Chocolate Run 10k Race Report!

Note: Sorry this took so long to get posted.  We lost power on Sunday night from the storms (quite spectacularly, too!), and we didn’t get power back until late Monday afternoon.  I had a lot to catch up on after that!

Now, on to the race report:  Sunday was my 11-year-old son’s third 10k of the year.  You can read a little more of the background here.  I was quite nervous all weekend about this!

Saturday afternoon, he had a hockey game, and luckily, packet pick up was on the way.  We got our shirts and bibs, and they had a mini-expo in that some of the sponsors were giving away free stuff.  One of the sponsors was Noodles and Company, which we don’t have near us.  When Jamie asked me if we could have a sample, I couldn’t say no. 😉  We had a little macaroni and cheese, and it was awesome!  They also gave us a buy one, get one free coupon, and let us know where the nearest location was.  It turns out it was on the way home from the game, so we decided that it was meant to be for us to “carb load” there the night before our race. Well, he carb-loaded, with a big bowl of beef stroganoff.

 

 

I had a chicken chop salad, which was good but a little small, in my opinion, so I splurged on the world’s biggest snickerdoodle, too. 😛 We split it, so that made it better for me, right? 😉

Sunday morning, when I came to his door and called to him at 5:50am, Jamie didn’t groan, but just calmly said, “I’ll be right down.”  He was ready for race day!  He had a breakfast of half a bagel with peanut butter and some orange juice, and I checked the weather.  The forecast for Sunday had gotten progressively worse as the week went on, until we were looking at an 80% chance of rain with high winds and severe storms!  I’d heard the rain against my window overnight, but when I looked at the radar, it seemed as though we had a lull between storms, and I prayed it would continue.

On the way up, we talked about a lot of things, but only a little about the race.  I did ask him what he wanted me to do during the race if he started to falter.  His response was very emphatic. “I just want you to keep going at our pace, because I need to know that no matter what happens, I can meet my goal if I can just catch up to you.”  Oy.  That’s a lot of pressure on a runner, much less a mom!

We did a quick gas-station pit stop when we got off the freeway (brilliant idea on my part), but we did have some parking issues and it was 7:45 before we got out of the car.  Cutting it a bit close, but I knew where we were going and that we weren’t starting until the second wave at 8:10am.  We jogged a little bit toward the starting line to limber us up, and then we found the big crowd lined up for the start.  I was delighted to see that they once again had pacers for the race!  I know this isn’t common for 10k races, but the Kona company seems to think they’re worth the investment.

I went to line up between the 60- and 65-minute pacer and was delighted to see a familiar face holding the 65-minute sign—our friend Lorenda, who paced us to Jamie’s record 10k finish at Kona!  She was excited to see us too, and she made sure to wish Jamie good luck.  I wish I’d gotten a picture, but we were running late and I forgot. 🙁

Jamie and I did a quick selfie as we waited for the start.

 

 

It was cloudy but not raining when we lined up.  Jamie was getting excited with all the activity around us.  It was a pretty packed crowd of runners!

 

 

Jamie and I had planned to start with the second wave (10 minute miles or slower), but I decided that we were close enough to go with the first wave, so we started a little after 8am.  We ran with the thick crowd at the beginning, with me constantly telling Jamie to take it easy and maintain our pace.  He was feeling good, and we coasted through that first mile pretty easily. I reminded him of a few tricks I’d learned from my first experience with a pacer, including taking all the corners to the inside, since all courses are measured at the most inside point of the turn.

It was unseasonably warm (57 degrees—crazy for mid-November in Michigan!), and we both ended up taking off our long-sleeve pullovers within the first mile.  There was a steady incline after the first half-mile for about another half mile.  It wasn’t awful, but you definitely noticed it.  Jamie didn’t have any trouble, though. As we ran, several runners as well as spectators caught sight of him, and you could sense their surprise to see such a child of his age and his stature running along the 10k route.  He received a lot of positive encouragement from runners and fans alike!

Our first mile was a 10:01, which was perfect!  I wanted to run just a bit under Jamie’s goal pace of 10:08, since I didn’t want to take the chance that my Garmin didn’t match up with the actual course and we’d miss the 63-minute goal by a few seconds. For the second mile, I was running a bit fast, probably in the 9:40s, but I was trying to build in time for a water break.  I learned very quickly that pacing is hard! He was doing pretty well toward the end of mile two, but I figured he was ready for water and a shot block, so we stopped for a few seconds just before the 2-mile marker, and then started up again after he refueled. We came in at 9:51 for mile 2—surprising, since we’d walked!

During that third mile (after the mile 2 marker), we maintained a steady if slightly-fast pace.  Again, I was really worried about being too slow, and I wanted to ensure he had plenty of time for at least one if not two more water breaks, so I probably went a bit too fast.  We ended the third mile with a 9:44—yikes!

