Saturday, March 06, 2010

Mime over Matter


Today started out not like any day but should be every day....

the sun rises and you think "Today... is the day I race as a mime!"

Then your head loses it from there and you think "all great Mimes think alike", "can you give me the mime?" (while looking at your watch)!

Then it's really about what is expected from you if you roll in the adventure racers crowd is to run your guts out on their birthday.

Ouch...

Ok, so maybe I didn't wake up thinking I run as a mime. My honest thought I NEED COFFEE! That's it. Simple.

But I wake up to the cutest being alive and he needs a run and pee break. So we take a small jaunt (he expected and deserved much more and was shocked at our turn around point). I start the coffee maker and hop in the shower. Before I can finish any task the phone is ringing and people are on there way to my home to get ready. Of course I think -get dressed, make up on and then you can make food and have COFFEE. However, it didn't work that way. It was a stager in and a new introduction to the drill (the costume, make up, etc). I am thinking my friends will enjoy a mimosa and I will cook food for them and I will have a coffee. None of that happened. I didn't even get a glass of water. waaaaaaaah.. It sounds like that kind of story but honestly today was one of the greatest days EVER.

This is the first time Trioba has a team member that is dressing in Costume. It is a members actual birthday and another member went a morning without coffee (ok- I think you got it or you are over it by now).

We dressed as Mimes! We were running late to the race and sprinted there and still missed the bus that the teams were supposed to be on. At this point its all about fun and just hitting the check points.

For me though each foot is taking a long time to land on the ground and then I noticed that I am running in slow motion. I know we dressed as Mimes, but I am not supposed to run like a mime. I could not get any energy in me, wind in my lungs OR a second wind -well there was no first wind so second wind would be pushing it.

Then it reminded me of every beginning of a race at the first half mile, it hurts, I am slow, then I pick up the pace and then game on. I am not sure what is was today if I just couldn't get my groove and my pace going but thank goodness for the funniest teammates alive and the costumes. We were out there in the sun enjoying life (their perspective maybe scewed because they were waiting on me)

At one point with the my face painted, gloves on, hat, under armor, my yellow orange hair I was like eee gads, "I am hot and dehydrated with no place to sweat, every paramedics nightmare!" At this point I turn to Rinn and say, "I can't take it, please help me rip this under armor off and he agrees and as his hand rises to help me tear my under shirt off and his hand was bloody mess. No I am not British! it was a BLOODY mess. I am like what the hell? I had seen parts of a glove hanging on a fence we hopped and thought it was a decision of one of our teammates to keep on a moving. I had no idea that Aaron's glove was the product of a pretty big tear in his hand! And he was using the other part of the glove as compression and he kept his fist closed.

SO with this in my mind, knowing Rinn ripped his hand open (for a friend and a teammate it was awful - for someone that likes blood and gore -It was awesome) -however I flashback to my first 24 hour race when I went to say my shoulder is KILLING me when I looked up and saw RVG carrying my gear, the teams gear and his and plus some. I felt shame.

So Rinn running around with a bloody hand and I can't get my groove on from lack of food and hydration -that put me into check MATE immediately! That is one tough MIME. I still have so much to learn. So I run and put my attitude back and start enjoying the fact that we are running, we are out there, we started late and started seeing teams! The people of Seattle loved us. It's true!!! We were fairly uncompetitive until we saw we were close to the other teams. Originally we stopped for many photos shoots and mime acts until the last bit of the race and was hoping to place.

We took third over all and I was very sad to lose the physical Colinoba cup we won last year. But at least we won best costume overall! And I learned a very valuable lesson today from Rinn and other teammates AND I need to do some wind sprints!! I used to be good at stop and go but not today!

My teammates were great. We had fun! Life is good. I got an espresso on the course -BEST espresso ever! The first water I had on the course was great too!

What an amazing race. Thank you Colinoba!!! PS Robin I want my trophy back -I am coming after you!

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