Alejandra, You Are My Inspiration

How to spread the news?

My daughter got motivated again and started running daily at about 5:30 am to beat Thailand's heat. Guess what. Since I got to California on the 8th I have been running every day at about 3:30 pm. Do you know what that means, right? That our feet are pounding the ground at the same exact time 7,440 miles apart. Our plan never got so in sync.

Then she mentioned she was training for a 5K, but like there was no race around her town, she was planning on running one day as if she was in a race. The day she picked for her race was June 21st. I got speechless. I happened to register in the Komen race for the cure which will be in Seattle on the same day. What were the odds?

I remember all of you, blogger friends that participated in the virtual triathlon, and that you got your bibs and ran from different places on this planet. As I would love she has a bib, I suggested her to prepare her own bib and use the same number I get for my Komen race. It was a deal!!!

She gave me so much inspiration that I wanted to race right away. I searched yesterday on Internet for 5K in SoCal, and lucky me, the Palos Verdes Marathon, 1/2 and 5K in San Pedro was going to be held today. Just 10 miles from our home in Long Beach.

So, without mental preparation, I got up at 6:15 am had my daily yogurt and cereal and went with my hubby to San Pedro. I had my late registration and got my 7008 bib. I was ready, with no watch, no ipod, and no butterflies. It was nice to feel so calm.

At 8am the race started, I crossed myself, and went up the only hill of the course, maybe 0.2 miles. The view was gorgeous with the ocean below. Before mile one I felt really hot. It was 74F/23C and I am used to Seattle's weather where 60F/15C and sunny is already warm for me. At mile two, volunteers handed me a cup of cold water which I emptied over my head. At mile three we went down the hill, and I had a nice sensation when I saw the clock. I could make a sub-32. I sprinted faster than usual, and I got a 31:54. Five exact minutes below my PR. I was a happy runner. I rephrase it, I am a happy runner!!!!

Thanks to my Alejandra, you are my inspiration.

PS: They clocked randomly. The girl that crossed the finish line seconds behind me received a sticker with her time: 31:57. When I asked about my sticker they said they were doing that to random runners. So I am not sure if they will have the results for everybody. I cared at the moment but got over it.

PS2: I just checked the online results and I show 32:02, and 4 persons behind Michelle Blackmore who I believed finished behind me (the 31:57 girl). I am fine, is not that I am going to get hung up for 8 seconds. I am changing my PR to 32:02 as this is the official time. If that's what they say, that's what I take. Still, I am really happy!!!

Placement
Division 8/36 (ain't bad!!!)
Overall 249/573

245  6/27 2044 MICHELE BLACKMORE 47 F LONG BEACH 31:57 10:19
246 18/44 2146 MONICA GOMEZ      32 F HAWTHORNE  31:58 10:19
247 15/23 2069 DAVID CAVAZOS     43 M CARSON     32:01 10:20
248 11/34 2327 SHAUNA RAUPACH    35 F SAN PEDRO  32:01 10:20
249  8/36 7008 LIZZIE LEE        51 F            32:02 10:20

Below the pix.
The Ocean View pix belong to Palos Verdes Marathon,
Half Marathon and 5K