Palau 5K- OA Female winner! ME!!!
Just adding the photos and newspaper reports finally. They came via snail mail.
That's me, 2nd from left. 4th from left is men's winner.
Envelope to prove I won! Below is the actual prize and it was yummy!
I will keep those newspapers in a hermetically sealed environment to prove that JUST ONCE, I came in 1st!
Thanks!
Most folks know that I went on vacation. 3 weeks scuba diving in Palau. It is an island group in the Pacific, SW of Guam, SE of Phillipines. They have been paving the roads for the past few years and running, biking, and triathlon are becoming regular events. This is part vacation report as well.
Anyway, this is my time to skip working out unless I have a desire to exercise. Week 1 we lived on a boat, diving 4x/day, eating tons of food. Stayed on boat an extra night with the owner (friends). Had an ear infection and slept. Back on land, diving 3x/day. Started getting irritable. Tried to hang out at the pool to relax- not working. Well, it's been 13 days since my last workout... Switched gears and went to the gym. Do I really want to do this? After 40 minutes on the stairmaster, I felt no better. Got on the treadmill and ran like a fool for 25 minutes. I FINALLY felt relaxed! I AM BACK!
For the next 5 days I exercised everyday before diving. heading into Week 3, I got food poisoning (undercooked eggs). 2 days running bed to bathroom. Does that count? Super typhoon was making water very rough. DH got very seasick while I was still bedridden. I did not get to dive for the rest of the trip. I know my limits and being seasick is not part of my vacation fun. Spent Thanksgiving getting a pedicure and relaxing. Note- my LSD pace is 10:22, MP 9:56. the treadmill tops out at 9:40, so I have not been running "fast".
5K was a run/walk to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the resort we were staying at and raise money for the Palaun Athletics. I had the impression that there would not be any "recording" of the times or "placement". This is an island, you would think it's flat. Not this one. Lots of folks at the start, plenty of foreigners.
We are hanging out when they shout "Go!". I try to run and realize that I am a few people deep and they are not running, just the very front folks. I work my way around and start jogging. The first 1/8 mile is flat and I am quickly dead last for running. But I have run here before and know that around the corner is all up hill. I settle into my pace (no Garmin). I turn the corner and see- plenty of folks started walking as soon as they hit the hill. I begin the hill and am picking folks off left and right. The hill is probably 1/2 mile long. 3/4 of the way to the top I pass 2 teenage girls. About 1/4 mile across the top, then all downhill to the turn around. Now there are guys coming back. I get to the turnaround and realize that no woman has passed me on the return. HOLY COW! 1 of the teens isn't too far back. I concentrate on holding my pace and promise myself that I will "pick it up" at a certain point on the "flat". Neeldess to say, I got to that point and was just trying to keep turning the legs over. Took the downhill as fast as I could. Only turned around to make sure dogs (really) weren't chasing me down. Last 100 yards was on the beach. Who plans these things?? It's pretty but makes running slow. I run under the banner and hear "31:13". I am handed a number and pointed to a table. I go over, hand them the number and hear "She's the first woman." I see that I am 9th OA. I begin to think, "Well, if they are keeping track...."
Sure enough there is an awards ceremony. I won a free dinner for 2 at the resort. Pics were taken and we asked for e-mail copies. Still waiting, but the newspaper has been mailed. No pics. I was 5 minutes faster than the 2nd place female.
So- Not exactly fast and not a lot of competition. I tried to explain that my time is unbelievably slow overall and even for me since I VDOT test on flat course.
I won't ever break a course record, but I had fun and I am in the record books!
20 hours on planes, 38 hours of travel and we are back home in Massachusetts. Neither of us actually has to go in to work which is good since we are sick and all we can manage is sleep and soup. Have been home 5 days and this is the first day I will workout.
I miss 89 degrees and sunny....
Thanks for reading
Comments
That's awesome, Michele! Who knew that Palau would have paved roads outside of resorts. With the tri scene picking up in the South Pacific, maybe we should open a bike shop there.
That's a great story Michele! How fun is that! Congrats.
I am completely barging in on owning the bike store. Sign me up. I'm partner #3.
Michele,
Nice race! Did the teeny boppers talk to you after the race or were they pissed?
Dave
Can I come can I come? I have finished the first class in the Barrnett's Bicycle Institute......I can take more
Congrats!!!! What a fun time and very impressive after food poisoning. I'm so impressed!
Kicka$$! way to show those island girls how it's done. No matter how small, or how remote, not too many people can say that they were first overall in any race. That's awesome!
Mike
Oh yeah, they didn't talk to me. I think I totally ruined something that they had going on with the guys. The male winner came in at 22:22, so the times were not great for anyone.
I was going to give away my award, but I was actually afraid to offend the folks at the resort.
I found out the owner of the only bike shop on the island won't support any race.
We could definitely take that place!!!
Believe me. We are working on a way to live there part of the year. Max gave a continuing ed lecture at the hospital and they were really grateful. He is going to work with their people to get something going. Of course, I would do the nursing continuing ed. All this with keeping in mind the limitations that they face. I have already told Max that I'd give up my real job in order to become a full time race director. The scheming continues!!
FREE DINNER...now that's a race reward that beats trophies and other dust collectors! Sounds like a great vacation. Congratulations on your victory.