By the time we got into the fourth mile, I could tell he was struggling.  He had been quiet throughout, but now he was laboring a little more.  He kept asking me how far we were, and I could tell he wasn’t happy with my answers.  When we passed the 3.1 mark, I told him he’d just finished a 5k, but he didn’t comment.  We had a lot of turns in this race (we counted 37 on Saturday night when we were looking at the map!), and although he was quiet, I noticed that he made sure to do every inside turn, even when I didn’t remind him. 🙂

As we moved along that fourth mile, with my intention to walk right at the mile 4 marker, I realized that he needed to rest sooner.  When we hit 3.82, I told him to stop and take a shot block and some water.  He was clearly grateful for the rest, but I could tell he was struggling to find the will to start running again.  Based on our conversation of the morning, after a few seconds, I told him I was going to start running again, and he would just need to catch up with me.

It was a hard, hard decision for me to actually start up again, and I was dismayed that it took him longer than I would have hoped to resume running.  I began to wonder if I should slow down for him, despite his instructions otherwise.  Then, suddenly, he was right there next to me—he really busted his butt to catch up with me!  I could tell he was still laboring, though, based on his breathing.  That fourth mile was a 10:14, and although it worried me a bit, I knew we had a cushion.  At this point, though, our cushion was shrinking!

And then, suddenly, as if he wasn’t struggling enough, it began to rain.  It started as a slight mist right at the mile 4 marker, but within a few seconds, it was a steady, pouring rain.  Totally miserable!  I thought Jamie couldn’t get any more discouraged and tired, but I knew that the rain was messing with his already fragile psyche.

He began to fall behind me, not far, about 5 yards or so.  I could hear his labored breathing and I was panicked.  I kept looking back at him, and he looked miserable.  And yet, he kept running.  I struggled so much internally at this point.  I knew he wanted to not be running anymore, and yet, he didn’t once stop or call out to me.  I called back and asked him if he wanted to walk at mile five and a half, and he grunted out, “Yes!”  As we passed the mile 5 marker, I couldn’t believe that he was still toughing it out, just a little bit behind me.

I called back and asked him if he wanted to walk, and he choked out, “Yes!”  He was probably close to 10 yards behind me at this point, so I told him to catch up to me and then he could walk for just a bit.  He missed the “catch up with me” part and just started walking.  I slowed down walk with him, and he said, “Keep going!” I told him that it was time for us to both walk and it was okay, but that I was going to start up again soon and he should catch up with me.  It took him a moment, but he did start up again.  He did his best to catch up, but he remained about 5 yards behind me.

To my surprise, there was a water station within a quarter-mile, at mile 5.5, and I knew Jamie would want some water.  I looked at my watch and was concerned about the time…our last two miles had averaged 10:14 and 10:08, and I was worried that we were cutting it close to his goal.  Still, I asked him if he wanted some water, and of course he said yes.   I told him he could stop and quickly take some, but that I was going to keep going and he should catch up to me quickly. He stopped, and I kept turning around to watch him. I was really, really worried that he wasn’t going to start up again.  He did, though, but the difficulty was evident.

As he started to pull closer to me, about 5 yards behind, it was then that I realized he was crying. 🙁  With each labored breath he took, he choked out a sob, and my heart just died inside.  I wanted to cry right along with him, but more than anything I wanted to stop right there in the street, wrap my arms around him, and tell him he didn’t have to run anymore.

Motherhood has necessitated a lot of difficult decisions in my life, but I would have to say that the continuing to run at that moment, without slowing down, ranks right up there with the hardest choices I’ve ever had to make as a mom.  I fought with myself over and over again, and I’d like to say I just knew that continuing on was the right thing to do, but I can’t say that.  I was so worried about him, but at the same time, I knew what he’d told me he wanted from me earlier in the day, and I wanted to do everything in my power to do what he asked.  So, I continued at a pace that I thought would get him across the finish line in an hour and three minutes or less.

To my amazement, despite his obvious misery, he kept running, and he pushed himself enough to catch up to me!  When he got in step with me, I told him he could slow to my pace (he was really booking it to catch up), and that we were less than a mile away.  He said nothing, but just continuing running with labored breaths, choking out a sob every once in a while.

Ever since I started running, I’ve come to realize what an amazing group runners are, but what I experienced in that last 3/4 of a mile absolutely amazed and humbled me.  As people ran by him and glanced down, you could see that they were impressed and even inspired by him, and so many of them began to give him encouragement as they went by.

A guy who noticed his Tony Hawk shirt: “That’s awesome, man! Tony Hawk would be proud!”

 

A fit-looking guy:  “Wow! I couldn’t run six miles at that age! Great job, kid!”

Fit-looking guy’s friend: “I couldn’t have even run a mile at that age! That’s awesome!”

 

A lady about my age who did a double-take when she saw him: “Wow! Great pace! Keep it up!!”

 

Short, dark-haired, average-build runner as he quietly ran by:  “Stay strong, young buck.”*

 

And there were so many more.  There were at least twenty people who addressed him in that last leg, with a lot of them just saying, “Great job! Don’t give up! You can do it!” as they ran by. It just made me want to cry when I heard these strangers giving my son encouragement at his most difficult hour.

