $5,000 so we still have a ways to go. Please visit our ride page to check in and see how we're doing and maybe give a couple of bucks while you're there. I can't tell you enough how much this research money impacts the lives of people living with type 1 diabetes. And, how hard the folks at JDRF work to keep the funds rolling. It really is a remarkable organization.
The latest from Camryn is that she has been asked to be the 2009 Youth Ambassador for the JDRF Promise Ball. This is a black tie gala being held in Hartford, CT in May. Camryn will be speaking and helping to raise some significant funds during the Fund a Cure Auction. For more info on this event see http://www.jdrfpromiseball.org/ambassador.htm
As for my race report, I'll keep it as brief as possible. It was GREAT! Nothing bad to report. Although the weather could have been better, what can one really expect at the end of February in New England? It was as billed - cold, wet and did I mention cold (and wet)?
I can sum it up into two categories. First all the good stuff: it wasn't precipitating at the start of the race, my plan to take it easy on the mile 3 "hill" payed off, I got a free T-shirt (that I will never wear due to the corporate sponsorship of the race) that is a size M not the usual XL and it fits!! I had a dry shirt and a gluten free fluff-n-nutter waiting for me in the car, I finished 6 minutes earlier than I predicted, I met some really nice people, the road conditions in the upper climate zone were pretty darn good compared to the revolving mud/ice/mud/ice/mud conditions over the past few weeks. I had a blast, I can actually still walk and I was not last (although pretty darn close)!
The other category is lessons learned: I clearly am on the verge of a bladder control problem, need to add kegal exercises into my workout plan in a very serious way (or wear absorbent bike shorts), also my hydration/nutrition plan was a little heavy on the hydration which exacerbated the (number 1) problem profoundly. The weather got ugly with sleet up on the "hill" (read: mountain) but I was still pretty warm since it was bouncing off me and not sticking so was running with my jacket around my waist. My race scherpas (aka family) were scheduled to meet me at mile 5 for a bottle hand off and they did not show. I was not prepared for how much that would mentally deflate me - although I was prepared for the likelihood of it happening and had spare gels in my pocket. They finally drove up along side of me during mile 6, made the bottle hand off and I ditched my rain coat into the window of the car. As soon as they drove away I descended the hill enough to be drenched with freezing rain. I pulled on my arm warmers which at least kept me from being completely exposed as I was wearing a short sleeve shirt. The moral of the clothing issue here is that I don't really think there was a "correct answer" as to what I should have been wearing. It rained and I ran for 4 more miles . . . end of story! Due to my earlier than predicted arrival at the finish line, my little fan club was sitting in a warm, dry car up the road when I unceremoniously hit the finish line with a big grin and a happy heart!
The best part of the day was that in the cold, freezing rain I hit mile 8 1/2 still staring at the back of the two people I had been behind for the past hour plus. It was at that point in the race that we hit 3 really significant hills that stretch the last mile and a half. On the first hill I got a little closer, on the second hill guy #1 slows to a walk and my little train that could slowly but surely chugged up alongside and passed him. Vowing not to walk those hills, no matter how slow I had to take them I chugged up alongside woman #2, the green jacket I had been watching the whole race. She ground down to a walk on the last hill and I continued to chug, chug , chug, slowly up that hill. Thanks to Martha and quite a few hill intervals I got up and over and was able to even get my legs under me enough to hoof it to the finish line with what I had left (which wasn't much).
So onward the training goes - about 7 weeks until the 1/2 Marathon in NYC and then into triathlon season. As we go we're raising awareness and money for a cure - and having some fun doing it. If you'd like to join in and sponsor us on our journey, please visit http://ride.jdrf.org/rider.cfm?id=8602 and remember that every dollar gets us closer to a cure for type 1 diabetes.
Thanks again for all your support!!
Barb & Camryn
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