Wicked Wine Run

​A life goal of mine was to participate and complete a 1k or 5k run. It's unbelievable that I've managed to pull it off. 

Earlier in the week, I decided that I was no longer going to put this bucket list activity into a cloud. I looked over my exercise activity level and decided that I was ready to run. Impressed by my ability to complete 3.5 miles in 35 minutes consistently gave me the confidence to go for it. 
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Finding the perfect race

I messaged my career running friend and asked for a website that list runs in my area. He kindly gave me a site, and I began to scan for the perfect race that would motivate me. Alas, Wicked Wine Run! I found the race on a Wednesday and quickly registered due to it being held the following Saturday. 

My childhood soccer friend, Kendra, contacted me right as I was looking at Wicked Wine Run and I shared the website information with her. She was coming into town for her kid's basketball tournament and showed enthusiasm about participating in a 1k and 5k for the first time.

A day later and the both of us was registered. Our first run scheduled in less than 48 hours after finding it - who would've thought! It was everything we have wanted to do in one setting - exercise, have a couple of laughs, enjoy the pleasure of various bottles of wine, entertainment, and good mommy fun.
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The day of the race

Saturday afternoon, Kendra arrived and our adventure began. We got in the car and talked and laughed for the next hour. Then, we finally arrived. 

It was people everywhere mostly dressed in unique or superhero costumes while some wore t-shirts with witty phrases in support of drinking wine. Sizes and shapes did not matter as some people were large, medium, small, male or female (but at least 21). 
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​The race

Kendra decided that we should move towards the mid front since the faster runners were designated to be in this area. I agreed because I kick ass running 3.5 miles in 35 minutes. However, I should have probably kept in consideration that Kendra coaches cross country and work out daily, so our fast runner definition is much realer than mine.

We started the run and just like that we were in the race. And just like that - 10 minutes later, my impressive 3.5 miles in 35 minutes shot to hell. It didn't mean anything because I was not feeling it. Only 20 minutes in and I'm thinking of ways to get an Uber to my location. I cursed, moaned, and felt like life was ending, but I pushed on. I hadn't seen Kendra since the first 3 minutes of the run (yeah, she is pretty damn fast) but I was all right with that. I had my huge ass earphones to help me out. The only question that I kept asking myself is how did I miss reading the full description of the race.

My running stats after the race.

After about 20 minutes of sweating in the woods, breaking for little deep ribbons of heels, avoiding horse poop, mud and sand, I decided to walk. I tried to run the entire way but I couldn't. I looked at my watch and grabbed my phone calculating the distance. About this time I was 35 minutes in and not doing my usual best. More time went by, and the journey felt endless, and my body ached because internally it knew that this run was way longer than 3.1 miles. 

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Finally, there was a glimmer of hope nearly 40 minutes after first leaving the site for the run. I saw a finish line, and I could not walk over it. So I decided to run - well actually jog my way through the finish line on SnapChat. As I made my way in, Kendra cheered for me and handed me a glass of white wine and we celebrated like it was 1999.