"I gotta hand it to ya, woman...

You gots determination!" said the man enjoying a beer and cigarette on his porch as I ran past him this afternoon.  

You can tell by this picture that it was not an easy run! I counted this as my monthly virtual run.  You can sign up at http://licoriceandolives.com if you are interested in a free 5K series.  Since I have vowed to race less this year, this will keep me on my toes.  My goal is to get a little faster every month.  The snow (and my selfie photo shoot!) slowed my pace down a lot on this run, so February will be better for sure!  

The neighbor's recognition was nice to hear. In my career as a middle school teacher, I don't always feel respected. (But that is a topic for a different blog!) Fortunately, running fills that void. Whether it is a complete stranger, a family member, or a fellow runner, I feel like I have earned their respect in this arena.

Last night, I attended the annual awards banquet for one of my running clubs, the Calumet Region Striders.  In my first year as a member, I took a friend's advice to become part of their Gold Cup racing series.  Here's how that works:

The board designates certain races for the series. In 2013, there were 39 local races throughout Northwest Indiana.  If you participate, you must complete 10 races from the list. You compete against the other participants in your age group in each of the races.  You earn points for each race.  For example, if you come in first place among the participants,you receive 100 Gold Cup points, second place earns 99 points, etc. Your ten races are averaged and you are ranked among your age group.  

For me, it makes races more fun.  Sometimes I get a smirk from people who know me well when I say that I am not competitive.  I am more about doing my absolute best every time I go out there, rather than being about winning.  (Good thing too, because I don't win often! Haha) I will admit that I have a bit of a competitive streak in me, and Gold Cup brings it out in me in a good way. 

Since everybody does not run every race, everyone has a good chance to succeed.   Results are posted the same day as the race, so I look forward to seeing how I ranked from race to race. 

At the banquet last night, they presented the awards. 

My 2013 Gold Cup Races
4/13 Hammond Charity 10K 52:57 (2nd in age group, 100 points)
4/21 County Line Orchard 10 miler 1:30:45 (98 points)
5/5   Hub Run 5K  26:18 (99  points)
5/18 Gallery Gallop 8.5K 51:51 (1st AG, 100 points)
6/15 Munster Rotary 10K 53:49 (2nd AG, 100 points)
6/27 Run 4 Freedom 5 miler 45:28 (3rd AG, 99 points)
7/13 Running Wild for the Zoo 5K 27:54 (3rd AG, 98 points)
8/10 Rotary Ramble 5K 28:46 (98 points)
8/17 Dew It 10K Trail Run 57:59 (1st AG, 100 points)
9/21 Run into Fall 10K 52:55, 3rd AG, 100 points)
9/29 NWI Community Half Marathon 1:57:33 (100 points)
10/13 Chicago Marathon 4:33:27 (96 points x 2= 192 points)
10/26 Manda's Race 5K 26:58 (94 points) 
(The best ten are computed for the final results.) 

Second place in my age division!  (Now, that certainly does not mean that I am the second fastest!  I am pretty much in the middle of the pack.  Some runners did not complete all ten races, so they didn't qualify.  Also, I did some smaller races without much Gold Cup competition.) Regardless, I feel proud of the accomplishment.  


So, that's why I had to dust off my dancing shoes.  Thank goodness I don't have to do that often! My ankle killed me today!  

Tomorrow I will be back to gym shoes when I go to my first session with the personal trainer.