No-show

I’m never fully committed to a race until I’ve paid my entry fee. I can’t remember skipping a single race for which I had preregistered. There are plenty I had meant sign up for the day of, but didn’t. As last Saturday’s 7.5K approached, and the weather forecast got worse, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. It was just as well since Saturday was a very busy day, even though it would have been a fun race. It’s the only race I know of where the oldest runners start first. Participants 80 and older have a full 13-minute head start on those 30 and under; the 75-79 age-group has an 11-minute handicap; etc. At 51, I would have only had a 2-minute lead on the whippersnappers. The first person to cross the finish line is the overall winner. It’s often a young person, but not always.

Gotta run…

Most improved

Last year, Husband had a tachycardia halfway through the Kerzers Lauf. I didn’t see him squatting down by the side of the path, so when I crossed the finish line I thought he was still ahead of me. I searched for him in vain, then waited, and waited, and waited. I was getting nervous. It was half an hour before he came into sight. Four months later, a cardiologist fixed his heart, so praise God no more tachycardia!
I was pleased to shave 29 seconds off last year’s time, but Husband was definitely the most improved of all the thousands of runners; he finished 28 minutes and 51 seconds faster than last year!

Gotta run…

Kerzers Lauf, 2

Husband and I arrived at K-H and N’s house early enough to visit a while before making our way to the Kerzers Lauf staring line, just a stone’s throw from their place. I was in G block and took off ten minutes before Husband (M block, more about that in the next post). It was cold and windy. For the first few kilometers lots of runners past me, but then I started picking off F block stragglers; very satisfying. After finishing, I waited to see Husband cross the finish line. It was a short wait, unlike last year (30 minutes, more about that in the next post). He finished with many H and I block runners, having passed runners from start to finish. We spent the rest of the day enjoying fellowship with K-H and N. All in all, a great day.

By the way, this year’s prize: yellow shoelaces.

Milestone

We runners like to count other things besides miles or kilometers. This is my 100th post. When I started blogging last July, Son 2 said, “you’re posting too often, Mom, you need to pace yourself.” He was right of course; I do have a tendency to start too fast, but I figured I should go with the momentum.

Gotta run…

Marseilles

Husband and I came down to Marseilles to surprise Daughter on her 19th birthday. She was duly surprised!
The drawbacks of running in the city are pollution and traffic. We had to weave around all the parked cars on the sidewalks, not to mention other items deposited on the sidewalk. But we enjoyed the warmer south of France weather on our easy run. The season is far more advanced here with all kinds of flowers and bushes in full blossom. A foretaste of things to come in Lausanne.

Gotta run...

Firsts

Last Saturday’s “Cross des Amis de la Nature” (literal translation: “Friends of Nature Cross-country Run;” actual meaning: “Hills I can walk up faster than I can run up”) was my first race of the season. It was also my first time to enter a race shorter than 5K. I felt like I was sprinting the whole 4K, and for the first time in years another runner voiced concern about my labored breathing (I usually only get sideways glances, but I know what they are thinking, “is she going to keel over and die right here in front of me?”). I did make it to the finish lines; just seconds after said concerned runner, by the way. Our prize was an umbrella, that’s a first for me. I’m now prepared for those April showers. A t-shirt would have come in handy too though, since it was the first warm weekend of the year.

Gotta run…

Tempo runs

My tempo runs are all scheduled for me over the next few weeks, if I decide to run the races I marked on my calendar; four Saturday races in a row. A 4K, a 15K, a 7.5K, then finally a 10K. After three months of plodding along, we'll see if I can still pick up the pace.

Gotta run...

Silver Diploma

Here's my reward from Swiss Athletics; a diploma, a hat, and a pin.

Gotta run...

Diamond League

This week the International Association of Athletics Federations announced that in 2010 the new Diamond League will replace the Golden League (an exclusive European track meet tour). Our very own Lausanne Athletissima will be on the schedule. City officials are bursting with pride. I wonder if they forgot they want to demolish our stadium?

The all-important race

Husband’s lesson to the church last weekend was on perseverance. He likened the Christian walk to a foot race. Here are ten things you need to make it to the finish line:

1. desire
2. training
3. knowledge of the course
4. proper equipment
5. a coach
6. the crowd
7. fellow runners
8. nourishment
9. pace setters
10. eyes on the goal

Let us all "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus."

gotta run…