DFL and a Medal...

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bttrthanevr
bttrthanevr Posts: 615 Member
I ran my second 5K today in the muggy July heat. I matched my PB of 36:39. Yay! Right? Well...I was also DFL. (That is Dead F'in Last.) The ambulance followed me the whole way (see photo of my running team members!). However, in a funny twist of fate, I also medalled! Yes! Second in my age division. Gotta love it :-)!!!

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  • PinkNinjaLaura
    PinkNinjaLaura Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Congrats!

    And LOL!

    And that's a fast freaking crowd if you were DFL with that time.
  • jessiekanga
    jessiekanga Posts: 564 Member
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    Yay you!!! Cannot believe that's a D.F.L. time! I came in today at 38:11, which matches my only other ever 5k, and came in about the bottom third. So you rank at about 50% if you virtually raced with me :) Such a hot one!
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
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    I agree - that's a great time to be DFL, so I can't imagine how fast everyone else was! Congrats on a great time and on your medal!
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    Congratulations! That's a great time and I like the picture of your running team. :smile:
  • bttrthanevr
    bttrthanevr Posts: 615 Member
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    I knew that I was in trouble when I pulled in and saw all the 13.1 and 26.2 stickers on the cars. #outofmyleague!!!!
    I need to form a running posse of slow runners so I have someone other than the ambulance to run with!
  • bttrthanevr
    bttrthanevr Posts: 615 Member
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    Yay you!!! Cannot believe that's a D.F.L. time! I came in today at 38:11, which matches my only other ever 5k, and came in about the bottom third. So you rank at about 50% if you virtually raced with me :) Such a hot one!

    Awesome time, Jessie!!! I wish I had been running in your race. How do you feel? Did you run with anyone? Or just yourself?

    I was feeling pretty low at first when I realized I was last, then I just thought "Well, I've still got myself to beat!" I tied myself LOL! So I didn't win that either. It was pretty brutal with shade only at the very beginning and the very end. I walked many times (about once each mile), but I kept my eye on my average pace so that I could still make a decent (for me) time and I ran the last 1/2 mile as strong as I could. The photos my husband took of me at the finish look pitiful, but I actually felt just fine after some water and a banana. I walked for about 10 minutes after to cool down.

    It was a small race of seriously dedicated runners...more people ran the 10K distance than the 5K...hence the age division medal. I really cannot believe I got a prize!!! I was shocked when they announced my name!!!! :-)
  • KathleenKP
    KathleenKP Posts: 580 Member
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    This is just too funny. And I love your photo of you and your running crew. :)

    I would have been scared with all those stickers, too. But I can't wait until I get to flash my own around.
  • bttrthanevr
    bttrthanevr Posts: 615 Member
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    Kathleen, I'm thinking of working toward one of my own. Maybe by this time next year. As far as I know, all you have to do is finish. I think I might with a lot of work be able to handle that (13.1 that is, no dreams of 26.2 yet!). And if I was last again, so be it. I don't have to fear that anymore. LOL!
  • Julie_Donahue
    Julie_Donahue Posts: 394 Member
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    Awesome run!!!


    WOW! Glad I wasn't in your race! At 50:04, I was not the last one in. I'm not sure where I actually placed because the 5K and 10K were on the same course. The 5Kers just turned around sooner. I know some 10K runners beat me. But there were people still coming in at least 30 minutes after me.
  • nolongerXXL
    nolongerXXL Posts: 222 Member
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    OMG! If I had ran your race the ambulance would of been like, "Um, look lady, let us just give you a ride to the end of race."

    Great job!!! I would be ecstatic about the medal, DFL or not!!!
  • bttrthanevr
    bttrthanevr Posts: 615 Member
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    NolongerXXL, I WAS afraid that they would ask me if I wanted a ride! LOL!
  • jessiekanga
    jessiekanga Posts: 564 Member
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    Oh my gosh this thread rocks! Well, you've now taken the fear out of DFL for all of us, and so now we can all just get out there and go for it. Honestly though, you medaled, teaches us all that it's about being a "finisher" more than anything. Thanks for that!

