Patriot Run 5K aka "The day the roads closed early in the pouring rain"

I’ve basically disliked history since middle school ...

Maybe it’s because I had boring teachers in school or because it required memorization or because I didn’t realize what an idiot I’d look like later in life when I constantly have to ask my husband history questions that start with “Yes, I know I should probably know this ...”, but I basically hate history. I had to google Mount Vernon to figure out that this race was at a president’s home. I mean, I guess the name George Washington Patriot Run probably gave it away, but when I first signed up for this one, Zach just said he wanted to do the Patriot Run in Alexandria.

Zach’s First 5K!

We have a goals board at the gym. Every so often - because I lose track of time and realize it’s been much longer than 3 months since I’d like to update the board quarterly - I have folks pick a SMART goal, something that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Zach hated running, so I was super surprised when he made a goal to run 800m (half a mile) non-stop. A potential running convert - yessssss! Not sure what the actual workout was one night, but I was hanging around while Brian was coaching and told Zach he should just go ahead and start the workout with an 800m run non-stop and knock out his goal. And he did! Ok, so I just looked up the workout from that day, April 4th: a 30min workout with a 500m row, 400m run, 18 alternating dumbbell snatches, and 12 dumbbell thrusters, but athletes could chose to do a 1000m row or 800m run at the start of each round. Zach’s original athlete goal met! ✅

So instead of letting him choose a different running goal, we (ok, I) just upped it to 1200m non-stop running. And on April 25, Zach surpassed that goal by running an entire mile (1600m) non-stop!

Then he picked a 5K to run (see, he’s becoming a runner!!!). He researched them and chose the Patriot Run - it had some personal meaning to him - he loves history, has been to Mount Vernon often, and even had his engagement photos with Christine taken there before their wedding. We got a couple other folks from the gym to run with Zach in this race - yay! Zach even trained on the weekends like a rockstar.

Where the hell did all this rain come from?!

The week of the race, the weather wasn’t looking so great. I kept hoping it would change, but nope. Shitty, rainy weather. Definitely possibly maybe might have skipped this race if it wasn’t Zach’s first 5K. See crappy roads on the drive to Dunkirk to meet Zach and Shannon race morning:

Shannon said the same thing I did in the car. But we were up and ready(-ish) to run. Fueled by homemade pumpkin cold brew coffee and a double chocolate protein waffle topped with an egg, let's do this thang!

Zach paid for parking!

I could’ve taken a shuttle to the start of the race, but since Zach told us he had paid for on-site parking ahead of time (and offered to drive us), Shannon and I hopped in the car at the gym and we all rode to Mount Vernon together. I even made it 5min earlier than our planned meeting time to the gym! I seriously hate early mornings, so this was good for me. I even told Zach I was planning for 6AM, so he should plan for 6:05AM. 

 So we start driving and get up to Alexandria. Pretty close to Mount Vernon (according to Waze because I have zero sense of direction). Roads weren’t supposed to be closed until 7AM, so when we got blocked from the main road we needed to get to Mount Vernon around 6:45AM, we weren’t very happy. Especially since it was too late to make the last shuttle to the start and we were 1.5 miles from the start. Oh, and it was raining. Buckets.

So we walked. And the shuttle buses passed us, multiple ones, and those assholes didn’t stop for us, walking in the middle of George Washington Parkway in the pouring rain, and they’re the only vehicles on the road. Until this one amazing driver stopped and let us on - he was great! We’d already walked over a mile at this point though, so we were wet. And grumpy. Well, I was. My coffee had yet to kick in. But we arrived, used the porta-potties, and headed over to grab our race bibs and race t-shirts.

I was supposed to run the 10K ...

