For the second year in a row I ran the Tufts 10k road race for woman. My mom, my aunt and a group of our girl friends from Vermont are making it a tradition. It’s so fun, we make it into a little girls trip, if you will. They all get a hotel room and after the race explore restaurants and around Boston. I always run, but have called it quits before the drinking and eating really gets going.
This year the weather was perfect! It actually felt a little cold and windy but once we started running it was plenty warm. 
The race starts at noon which is so nice ’cause you can have a relaxing morning and slowly make your way to the start.
My goal for the race was to finish. I thought if I could run around a 8:30 minute mile, and walk if it got too hard, I’d be happy. I know that seems kind of silly but since having Emerson I really have not been able to run like I used to. I fit in some quick 3-4 mile runs, here and there, but I am not nearly in the kind of shape I typically am.
I ended up running exactly an 8 minute mile and finishing without having to walk at all. I felt good but it was super hard. I had to practice positive self talk! At mile 3, I was like, “okay, you’re half way, you can do 3 more miles!” By the end my butt and hamstrings were on fire. I pushed myself the last mile and when I crossed the finished I felt almost as fatigued as when I ran a marathon. My legs were weak and my body was exhausted.
Knowing I would see these two once I crossed the finish line motivated me to keep going! I mean, seriously, does it get any better than that. {maybe next year I will run with Emerson in the stroller…}
On a similar note, I was so proud of my mom today. She ran the race and finished in 1:04 averaging a 10:20 minute mile. Up until the last minute she was debating whether she should run or walk. Earlier in the summer she set out to run the race and started on a make-shift training program but then I asked her to help watch Emerson when I went back to work and totally cut into any free time she may have had to train (and she hurt her hammy too). Feeling unprepared to run, she was going to walk with my aunt. Luckily we convinced her just to try and run… see how far you can go, and then walk. Well, she ran the whole thing and finished with an amazing time!
Mom and me at the finish with our #1 cheerleader, Emerson!
Another woman in our group finished 2nd in her age group! She makes me want to train for the race next year!
And everyone else had a great time, including me. It was my first race back and it felt great to be back out pounding the pavement with so many others.
This race is so inspiring! There are so many incredible women out on the course sweating together, sharing memories together and working hard together. I look forward to doing it again next year!
