This was kind of a fun city run (www.surfcityrun.com). Pretty laid back. No chips. Small.

I ran the race at my personal best of 26:38. I know the time because I wore my forerunner. Also, the pictures my husband took as I came to the finish line show that the time was around 27, which makes sense since there were no chips and I got a start further back in the line.

So I know my time.

Yet when I went to check it against the results it shows me at 30 minutes!

Now, like I said, I know my time, it is on my watch, and I know that it was my personal best. So I’m proud of that.

But doggone it, I want the site to reflect my actual time! Why is it so far off? All I know is that the other race finishers in different lines were moving along quite quickly while we were stuck in a crowd of hot and sweaty race finishers for several minutes. I almost switched lanes. Wish I had.

Nothing against the race organizers. I know that this was not a competitive type race, and I love the way that they had it set up, so that strollers had their own 5K starting time, residents of Huntington Beach had their own race, and kids had theirs.

Still it would have been nice to see my real time printed on the website.

You know how us runners are. We have our egos to maintain!!

She was so proud of herself after that race (not as proud as i was, of course!) and this is what she kept telling people afterwards.

She was very competitive during the run, too. She would stop to take a sip of water and then dash off again, passing everyone in sight until her thirst overtook her and she had to stop for another sip.

In the end she ran 5:57 for the 1/2 mile. I told this to my girlfriend who said, “Wow, she runs faster than me!”

I was so proud of her, and last night as I watched the Olympic trials I thought, “What if that could be her one day?”

It can be, of course. Oh, what a proud running mom I would be!

So, drum roll please. I know everyone is wondering if my last few months of speed training worked to increase my speed and the answer is a huge resounding YES!

I had hoped to finish the race at 27 minutes and change. As you know my husband made a bet with me to beat this time.

I came in at . . . 26 minutes 38 seconds! 26:38!! My average mile was 8:37. Not so bad for this mom of two who started out, after the birth of my second daughter, running a 10:30 or so pace.

I spent the last few months really working on speed. Two runs per week are finished up with at least half a mile, or a mile, of speed work. One run per week is supposed to be go as fast as you can for 3 miles. I don’t always do this, but it’s my goal.

So, I can say that speed work has helped.

Now, I’m wondering just how fast I can push it. Can I get down to a 25 minute 5K? Can I run 7 minute miles?

Of course I can! I just have to keep pushing it!

The race is at 8, then my daughter’s is at nine and then the 4th of July parade at 10.

Our neighbors left town for the weekend and gave us access to their pool. I’m excited! I’m hoping after the parade we can all come back and swim for a bit, depending on how tired we are. I still have to bake a peach pie for the 4th of July party we are going to tonight. The cupcakes are done. We are letting the kids decorate them, so I’m going to mix up some white icing with blue and red food coloring, and we bought little white chocolate chips to sprinkle on top as well. It should be a lot of fun.

Anyway, funny I’m feeling great about this race. I keep thinking it is only 3 miles. I remember back in the early running days how tortuous three miles was. Now that I’ve done 26 (how in the hell did I ever do that – and will I do that again!) I don’ t feel the same. Now it can be for fun.

Of course, not that there isn’t any pressure. now I feel like I have to do it fast since it is ‘only’ three miles.

I do’nt know where I got this competitive streak. My mom is as docile as a newborn fawn all of the time. My dad I don’ t know since he wasn’t around while I was growing up. He must have been somewhat competitive though. Unless I was just born this way with no predisposition towards it!

Got to get the breakfast’s ready for the family, and then pack up our car. We are going to make a morning out of it. To me, tha tis going to be the best part of it all. I cannot wait to see my daughter run her first race! I hope that one day we are running races together. I think that we will be. She is so athletic.

I’ll post pictures of it when it is all over! And if I do well time-wise, I’ll even tell you that!!

Her first race. Our first one together. It’s so cool!

She’s very excited about it, too. She was excited today to see her shirt, which I picked up while she was at preschool. We talked about the shoes she would wear and she was interested in knowing if she would be sweaty after the race and if so, whether she would be able to shower before the parade lol.

I’m feeling pretty strong about the race today. I think things will go okay. Nervous, but I’ll check back. Just hope I can do this in 27 minutes!!

Yesterday, during a training run, I did it.

Let me say, when I got done I thought I might puke. Friday isn’t looking so good! It will be hotter out, since the race is at 8 AM and I’m used to going for an early morning run about 5:30.

There will be a lot of people.

I’ll feel competitive and push myself at the front. I know I will; I always do.

I did the first mile yesterday at 9:30 and then had to make up the difference those last two miles, which I ran somewhere between 8:20 and 9:15 at all times.

Not so bad, considering just a year ago, after the birth of my second baby, my time was 10 and more on a mile.

I hope I can keep it up on Friday. how awesome would it be if not only my forerunner but the time clock said 27 something!

I decided to sign up because I’ve been doing some speed training and wanted tos ee if it has really helped.

I have a problem, though. I don’t get warmed up until I’ve been out for a mile or so. Which means i’m going ot have to do some jogging before the race even begins if I want to go fast.

And I have to go fast.

Not because I’ve been practicing and want to see what I can do.

But because my husband bet me I couldn’t do it in 27 minutes.

Look, I’m one of those double dog dare ya girls. If you make me bet on something, if you say I can’t do it, if you say I won’t do it, then it makes me so competitive that my head spins.

I will do it.

27 minutes is fast for me. I’m not a fast runner, never have been, not until I started doing this speed training.

Today when I finished up my 7.5 miles I was going between 8.5 and 9 minutes per mile. Not bad. I’m hoping I can get to that speed-and maintain that speed-in this 5K.

I want to show myself what I can do.

Most of all, though, I want to show my husband that I can do it!

Hmmm, are all runners this competitive? I think we must be, considering that we love to compete in runs. Not so much with everyone else-I don’t care if the girl in the blue shorts beats me so much as I care about how well I do when I get out there. Am I keeping up with what it is I want to accomplish? Am I doing better than I did last time?

Running has always been about competing against myself. I guess that’s why I’m not a top runner-I suppose you have to have some of that competitiveness against others in order to win races.

I’ll check back and let you know how I do.