Shannon and Zach had both signed up for the 5K, and I’d signed up for the 10K. Weirdly, they were the same price, and I figured they’d finish before me and just enjoy the grounds, the post-race beer, etc. The rain made it so I didn’t want them to have to wait around, so I figured out that I could drop down to the 5K race instead, so I traded in my blue 10K bib for a red 5K bib and have never been happier about only running 3.1 miles! Headed back over to check my waterproof bag (with my flip flops for after the race and my phone and headphones because they were not waterproof). Met up with Kristina and Drew (who had run a 5K the night before - Drew was there for moral support), grabbed a pre-race photo, checked the bag, and headed to the start line. Def not a Marine Corps race though, because it did NOT start on time and we all stood in the rain as this guy kept talking before the race. Still grumpy, still don’t want to be wet right now. But I did see John R. (from the gym) - he was running the 10K - and Suzanne L. (she used to CrossFit with me in Prince Frederick) - so it was nice to catch up quickly with them.

3, 2, 1 ... Go!

And we’re off! The start of a race is crazy. Especially when there’s guys pushing baby strollers trying to dodge and weave the other billion people around them. And they’re faster than me. Not that I’m jealous (ok, I am). Running goals right there!

The halfway turnaround ... or so I thought.

No phone = no music = no clue how far or how fast I’m running aside from a sign for mile 1, 2, and 3. I feel good at mile 1 and think, sweet, a third of the way there - I’VE GOT THIS. Then comes the turnaround - wow, that came faster than I thought, but maybe my mind just drifted. I was super happy I was doing the 5K and heading back now instead of continuing on for the 10K. This dad jogs by with a kid, probably his son,  maybe like 7 or 10 years old; well, not really jogging, more like sprinting by at lightning speed. Then the kid dies and they start walking and the dad is encouraging him on how fast he is and how far he’s running. It made me smile. And then I passed them and didn’t see them again. I’m running side by side with this other girl who has music and a watch. She keeps looking at the watch, so I’m thinking she’s trying to keep a specific pace, and decide I’ll just keep up with her. And then came the hills. Holy hell, where did these come from? Where is the 2 mile sign??? Surely I’m close to being done and I must have missed the 2 mile sign. Nope. There it is. Okay, one mile left, I can do this. Still stick with watch girl. I can see the start line and I’m getting even happier to just be done. But where is watch girl going?! The start line is straight and she’s going left where the guy/volunteer is directing the racers. Blasphemy! I’m not done yet?! So I keep running. Up ANOTHER damn hill. There’s some folks dressed up in old timely clothes cheering us on. One lady says “you’re almost there!” No, no I’m not. I haven’t seen the damn 3 mile sign yet. Oh, thank goodness, there it is. Round the corner and bam! Finish line! I thought I was flying today. 10:30/mile pace. Definitely not flying. Drew missed capturing my epic photo finish (it wasn't really epic), but caught Zach and Kristina:

Beer and socializing

Finished the race, found my frands, grabbed my banana and water, and headed for the beer. One thing that was great was they brought the truck with our bags from the start area up to the finish area so we didn’t have to walk far to get the bags - "at least they did one thing right today". The beer was an IPA aka I think it tasted like soap so I passed it off to Drew. I pretty much immediately took off my soggy shoes and walked around barefoot in the grass and mud. 

 

We hung out a bit, took some photos with George and the house, walked around the gift shop, and made our 1.5mile trek back to the car, along the side of the road which was now open for all kinds of cars. 

 

 

Stopped at Safeway nearby for some coffee (there was a Starbucks inside) and to change into dry clothes (in an upstairs bathroom you got to by elevator that overlooked the grocery store). Realized my "men's small" race shirt (I normally don't like the women's cut) was definitely a women's small, but it was the only thing dry to put on, so I sent this photo of my arms busting through the shirt to my "schmedium" friend, Eric. Luckily it wasn't as tight everywhere else.

Back home for a nice hot shower, which wound up being a nice warm pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt and lounging around the rest of the day.

Zach’s next running race?

Super proud of Zach for setting a goal and achieving it. In a little over 5 months, he went from not being able to finish running 0.5 miles non-stop to running an entire 5K (3.1 miles) non-stop. Way to go! Now I’m just waiting on Zach to pick another race to run ... maybe the Across the Bay 10K in early November!