Easter and a 5K!

Our Easter grill out went fantastically well yesterday.  We cooked hamburgers, lobster tails, boneless chicken, bone-in chicken, and hot sausages.  The weather was gorgeous at a sunny and 74 degrees.  We played corn hole and I was called a ringer, a person that acts like they are no good and turns out to be really good.  I guess they forgot I was from Ohio where we hold corn hole tournaments.  We also had an Easter egg hunt in the street that passes by the front door of our building.  Of the 30 eggs hidden, I found one and it was not one with a prize in it.  It was small and pink with a tiny fuzzy chick contained inside.  One egg contained ten dollars, another contained a note from the First Sergeant dismissing the finder from one PT session, and the person that found the most eggs received a $15 iTunes gift card.  As half of my forehead became sun burnt and my stomach was filled past capacity, it was time to leave.  Granted, I started my day with a box of Girl Scout cookies, s’mores flavored goldfish, Reese’s Pieces, and a slice of cake (that’s right, the days of snacking have returned with the end of Lent…although it lasted until 1000), I made up for it at dinner with a salad and a cup of fruit as I sat and watched my unit place first in the Flag football tournament. 

I arranged with the new CPT to come in at six this morning so I could run in the Sexual Assault Harassment prevention 5K.  He agreed which meant I was not only able to run in the 5K, but I also was afforded the opportunity to sleep for an extra hour.  That extra hour made a world of difference.  I woke up not wanting to get out of bed, but I had the extra motivation of the only reason I was able to sleep this additional hour was if I was running this 5K.  My roommate mentioned the night prior that she was going to run with me.  She went to the extent of laying out her PT’s so that, in her words, she had “no excuse” not to run in the morning.  As my alarm sounded, she clearly announced she was not going. 

I wore my long sleeve PT shirt and shorts completing the outfit with my reflective belt and eye protection.  It was a warm day out, but not too warm to make me reconsider the long sleeve cotton shirt.  The sun was coming up and it was weird starting the race in daylight.  I always try my best, especially at the beginning of the race.  I was supposed to link up with a runner from one of our units because he runs a 25.  I wanted to pace off him so I could improve my time.  I could not find him, so I focused on my form and keeping a continuous pace.  Towards the two mile point, I started to become tired but I noticed there was an older gentleman keeping pace right next to me.  I decided to keep with him.  He and I bounced off each other and silently motivated each other to keep pace.  At times I fell behind and at times he fell behind, but we always kicked it in to catch back up to one another.  The last twenty feet of the race, he kicked it in and sprinted.  I, on the other hand, had given the race my all and could not muster the strength to sprint.  I came in at 26:06, a new personal best.  To top off the morning, they were passing out bananas after the race.  I have not seen a banana since I was back in the States.  They were perfect, slightly green and full of flavor.  They were not mushy or bruised, just perfect bananas waiting to make me feel better after such a rewarding run.