I didn’t speak to him as we as we rounded the corner near 5.75, because I know from experience that when you’re struggling, you don’t want to talk, and I knew he specifically told me he didn’t want me to say anything to him.  As we passed the six mile marker, he was still about 5 yards behind me.  Despite my vow to keep quiet, with the rain pouring down on us, I found myself blurting out, “Come on, Jamie!” with the intent to follow it with, “You’re doing great!” But he didn’t let me finish; all he heard was, “Come on, Jamie!” and he immediately growled on a sob, “I’m trying!”  My poor baby. 🙁

But he remained determined, despite his misery, and somehow, he caught up to me right after the 6.1 mile mark.  At that moment, he pulled out everything he had.

 

 

 

As we turned the corner right before to the finish, the clock said 1:04:26, and at first I was panicked, but then I remembered that we were at the end of the first wave.  I yelled at him not to look at the clock, that we had started later, and then I stopped worrying about time and just worried about getting him across the finish line.

 

 

We crossed together, and as soon as we were mostly out of the way of oncoming runners, I grabbed him and hugged him tight.

“You did it, buddy!” I told him, my throat tight.  “You finished in under 63-minutes!”

He didn’t respond right away, but then he finally choked out, “What was my time?”

I looked at my watch.  “My watch says 1:02:27, and while that may not be exactly it, I know you made it under 63!”  Secretly, I hoped I was right, but I figured it had to be under the goal.

He was so tired at that point, I don’t think it registered.  He just wanted to sit down!  I quickly found an overhang (it was still pouring rain) and he leaned against a brick wall as he tried to recuperate.  I kept telling him what a great job he’d done and how proud I was of him, but I’m not sure he heard me. 😉  Eventually, he perked up enough for a picture.

 

 

He still looks a bit tired there, clearly.

We wanted to get some of the chocolate that was promised to us, but the line was already really long, so instead, I made good on my promise earlier in the week and took him across the street to Panera, who he got his beloved asiago cheese bagel and hot chocolate.

 

 

He was thrilled. 🙂  Eventually, we got a nice picture of us.

 

 

We then waited for my friend Cindy to finish the 5k.  We just missed her finish (she had a great race, despite an injury!), but we did get a photo.

 

 

Great shirt, Cindy! 😉

By that time, the line for chocolate was ridiculous, so I made the decision to go back to the car and head home. First, though, we stopped at the results board, which was finally up.  We braved the crowd (I got my foot stepped on!), to find the results:  1:02:24!! He did it!!  He was so happy.  He was bummed that he was so far down in the rankings of his age group, but he recognized that as long as he met his goal, that’s what was important.

When we got to the car, I had a couple of surprises waiting for my amazing son.  You see, two months ago, Jamie asked me if he could have a (very expensive) Under Armour hoodie. I told him we would order it after he finished his third 10k as a reward. After he crossed the finish line, even though he was exhausted, the first thing he said was, “Can I get that hoodie now?”

I of course said yes, but what I didn’t tell him was that I’d ordered it last week. 🙂 When we got to the car, I left him sitting in the passenger seat while I pulled it out from the back. The look of pure happiness on his face when I gave it to him after the race was priceless.  He was so astonished and thrilled, he actually set it on the seat and put his head in his hands, clearly unable to believe it. 😉

 

 

But wait, there’s more. I’ve mentioned the special “Triple Crown” medal that he wanted to earn but couldn’t because he had to miss the last qualifying race due to the hockey tournament. Well, you know I’m not shy, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that I contacted the race company president and told him Jamie’s story. He was awesome! He not only agreed to allow Jamie to use the Chocolate Run as the third qualifier, he even sent me the medal that week in the mail, before the real third qualifier had even been run. I presented it to him after giving him the shirt. Obviously, Jamie had no idea that I’d arranged for this, and he was stunned when I gave him the medal. As you can tell from this picture, he was one happy kid!

 

 

Later that afternoon, Jamie played in a hockey game. I told him to take it easy and let the coach know if he needed to sit, but they were short two defensemen and he only took himself out of the rotation a few times toward the end.  His coach later told me I should have him run a 10k before every game, because he played one of his best games ever!  Um, no. 😉

 

All in all, it was a great day for Jamie. For his mom, it was a little tougher. Even after the race was over and he’d recovered, I still felt guilty about pushing him so hard there at the end. I asked him at least five times that night if he still loved me even though I wouldn’t let him quit when he was exhausted.  He said he wasn’t real happy with me at the time, but that yes, he still loves me. 🙂 As guilty as I feel, though, I also wonder…if I had given up on him, how would he have felt? I don’t know, but I do know that I love him and am so proud of him. I’d be proud if he didn’t beat his best time, but I’m really proud that he did, and I know he’s proud of himself. (He even wore his race medal to his hockey game, lol!)

So that’s it! (Finally, right? 😉 ) Thanks so much for letting this proud mama gush.  🙂

 

 

*Best. Race. Comment. EVER!!!  Jamie didn’t think too much of it when he was struggling through that last mile, but when we were talking about the race on Monday night and trying to recall all the comments people made, he suddenly remembered this one, and we just busted out laughing!  I wish I could find that guy to thank him.  It is truly a moment we’ll never forget. 😀