Mrs. Grady takes on the Tulip Run.

So the only thing missing from the Tulip Run was... the tulips. (insert look of confusion here) I'm not sure what else to say about that.

But for my first "official" race, I'd say I didn't do half bad. I met my time goal, which was beyond surprising considering I got the worst sideache of my life at the end of mile 2 and thought it was all over. As a result, I had to walk a few more times that I had hoped to, but that just tells me that maybe I could finish a little faster next time sans sideache.

So the play by play. Standing at the starting line, surrounded by hundreds of fit runners with goofy hats on, I started to have flashbacks of the Awesome 3000. Every year of my childhood I ran the grueling 1 and 3/4 miles around Bush park, and every year my classmates left me in their dust. I started to feel nervous. A woman decked out in running gear and full make up next to me posed for her husband who took at least 50 pictures of her in various running poses. I looked down at my own frumpy getup and awkwardly mimicked the hamstring stretches of the guy next to me. Next time, I decided, I would get one of those goofy hats.

While there was no gunshot to signal a start, there was an old VW bus that rolled us all into action, which was pretty cool/hilarious. And Mile 1 was exhilarating! I usually hate crowds, but there was something energizing about all of these people moving as one. I definitely ran my first mile faster than usual (and probably faster than I should have... sideache) but, with the sunshine beating down on me and Kings of Leon blasting in my hear, I couldn't help but get caught up in the energy of those around me.

Mile 2 was solid. I hooked up with the cutest old lady who was just my speed, but she kept asking me if I was cold. Uuuuummm... look at my face lady, I'm on fire! But she was sweet and it was nice to run with a buddy for a while. It was right around the end of mile 2 that the cramp in my side set in. I tried to fight it but damn, I was jogging with a gangsta lean! I struggled through mile 3 and was understandably frustrated and confused by this. 3 mile runs are my jam! Why on earth would I be tired already? Reciting my "settle in" mantra only half-worked for me on this mile. Dangling a top-pot donut on a string would have been far more effective. But what made mile 3 that much worse was that I somehow got stuck next to "that guy" who sprints until he can't breathe and then buckles over in a coughing fit until he's ready to do it all over again. I passed this guy, and he passed me, at least a dozen times. If I hadn't been so consumed with my own exhaustion, Lord help me, I surely would have pushed this guy in the ditch to put him out of his misery.

I don't remember at what point I found my groove, but thankfully I did, and Mile 4 was awesome. That's right, I had one whole mile of awesomeness. My breathing became steady, my legs felt strong, and I finally lost the whack job. I relaxed and absorbed the sunshine on my cheeks. This is the kind of running I could learn to love. I high-fived the water people, picked up my pace, and even sang along a little to my ipod. But, like I said, this only lasted about a mile. As soon as I hit Mile 5 and what felt like a monster hill (maybe a 1.0 incline on the treadmill), I got... the jello legs. You know the jello legs. "C'mon!" I whispered to my screaming legs, "just one more mile! buck up!" But it was no use. Me and the old lady huffed and puffed together through the last leg of the race. But as I wobbled across the finish line, I truly felt like a million bucks. I had finished! My first thought was, 'Yay me!' quickly followed by, 'Oh my God, a half marathon is almost 3 of these!'

So we all have to start somewhere. I started with a tulipless Tulip run, and came away with a few morsels of running wisdom.

1. I am not a morning runner. This will have to change.

2. I need to figure out something to do with my arms. It only occurred to me today that I might have tyrannosaurus rex arms when I run. Not cute.

3. I might have to learn to be ok with walking some. I'm exploring the possibility of running 3 miles, then walking one mile, and doing this on repeat until I hit 13. Thoughts?

4. New running shoes are a must. Asap.

5. I would benefit from at least one fan at the finish line. Everyone else had family and friends taking pictures and hootin' and hollerin' for them as they crossed the finish line. I was so eager for any sort of celebration that I misread the guy who was trying to pull the tag off my number and went in for a hug instead. Yeeeaaaah, awkward. But he didn't seem to mind too much.

So I'm feeling pretty proud of myself... though apparently not even half as proud as Danny. That kid is jumping with excitement for me! Which is pretty dang awesome. On that note, I'm off to to Woodland Park to cheer for Grady and his buddies as they relive their Lacrosse glory days. The perfect way to spend a sunny (sore) Saturday afternoon.