Winning at a snail’s pace

Edisto Island held a lot of promise for me. After Augusta’s race was cancelled, I knew I needed one final race to cap off my season or else I’d feel left in the lurch. This was a smaller, community race, but it held a professional field. I wouldn’t be competing against them, but was excited to see how I would stack up, as well as possibly win overall in the age group category.

Then one kid got sick. Then the next kid got sick. They can’t just get it all at once, that would be too easy. Race week looked quite a bit different from normal. As in, very little training, lots of doctor visits, and lots of vitamin C.

I managed to avoid the sickness…until the morning before the race that is. My last hold out kid and I both fell to it. Well, things don’t always go the way you want, and I had the opportunity to see what it feels like to race with a fever. Turns out, pretty painful. Throughout the bike, every crack in the road made my head feel like it was exploding. I knew the run wouldn’t be pretty and decided my goal was simply to finish the race. Even if I had to walk the 1/2 marathon. I did end up walking a lot of it. In fact, I sat down for some of it and even casually draped myself over a fence at one point.

A very supportive Hubs and kids were waiting for me at the finish line. He took one look at me and said, “this was probably not your best decision.”

That is very true. Because what started as an aggressive fever turned into bronchitis for me and I don’t know what dark magic this is but the original sick kid has it AGAIN today. In the last 3 weeks I think she’s been home from school more days than she’s been in.

Despite all that, I ended up winning my age group and placing 2nd female overall! That’s more a testament to the small field that showed up than it is my performance, but it was a nice consolation prize.

I have now entered my ‘off-season’ in which I train a bit less and focus on goals that are geared towards fun rather than results. Except for the upcoming 5k Turkey Trot, that is very serious business.

I leave you with this conversation with Lex, and I hope it gives you as much to think about as it did me.

*running inside from the rain*
Lex: Mom. I just saw a snail with NO SHELL.
Me: Really? Do you think it may have been a slug?
Lex: WHAT? Of course not. It was a snail. And its shell was all smashed. So it had no shell.
Me: I see.
Lex: Did you know snails are VERY slow?
Me: I’ve heard that, yes.
Lex: Do you know WHY they’re slow?
Me: I have a feeling you’re going to tell me.
Lex: Yes.

*throws herself onto her stomach on the ground*

Lex: Because they sliiiiiiide everywhere. Do you see how slow it is to sliiiiiide?
Me: That does seem slow.

*jumps to her feet*

Lex: BUT CRABS! They….are VERY FAST!

*starts shuffling back and forth in the kitchen, sideways*

Lex: And they run around. VERY FAST.

*lowers her voice to a whisper*

Lex: And they do it…..sideways.