A Thousand Little Kindnesses/ Hot Chocolate 5k

I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am in the area of friends.  Joe ran my first race with me today, and I had a really positive experience because of him.  He showed kindness in a thousand little ways, and when you put it all together, it's kind of a big deal.  Here's how it all went down:

Pre-Race: Registration fills up before Joe can register.  He puts an ad on Craigslist, and, at the last minute, is able to purchase someone's race bib.  He figures out all the arrangements, like where and what time to meet, how we're getting there, etc.  He meets me at 5:45 a.m. on a night when he could've gotten an extra hour of sleep.  I tell him I'm nervous about running early in the morning; I always run at night.

"How'd you sleep last night?" he asks.

"Terrible."

"Then it should feel like it's really late at night." 

Gear check: I don't have a bag to put my coat in.  I didn't know you needed a bag!  Joe takes care of it.  

Bib: I don't know where to put it.  Joe pins it on my pants for me.

Getting there/finding things: Joe takes care of it.  

Temperature: According to The F-ing Weather.com, it is in the upper 30's.  As we wait for over an hour to get to the start line, Joe insists that I wear his gloves.  After Mile 1, when I take off my long-sleeved shirt, Joe insists on carrying it for me.

Waiting to get to the start line: I clutch my Fearless necklace and try to get in a good mindset.  It's easier than I think it will be; Joe exudes an aura of calm. I'm not having trouble breathing and I no longer feel nauseous.

Pace: About 5 minutes in, Joe asks how I'm feeling about the pace.  "I don't know!  There's too many people... I can't tell!"  I think he hears the hint of hysteria in my voice.  We pass Mile 1, and I notice that my Runkeeper app is slightly off- it doesn't think we've gone a mile yet.  I ask Joe about our pace.  He checks his watch.  "You are within... 10 seconds of where you want to be," he replies.  

"That's weird.  Runkeeper thinks I'm going faster."

"You know, it's probably not getting a good signal," Joe says, gesturing to our surroundings.  (We're on Lower Wacker at this point.)  I'm skeptical because I feel like I'm going faster than usual, but everything's all crazy because I'm surrounded by people and my toes are numb and I'm just trying not to freak out, so maybe this IS my usual pace.  I decide not to worry about it; I trust Joe.  And I finish the race 5 minutes faster than I normally would.  Instead of 15 minute miles, my average pace was a little over 13 min/mile.  That stinker.  But I was obviously right to trust him; he knows when I need to be lied to.  I am blessed with a handful of close friends who know exactly how to "handle" me; Joe is apparently one of them.  

Conversation: When Joe ran with me last week, he talked about shaving for 35 minutes.  It was exactly what I needed to get through a long run.  This morning, he tells me he's prepared to discuss coffee- another conversation topic that requires no contributions from me.  I can't believe he's actually planned this!  But when the race starts, I am focused on listening to my music and not freaking out.  He seems to sense this and doesn't attempt conversation.

Finish Line: Joe takes this video.

Here's a link if the video doesn't work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TIcq6_9E1Q

 I run faster through the last few yards to the finish line.  Joe lets me finish ahead of him.  "You beat me!" he says on the other side.  

Post-race: I'm chattering on about canyoneering.  (I really need to stop this... I'm like Howard on Big Bang Theory who won't stop talking about being an astronaut.)  Anyway, I pause and Joe jumps in:

"Erin, what are you talking about right now?"

"Um, canyoneering."

"And that's something that makes you happy, right?  Something you'd want to talk about when you're happy?"  

"Umm..." I'm starting to see where this is going.

"That huge grin on your face would indicate that you are, in fact, happy right now, correct?"

"I guess..."

"Just wanted you to be aware of that."  

Yes, Joe.  I was happy when I finished the race.  But who knows, maybe I was just happy to be done?  Plus, I'm always happy when I finish running.

General observations about the race:

• It went by much faster than I thought.  I was shocked when we got to Mile 1.  That's when I started to think this might be okay.  
• Running 7 miles on Friday night was a really good idea... it made me much more confident that I could do 3 miles today.
• Crossing the finish line felt good.  Really, really good.  
• I finally get what either Jason or Joe was saying about why it's good to run a race.  Yes, I knew I could run 3 miles on my own.  But being able to do it on demand in that environment gives you a different sense of accomplishment.  It's like proving that yes, I can do this anytime, anywhere. 

If I'd been by myself, it would've been okay.  I would've gotten through it.  But Joe being there, and all his small kindnesses, made it something I actually enjoyed.  

Joe said his goal was for me to finish with a smile on my face, and clearly, I did.  That smile may have changed my future.  Going into the race, I said I was never ever ever ever doing another race.  Ever.  Joe told me not to say that again until I'd finished the race and settled down a little.  Now, after such a great experience, I may change my mind.