Color Me Disappointed

Sorry for the quiet....but I was wallowing in my disappointment for a few days. I was SOOOO excited on Friday when I was preparing for crossing the finish line of the 5K I found as well as completing my first New Year's Resolution ever. But alas.....it didn't happen :( I got up early enough....ate all my race morning food....was dressed for the weather....and even had a friend's borrowed GPS so I would be able to find the race without any confusion. Set myself up for success! Then I got to Arlington for the race. And that's where my streak of good luck ended. The tiny parking lot did not have room to accomodate all the runners. Ok no problem, I thought to myself, still plenty of time to find parking. Uh no...fail. By the time I found parking and then sprinted (or rather let's call it a warm up) to the start line/packet pickup....the race had already started. That's not a deal breaker though. When you are racing, you get a timing chip, so you start when you start and finish when you finish and they let you know your time. I dashed to the registration table (there was no early packet pickup for this event, you just got your stuff on race morning) and asked for my number and swag bag. (I figured its only 3 miles, I will just run with the bag). This is where the final thread of disappointment took root. The woman at the registration table told me that my registration wasn't good for racing, just casually running the course. I looked at her like was some kind of mythological creature with multiple heads. I must have looked like a puppy trying to understand a high pitched sound because I am sure I tilted my head in just that way dogs do. She repeated. I am unsure of how the rest of the conversation went because I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and I just wanted to finish speaking with her without letting her see them. I got my "swag bag" complete with T-shirt and returned to my car to drive home.

You might be asking yourself why I didn't just run? Well the point of this race was to get my last 100 miles of competitive running. If they weren't giving me a race number or an offical time.....its not competitive....it's a training run. I could have just gone and done the training run. Might have made me feel better. But I couldn't. It stung too much. I went to my car, called my dad, and sobbed :( My supportive daddy told me that whatever I needed to do to get my 100 miles in, he and my mom would help in whatever way they could. So....I went home....found another race....and registered. See you on Dec 31st in Ashburn. I will ring in the New Year celebrating my accomplishment from the old year.

Special thanks to my dad. He and my mom are amazing! I couldn't not ask for better parents, friends or supporters. I know I am a lucky girl!!

XOXO - Jenn