I did it! I slayed the "Green Monster!"

It is impossible to tell someone in Jacksonville that you are a runner without the following standard response... "Oh do you run the Gate River Run." I'm not really sure why the GRR is the indicator of how serious a runner you are but in this town its how you are metered. It's kind of silly really because the GRR is a 15k and my usual race distance is a half-marathon. So hey... I'm getting off 4 miles easy. However, I really really did not want to run two consecutive weekends. Somehow I dragged myself to the expo on Friday and registered. I actually credit this to two things... my friends on SparkPeople that told me to just do it and the fact that I had already posted on my announcement page to my students that I would be running the GRR.

My complication this year was my class schedule. Every other Saturday, I have class at UNF for my doctorate cores. I had already missed a Saturday class in January for the Disney Marathon weekend. But I also knew that if I wanted to be considered a "runner" in this town I had to complete the GRR. So, it was a compromise. I would run the GRR and then head directly to class.

To be honest, the GRR is a right of passage and if you live in Jax and run you have to do it. For this reason alone, I will most likely run it every year. However, it is one of the most disorganized runs. Runners are on their own to self-report their expected pace. Right... like anyone is going to self-report they are a 12-minute miler. Somehow, I ended up stuck WAY in the back of the pack and spent the first three miles dodging walkers. The route was absolutely gorgeous! Jax spectators were a ton of fun and the make-shift water, Gatorade, and even orange stands set up by residents were awesome. Everyone talks about the "green monster" aka the Hart Bridge that you hit during the final mile of the run. I was expecting the worst but came out with the best. I ran the entire way up the "green monster" and felt great the whole way. The downhill sprint to the finish line rocked my world. I have never finished a race this strong. I think part of the reason why the finish felt so good was that my endurance was beyond what was necessary for a 15k run. Despite the crowded route, I still made a time that I am happy with. It was my first 15k but it would be pretty unfair to call it a PR.

And... there were 77 kegs waiting at the finish line. Just kidding... I only had a beer but it was quite refreshing. Hey.... you need carbs after running 9.3 miles.

Now the true hero of the day was Steve. Why? Because he is my number one fan and greatest supporter in the world. He woke up at 5:30am alongside me and drove downtown in the ridiculous traffic. He made sure I was cozy warm in my sweatshirt until I had to load into the corrals. He was at the finish line screaming "TK GO GO GO" as I sprinted to the mats, and he made sure I was comfortable and hydrated afterwards. Steve took me to one of my all-time favorite breakfast spots "Secret Garden," dropped me off at class, picked me up from class, and then spent the evening hanging out with me and my ILs after the GRR! There is nothing in the world better than having an unbelievable husband that will sacrifice his Saturday so that I can declare I am a true runner in Jax!

Pssst.... I learned that despite running the GRR in Jax I am not a "true runner" until I have had the pleasure of peeing in a bush during a training run. Darn it!

*Pics to come...