The BEST race photo ever

The photography company that was at the race I ran on Sunday posted this picture on Facebook today!  I am going to be paying for the picture once they have the race photos ready for sale on their website but I did "steal" this one from their Facebook page today. 

He had no idea I did this until he saw it on Facebook!

He had no idea that I did that until he saw it on Facebook today!  That is fellow running group member, Larry.  We've been running together since 2008, I think.  The photographer and the course marshalls who were in the same place were laughing and I thought they'd give it away that something was going on but he never knew.  It took everything I had to catch up to him when I saw the photographers; I was a little ways behind him.  It looks like I'm wearing shorts but I'm wearing a skirt.
The location is part of my favorite running route.  We had come through Argo Park and are heading into Riverside Park.  The pathway we are on is the headrace trail.  The headrace is the water barely visible to our left (on the right looking at the picture).  The headrace is like a canal; it is the path for canoes, kayaks, and row boats to get around the dam.  The Argo Dam is not visible in this picture but is behind us at the other end of this segment of trail.  The Huron River is to our right (on the left looking at the picture).  The bridge just behind us is over where the canoes get back on river after going around the dam. 

In other news, I ran "naked" tonight!!!!  Noooooooo, not that kind of naked!  I walked out of the house to go to the track workout without my Garmin or watch.  I had put Garmie on the counter so I wouldn't forget her just before going upstairs to change.  I see how well that worked!    Tonight was a combination of 200s and 400s. 

Runner Nerd
race photobomber

Electric Bolt 8K

Yesterday I ran the Electric Bolt 8K.  It is put on by Ann Arbor Active Against ALS (A2A3) which is an organization that raises funds for research for a cure for ALS.  My Grandfather had ALS so it has affected my family.  They also put on the Twinkie Run on April 1st every year. 
This race was run on parts of my favorite running route in Riverside Park, Argo and Bandemer Parks! 
Since I had run my long run the day before, I was planning to just run easy.  I normally run three miles easy on Sundays.  Sometimes my legs are still sore or tired from the day before and my Sunday runs can be really slow. I thought that if I ran the race at a pace anywhere near 9 minutes that it was going to count as my tempo run for this week.  I usually do a tempo run on Mondays. 
My running group friend, Larry, was there and said that he was going to run with me since he hasn't been running much lately.  Of course, I went out way too fast.  My first mile was 8:14.  Mile two was also fast at 8:38. The remaining miles came in at:  9:12, 10:12, and 9:15.  That fourth mile was the hardest part of the race.  It ran along the boardwalk from Bandemer Park to Longshore Dr.  It's a gradual uphill rise and I'm usually running along it in the opposite direction which is downhill!  There was also a hill on Longshore that was part of the fourth mile.  I was very glad to be done.  The medals were nice.  I also got a glass for first place in my age group. 
I found this picture on their Facebook page.  I'm not sure what I'm doing with my hands!  I look like I'm going to grab something.  Maybe I'm in the process of bringing my hands together to shut off Garmie, who knows.  I also think I look huge in this picture.

finishing!

I don't ask anyone for contributions but I do try to talk people into participating in the events.  I was able to get two friends to do this event! 
I did decide to use that as my tempo run for the week.  Today I had a dentist appointment in the morning and then I came home and have been trying to get some cleaning and organizing done around the house.  I'm starting a new job in two weeks (more details on that later) so I want to get some things done before I start.  I'm pretty excited about it but that's all I'm going to say right now. 

Runner Nerd
runs for a cause