Everyday I'm Shuffling

[I really hope the photographer doesn't nail me for stealing this copyright photo]

Unlike the LMFAO song, "Party Rock Anthem," I am not at all shuffling. But The Shamrock Shuffle took place yesterday and I decided to sign up. Of all the races I have done in my life [I think I have done a total of ten including a marathon and a half], I am really moving up quickly. Yeah I am going to brag.

While I sometimes add mileage to my usually four mile runs - doing eight and tens here and there, I debated between doing the 5K and 10k. And decided on the 5k since I knew I could do that faster.

When I woke up yesterday morning, I was again reminded of why I moved to Madison - going on four years later. I woke up. I leashed my dog and walked across the street. And tied her to a pole. And walked into the Overture Center. And got my race number. And walked home. All in about five minutes. I then put away all of my laundry [isn't this blog post extremely exciting?!] and then jogged down to the start line.

Do you notice how I didn't have to drive anywhere?

Oh yeah - so my dad recently referred to "jogging" and I corrected him with "running." I do not jog. The word "jog" has become a dirty word. Joggers are slow. Runners are not slow.

The race mentality for me was "I hate races, why did I do this? I could never do an Ironman." We had to go up Observatory two times [!] - the hill just sucks. I was battling it out with this one girl the entire time and I do have to say, she did start walking for about 3.4 seconds the second time up the hill which lead me to pass her briefly. Since they didn't have anyone announcing splits, I had no idea [I don't do the whole watch thing] that I was finally going to come in at a pace I was actually HAPPY with.

And as I approached the finish line, I saw the clock was 23 something and I landed a 7:37 pace, 5th out of my age group of 483 and 23rd out of 1,292 - so yeah. It was a good day. It was just what I needed.

Now thank the lord that the UW Badger game was out of town because we had too many people down town yesterday and it was unbearable for me. The lot across from my building was full [or "Parking Structure" as they call it here in the midwest].

It was also like one hundred degrees outside and it's only mid March. [I hope the people who asked me why I was moving to Wisconsin are reading this]. Yeah - it's HOT out. And it's still winter, people.

After running around like a maniac, I had to do the St. Patty's Day Parade because you know - the Winstons are Irish. All those Eastern European countries somehow make us celebrate the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In all honesty, I am in the parade for work.

So, while the children dangled from the back of my SUV, throwing candy as I drove around the square, I suddenly had to take a leak really badly. There must have been 225,000 people surrounding the square - [you know, the entire Madison population], as we slowed down, I put the car in park, crowds all watching, ran behind my car and told a candy thrower to:

"Drive my car! I have to pee!" As I ran off through the crowds, into the Starbucks, she yells,

"I can't drive stick!" [My car isn't a stick, but the four wheel drive is misleading].

"It's not a stick! I'll be right back!"

As I dashed back into the parade, the car had moved about four inches. I stood behind and threw some candy. I glanced at my three year old niece who was picking up a piece of candy and decking me in the face with a starburst while the nephew was slamming them into the crowds appropriately. I think I got nailed in the head about three more times before the parade was over. It was all in good fun.

And now that I bragged about the new PR, I supposed I am going to have to beat that in the Crazy Legs....