Race Rewind: Cheese Town Challenge. Pinconning, MI

 

 Pinconning, MI. A small town in the north east side of the state know for the way they make cheese. We participated in the Cheese Town 5 mile challenge a bit by accident. I was signing up for 5k races back in April and had this one on my list as part of the Element Series. Since they were all 5k races when I saw the 5 I didn't read further, OPPS! About 1 week before the race I was talking to Alisha and she asked if we were doing the 5 mile or 2 mile race. I freaked out. I had in fact signed us both up for the 5 mile race. While we have walked 5 miles before so the distance didn't scare me as much as I knew this was for real runners so I wouldn't be able to blend in. I am a people pleaser so I don't like to hold any one up or make people do things just to make me happy. I am always worrying about the comfort of others more than my own. Since we had already paid I figured we might as well try but I was very scared before we even set foot in Pinconning. 

Losing It Big and Middle went with grandma and grandpa for a camping and fishing get-a-way to grandma and grandpa's backyard (hey they are 2 and 4) early Saturday morning. With Losing It Little still at home we spent the morning and afternoon trying to set up a pool. The pool was dug by myself, Alisha, Brandon and Losing It Daddy. I do have to give Alisha the most credit since she kept on trucking at it, in turn keeping me from stopping as much as I would have if it was just me. When 4pm rolled around we had to pack Losing It Little up and drive to Losing It Daddy's dad, Grandpa Mike. 5pm, Brandon, Alisha, Losing It Daddy and myself were off to Pinconning, about 30 minutes away.

We arrived around 5:30 and had an hour before the race started. Parking was a bit difficult since the race seemed like the only thing people were there for but there was a beer tent, blow-up slides for the kids, and a little league baseball game going on. We were able to park and made our way over to pick up our racing swag.

I need to start documenting our racing swag because for this race we got something very cute and unique in our bag. For our entry fee we got a shirt and a block of cheese. Now one thing that was a bit of an annoyance but really I think the kids filling the bags were just trying to save a bag (GOOD FOR THEM!! Save our planet from unnecessary waste). When we went to the desk and gave our names the kids put our shirts in one bag because we were together. That meant that even though we paid the same individually we only got half of what the other racers received who didn't come as a couple. Not a huge deal but the cheese was very good. I had some on my breakfast eggs the next morning.

At 6pm they let the 2 mile walker and runners go. Some of the runners were competing in the Cheese Town Iron Man. They would run the 2 mile race and get back in time to compete in the 5 mile race at 6:30. We knew two of the racers and stayed near the last 1/2 mile to cheer them on and take pictures. I love getting pictures to prove I was there and figured they would to.

6:25 - walk to the start. We all waked down the road to the start of the race. I was getting nervous but Losing It Daddy said he would stay with me the whole time. Usually he starts with me, but since he can run faster and go for longer distances without needing to walk, I usually just wave and sign I Love You before we part. I was so thankful he said he would stay with me before the race started but even more grateful when we got going. At 6:30 we were off and I was hoping to be able to run for a minute and walk 2 minutes off and on. I did great with that for the first 2 rounds. It was hard and I kept looking at my watch to count down the running, but I did it. When we got 1/4 of a mile in I was behind but not that far. The paramedics got in their truck as I passed and started slowly following. They did this because I was the last one and they needed to open the road up at that section. I knew this logically but started to feel my eyes well up with tears. I was so heart broken to be the heavy girl huffing and puffing along with the paramedics right behind her. It was like the truck was screaming "fatty coming through!!".  I made jokes because that is how I deal with things but it was hard to keep going. I knew Losing It Daddy wouldn't let me stop because he knew when the race was over I would feel even worse about myself for not finishing.

Losing It Daddy and Momma with John after the race.

Around 1/2 of a mile in we caught up to John. We had never met John and we may never see him again but he was the sweetest 17 year old (apart from Losing It Sib Shawn) I have ever met. He had ran the 2 mile and was going to do the 5 mile for the Iron Man. He is a cross country runner so this should have been no issue for him. I am sure he could have found the energy after a few minutes of walking. Instead he came back to walk with us. I think he could tell the car right behind me bugged me and he said he was going to come in last. I don't care, I will take pity victories.

The race went off the (slow) main road and went onto a back country road where my truck of paramedics was replaced with a golf cart of paramedics. I would turn around every so often and say (and sign) Thank You and I am Sorry. I just felt like I was 30 minutes behind everyone else, holding everyone up.

We kept running and walking for the first 2 miles but I started to have trouble breathing more and more. We then lengthened our walking times in between. When I said I could run I did but sometimes we would walk for 5 minutes before I could think about going faster. I wanted to stop at each mile marker for about 15 seconds. I would then remind myself that I could finish and everyone kept telling me it was ok when I would say how sorry I was. The roads were blocked off and people trying to head for vacation were out of the cars looking at what the hold up was. I would also hear the radio behind me asking where were we. Not things to help someone who was already feeling bad for inconveniencing people. A few times the tears would come up but I would just think about how mad I would be if I gave up.

We got off the road and moved to a path in a field (much bigger than Owosso) and then to a trail in the woods. I refused to run much on the uneven grass since I was sure I would break a bone somehow. It was only 1/4 of a mile to the trail again but I didn't feel like I could run on the ground without falling.

When we reached the last mile Brandon and Alisha joined us. I felt a bit more confident (and cooler since I had dumped the water over my head at each water station. Don't worry I had a water pack with me, I was hydrated). I would run a bit more again and make a few more jokes about my "followers". I knew I could do a mile in 20 minutes if I walked but I wanted to speed up the walking in between. If I got slower with the walking Losing It Daddy and John would push on my back slightly to speed me up.

As we came back into town some people were on the side of the road cheering. One woman said "someone has to bring up the rear". I knew she meant it as a nice comment but I could have done without it. I laughed it off but it still stung. When we rounded the bend, I could see the finish line and see people still crossing it! Yeah I wasn't that far behind. I wasn't holding everyone up for 30 minutes like I was thinking. I did hold up the little kids race but they still stood there cheering. Feeling snarky from the in town comment I did mention to Alisha that the kids need to learn patience, but as I passed I made sure to apologize to them for holding them up.

When I had about 100 yards of so to the finish line I ran. Brandon and Alisha had gone to the sidelines at this point since they had already finished but I still had Losing It Daddy and John behind me counting down the fence posts for me. People were cheering as I became the slowest winner to quote Alisha. My "followers" had drove off to the side before I started running and the roads were back open.

I finished at 1Hr 19 Minutes and 8 Seconds. It felt so good to cross that finish line that I teared up because I was done and I did it with only being 10 minutes behind the rest of the pack. I know this was a hard race for me but it was more in my head than my body.

Brandon, Losing It Momma and Alisha

I want to let everyone who is friends with me on facebook know how much I loved your conrgats. I read them daily (sometimes more) and tear up. I am so proud of what I am doing and what I have done. I am not fast by any means but I am improving and that is what counts. I am getting out there and trying something new and getting healthier for it. I am gaining confidence and doing something that is for me. I also get a great big smile when I see all my friends and family who are dusting off their tennis shoes and getting out there. You guys are all awesome.


Losing It Momma
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