Extra Sunday

I think this is an idea that could really take off.

Having already chronicled the peaks & valleys of my last week (did I really go political?), I will just note that this weekend was intense but exhausting. I just really could have used an extra Sunday.

My actual Sunday began when I rolled over & looked at the clock - 6:31am - and realized that I was 1 minute late for meeting my Race Team and that if I didn't rocket out of bed & leave my house in the next 97 seconds I would miss the Race altogether. And leave my team of 41 runners & walkers in the dust with no leader. So I went warp speed...running skirt, sports bra, t-shirt, ponytail...and there was still time to stop at Dunkin' on my way to the 7:00am train. (Oh yeah, I'm THAT low maintenance.)

Met up with about half my team to ride the commuter rail into Boston, and used the train ride to liberally distribute all kinds of pink bling purchased at iParty the day before. I saved the 2 pink hula skirts for myself and Nyla, because she worked her ass off the night before at the carbo load, and in the weeks leading up to the race. (I should have bought a 3rd for Sanne because she is the unsung hero of many of the subplots in my life at this point, including the Komen race...Sanne, I owe you a hula skirt, unless you'd prefer a coconut bra?)

Trying to coordinate 41 bodies at a road race on not enough sleep or coffee is a challenge. But with the help of a whole lot of people, we somehow pulled it off. My time was crap but what do you expect from a short, undercaffeinated, out-of-shape momma who was trying to rally the troops while running in 85 degree heat in a hula skirt & non-breathable cotton t-shirt. Here were some highlights of the day for me:

• Our 23-year old teammate Kate finished 4th. Overall, out of all the women in the race. What does that feel like? If I were that fast...oh, don't get me started.


• My 2 sister-in-laws couldn't make it so we gave their race #s & timing chips to Nyla's two aunties. I found out later that they pulled a Rosie Ruiz. Pam & Patti, you girls are F-A-S-T!!
  
• We had a 7-year old on our team & she almost beat me.


• Nyla puked about 8 seconds after we crossed the finish line, right next to some toddler in a stroller. I felt bad for her but not so bad that I didn't totally relish the poor kids' father's expression of sheer disgust & confusion.
  
• I met a bunch of cool people, and got to know others who had been casual gym friends for months. I saw some Komen aquaintances there & felt, for the first time, like I was driving the bus, not like a passenger being whipped around in the back seat.

The local paper published a brief article about our team at http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x690583508/South-Shore-walkers-runners-to-compete-in-Komen-Race-for-a-Cure I was kind of disappointed because I gave the reporter all these great quotes but she whiffed & basically just deferred to the press release.

So that brings me back to the feeling of incredible release & exhaustion when I got home yesterday afternoon, which continued into this morning & still persists. I needed, still need, rest, but it's not in the schedule. I wish I could find that extra Sunday because I'm diving into another long, full, complicated week. But at least I don't have to run anywhere in a hula skirt for awhile.