Lost Dog 5k #1

Miss Priss (Zoe)

(So I'm a few days late on this post....)

Ever since I rescued Miss Priss in Feb 2009, I've been a little nutso about animal rescue. Yeah, I've turned into that person who will give you the evil eye if your dog is not spayed or neutered (for serious people, just do it. there are plenty of dogs out there who need homes, we don't need your litter of puppies too).

I digress.

So, Zo-bo came from Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation, and therefore, they are my "charity of choice." Every Sunday, from 1-4, I hang out with some pooches in need of good homes. It's a great way to spend an afternoon, if you have nothing else to do.

I digress again.

So, I had been going a couple of weeks, running with Pacers Running Stores on Tuesday, volunteering with Lost Dog on Sundays, happy to have my two organizations separate.

Until I saw this:

Lost Dog 5k Series

FOR SERIOUS? ANIMAL RESCUE AND RUNNING? SIGN ME UP!

So we had the first one last Friday, and Zoe and I were so ready! Well, I was ready, Zoe....has not been running with Mommy as much because it's been so hot (seriously, the DC metro region has been slammed recently). But realizing that we sort of had a 5k coming up, Mommy started dragging Zoe out with her late at night to run.

Race Report
We got there super early because I'm my mother's daughter. LDCRF was doing a cool thing called "Rent-A-Mutt" where we had 10 of our own dogs available for runners who either did not have their own dogs, and they went like hotcakes before the set up had even finished! Dogs of all different sizes and shapes were there - and everyone was happy to be out with their pooches.

The only problem seemed to be that the race was held on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail - which they did not get the permits to shut down the trail.So we had to deal with some obnoxious bikers (one who used colorful language. I proceeded to scream back at him that he was a tool). But the weather was mercifully beautiful, and with Zoe strapped around my race, we were off!

There were only 250 runners in the race, and, looking around, I heard lots of people say things like, "I haven't been training" or "It's so hot!" So I was all, "Hey, maybe I'll actually get a decent place in this race!"

Final Stretch!

Psh, fat chance.

I was so excited about all of the excitement that I forgot to eat close enough to the race. So before we even started, I was hungry. And Zoe was totally more interested in smelling everything on the side of the street. So I had a 18 pound dead weight for a lot of the race, and was hungry.

Off to a good start. /sarcasm

We did the first mile pretty easy, and the trail was pretty. Towards the end was a rather large hill, and somebody lying to us that water was right around the corner (it was, just not RIGHT around the corner). Zoe with her bottle nose drank straight out of the cup, and I was actually feeling fairly hydrated - just HUNGRY.

We looped around and came back, and I started to feel the pangs in my stomach turn into light-headedness (damn physiology). I was running with one of Lost Dog's Foster Moms (of which I am one, just not right now), and she started to pull ahead of me by a while.

Perhaps the most annoying thing were these two girls. So I am slow and steady running, running, running, and these girls would run, then walk, then when I either just passed them or was about to pass them, they'd put on a burst of speed and start running for a minute. Then repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

Look, I'm sorry my dog is 18lbs and faster than you. Just let me freaking pass you.

ANYWAYS, we made it to the end, and got some good pictures! Not to mention I looked hott in my Lost Dog "Ask Me About My Fosters" Shirt (no picture of that yet - will post when I find it).

So here are our results:

135        329 Zoe         D 35:06.8 (GUN) 34:26.7 (NET) 11:06 (PACE) 
136  19/34 119 Whitney  25 F 35:06.4 (GUN) 34:26.7 (NET) 11:06 (PACE)

RunKeeper

I'm not  super thrilled with 11:06, but I'm not horribly upset by it, considering I was hungers and Zoe was more interested in sniftering. 

Besides, I have 3 more races to improve - and dang it, we will get that medal !

Zoe and Me Before the Race