I'm running, but I'm not back...yet.

Last weekend I ran my first post-baby race: the Codfish Bowl, a 5K cross country race with a few dozen collegiate cross country teams and a handful of local club teams. I like this race because 1) it is out the back gate of Franklin Park Zoo so Scott and the kids can do fun stuff while I take my time warming up, cooling down, and cheering on the men, 2) it is on a Saturday rather than a Sunday, and 3) it is fun to run with college girls who now look like babies to me (even if they are much faster than babies and none of them have babies!).

The photo above is of my team, the Greater Boston Track Club, pumped up at the starting line. When the gun went off, everyone sprinted out except for me - I lumbered along, nearly in last place. After the excitement of the first quarter-mile, I passed a few girls. By the mile, I had passed a few more. I headed up Bear Cage Hill, which I've always thought was over-hyped but really felt this time around. The hill kept going up and up, and when the downhill came it didn't feel as good as it should (C-sections take the fun out of downhills for awhile...).

Despite the hill, no one passed me. But I was running with a slow crowd. On the third mile, I passed a girl who was breathing really hard and chanting "I can't do this!" Maybe her mom never read her "The Little Engine That Could." I chugged along and finished in 23:09, perhaps a personal worst? Getting in shape after having a baby is hard and it looks slow and ugly for awhile. I'm beginning to think that it is exponentially slower and uglier with each additional kid. I will be back, but it will take many more Tuesday night workouts chasing GBTC's masters' team (50-60+ year-old guys) and maybe even a few more personal worsts!

The Race Report

Yesterday was the Codfish Bowl, a cross country invitational for area colleges with a few has-beens like me in attendance. Scott, Bruce, and Phoebe ventured off for a hike and rock hunt while I warmed up and then ran the 5K. There were a lot of fresh collegiate athletes who went out way too fast and sandwiched Slow Me for about a mile. I eventually elbowed my way out of the pack and caught quite a few people. The third mile wasn't spectacular - I was starting to feel the 80-degree heat and my inconsistent training - but it was good enough for a 15th place finish, 5th place on my team. I wasn't thrilled with my time - 20:17 - probably because I ran an 18:44 on this course a few years ago. Someday when I'm not pushing a stroller for half of my mileage and missing half of my workouts because Scott has to go back in to work at night, I'll get my times down to where I want them.