Thoughts About Corporate Cup

Today I ran a Corporate Cup 10K qualifier at Lake Zorinsky with a Taia and BOB. We finished in 48:31. It was the fastest time I ever ran a 10K. I don't really like 10Ks. They are like 5Ks but twice as long.


I talked to John and Kathy for the first mile, dodged a giant praying mantis on the path, and decided not to let my sore ass stop me from getting this run done. By the time we hit 168th Street, we were moving fast, but I wanted to take full advantage of any flat straightaways. I caught Kim around Mile 2, chatted briefly but took off as we headed up the dam. (Attack the hills!)


By Mile 4, the pain was stronger, but so was my will to keep moving. Taia perked up in an irritating way saying, "Please can we go home? I want to see my elephant. I want to catch butterflies." (Today friends gave her a new game for her birthday called "Elefun"). Then she saw the playground and asked to "go down the slide". I felt horrible lying to her, saying, "almost done, almost there, not really". This conversation went on until we went under the bridge back at 168th. This is when I decided to go all out.  


They put breaks on the BOB Ironman for a reason!

I put on my big girl underpants, and ran us across the finish by the baseball diamonds. I didn't look at my Garmin even once. I just wanted to keep moving steady and strong. I was hurting and sweaty but proud. Taia was grumpy and hungry but quiet. Mosquitoes at that moment seemed to look like the mammoth ones in Colorado, so we got out of there as fast as we flew in. 


Mile Splits: 8:29, 7:34, 7:50, 7:51, 7:40, 7:46 - not to shabby for a mom with a sore glute pushing a toddler in a stroller. 


I earned a Select Seeded Pass to the Corporate Cup on September 18, Omaha's biggest 10K Race. I missed the Elite Race by 1:31. Could I have done this without a stroller? Do I want it?


I guess the question is this: Would I rather be the slowest of the Elite race or one of the faster people in the Main Race? 


Maybe I choose none of the above.