Mothers Day 4-miler "Devotion to Children"

This is a race every year in (practically) my hometown of Reston, Virginia.  It starts and ends at Browns Chapel Park, better known for endless days of sitting in the bleachers watching endless Little League games in cold wind or blistering buggy heat. (That was my life for seven years.)  But the fields are under renovation (meaning there is a big pit of dirt where my kids used to play ball.)  So it was fun to start and end the race there.

This was my first race in 2015.  I had a New Years Day race planned, but a sick child (well, man-child at this point) kept me in the Urgent Care center the morning of the race.  I had been running, but wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Hubby and I got there about 20 minutes before the gun, and he decided to stay at the start/finish line to take pictures.  Here we go...

The run out of the park onto Baron Cameron Avenue was downhill, a great way to start the race.  However, the "stroller-friendly" race course made me nervous as the strollers were all around me going downhill as well.  Until we got onto Baron Cameron and hit BIG UGLY hill #1.  I ran about half of it, and then walked to the top.  Once we turned onto Reston Parkway, I started running again.  I hit Mile #1 at 14:22, excellent for my goal of 15 minute miles.  Running to Mile 2 was fine, some up and down, and I was still on a sub-15 minute pace. I think BIG HILL number 2 was between 2 and 3.  We had turned onto Wiehle Avenue and ran past the dog park.  When I hit Mile 3 I was at 44:00 exactly, a minute ahead of plan.  As I turned onto Baron Cameron to climb the last big hill, I walked a few minutes, then ran down the hill to the park entrance, walked for a minute and got ready for the final climb.  Here I go....

Once I could see the finish line, I had two minutes to cross it... and I turned on the kick.

 I crossed the finish at 58:33 by my watch, 59:xx on the gun clock.  It was a 14'33" pace, and I felt really good.  I was not exhausted by any stretch of the imagination...and I told hubby "The Queen of the 14-minute mile is back!"  It had been awhile since I ran less than 15 minute miles, so I was thrilled. We chatted with a friend who came in second in her age group, then headed home for a shower and coffee before heading to church.  I finally saw my own kids for lunch after church, making this a really great Mother's Day!

Now I have to figure out what to run next!

Did  you run on Mothers Day?