    I did manage to jog the whole course, but barely. There were two water stations along the way, and I grabbed from both. The heat off the asphalt was rough, the humidity was rough. I can honestly say I wasn't having any fun. Then we turn UP the final leg, and yes, up. It was a steady hill, not steep, but about 3/4 of a mile long; in the direct sun, at mile 2. This must be a joke! To add comedy to it all, I kick it up for the final couple hundred yards only to learn... that wasn't the finish, there's still more. At that point I was so done. I jogged the slowest possible jog to the end, having already given my all towards a "not" finish, and then had nothing left.

    I do feel such a sense of accomplishment though, to pull it off in this heat... I'm glad I did it.

    Sounds like you are too.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    I love you so much! Isn't this the second race you finished last in? I'd be scared to run in your town...and yet you medalled...that is so awesome. I don't have a hope of that in Atlanta until I'm at least 70.

    You should be ready for a 1/2 in about 6 months, given your current time/ability. Most of the plans are about 16 weeks long, so get a 10k under your belt and go for it! Usually you need to finish in under 4 hours, so check the rules for the race you choose.

    Jessie - that is awesome. Leaving it all out on the course is something to strive for. Good job!
  • Lyerin
    Lyerin Posts: 818 Member
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    That is totally awesome that you placed! Congratulations. That must have been a very fast 5K if your time was the last one - I am running my first 5K in a very long time on July 28, and I'm going to be super excited if I break 40 minutes. LOL
  • bttrthanevr
    bttrthanevr Posts: 615 Member
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    I beat only 3 people in my first race (other than walkers) with an almost identical time...36:38.90. As long as I can keep beating myself, I will keep entering races.

    Thank you Varda for your vote of confidence! It means a lot to me. I'm going to keep training and see how it goes. Right now I'm thinking my next race will be the 'Squatch Run. It is scheduled for sometime in Oct. and is part road/part trail run. it's local, so I will see all the same regulars from my last two races, but maybe a few new people (slower!) will come out too! I can only hope. There is a 5K and a 10K option. So I will train hard and assess whether or not I can take on the longer distance closer to the time. The trail part intimidates me a little, but it's also exciting too. My husband is also interested in training and running it. Maybe we will make it a family affair. :-)

    Good luck, Lyerin! I look forward to hearing about your race!

    And thanks everybody for your kind words! :-)
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    You need to start recruiting new runners. ;)
  • bttrthanevr
    bttrthanevr Posts: 615 Member
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    :-)! Good idea! I kinda tried on this one...but I bet cool October run will be an easier sell than hot July run.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    Holly sheets, that was a fast 5K. You finished very well! That race just happened to be a super fast one. Wow! I am actually in a little bit of shock at that lol.
  • mtcastillo86
    mtcastillo86 Posts: 119 Member
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    DFL *and* a medal? That's awesome! I would be so behind you, btw. That's a great time.
  • bttrthanevr
    bttrthanevr Posts: 615 Member
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    Holly sheets, that was a fast 5K. You finished very well! That race just happened to be a super fast one. Wow! I am actually in a little bit of shock at that lol.


    I guess I either have to get used to it or get faster! This is two in row that were like that. There were just three people behind me in my first race and my time was almost identical. These were both local races in my little town at the top of the Allegheny National Forest. There are at least 6 annual 5K/10K races in my tiny town (one with a 1/2 marathon distance too), and three adventure races--"The Kinzua Country Tango", which can be done team or individual and is a 1/2 marathon/22 mile trail bike race/ 2 mile swim/orienteering challenge/4.5 mile run/and a canoe race to the finish; and a twice annual "Great Race" team challenge that involves a treasure hunt aspect with riddles and Survivor type challenges; and two road bike races. These people are serious!!! What have I gotten myself into?! LOL!