2012 Blacksburg Classic

Yesterday Mathis and I both ran in the Blacksburg Classic 10 Mile Race.  I had done this race two years ago, and it wasn't my favorite race.  I was a newbie runner back then, and I found myself isolated on the course.  I was really hoping this year would be a better experience for me, and I'm thankful to say that it was!  First of all, I had a pretty good bib number. :)

Before the race began I finally got to meet Gwen from 'turner life around'.  I've read Gwen's blog for awhile now, and she's very inspiring!!  She also ran the Disney Marathon in 2011, and we've emailed back and forth occasionally.  It was nice to meet her in person. :)

The weather was actually pretty warm for the race.  The race didn't start until 1:00pm, which is definitely different from the majority of races.  It was in the mid-50s and very sunny.  I decided to run with my water belt, because I was worried about getting too hot and thirsty.  One of the water stops I ran by had run out of cups, and that's when I knew I made the right choice to run with my own water.

I got to know another runner named Chitra along the way -- she had read my blog, and we ran together a lot of the way.  This was her first big race, and she did an awesome job!  There were definitely a lot of runners -- almost triple the size from two years ago.  My running buddy Meagan ran most of the race with me too.  Here's a picture of the two of us after finishing the race.

The race was pretty tough -- it's a hilly course, and I'm still working on increasing my distance right now.  One of the best parts however was seeing my good friends Stacie and Jackie cheering on the side of the Huckleberry Trail.  They even made signs!  I had no idea they were going to be out there, and it was such an encouragement to press on!  I finished around 1:47 which was about ten minutes faster than my time in 2010.

Mathis did a great job (as usual) and I'm so proud of how well he runs.  We both talk about how important it is for us to stay active, and I'm glad running is something we can do together.  I was also really impressed with how well the race was put on.  Minus the one water stop that ran out of cups, everything was done so well.  The long sleeve shirts are great, and they even had medals this year. Considering the race entry is only $25, I was really impressed.  They also had chip timing this year, which was also new.

I love love love race medals -- they are such a neat thing to collect, and I'm grateful to have some Blacksburg medals to add to our growing collection.  After the race we stayed for the awards and raffle.  Mathis and I won a $50 gift certificate to Run About Sports, which was really cool.  My legs are a little sore today, but I'll definitely be running again tomorrow.  This race was a good way for me to pick it up -- I'm excited about the April races coming up, and I want to be in good shape for them.