What kinda OF KARMA do I emit to attracts the crazies!!!???.... I mean really.... who else has someone jump on the track in front of them, TRYING TO STOP THEM, in the middle of a race?SO I arrive in Tom’s River NJ this am for the USATF NJ Indoor Track and Field Championships. The goal was to see how my training was progressing and to obtain some points for my Philly Masters Track & Field Club.
On arrival I was kinda intrigued by the whole Saran Wrapped looking indoor track... but kinda freaked about the vacuumed sealed rotating doors that made your ears pop...
I love track meets.... unlike road races where you can usually only see the runners start and end.. in track you can see every painful mile...
I had hoped to run the 3,000 & 1,500 meter races.. however a slight twinge in the shin caused me to ditch the 1,500.Prior to the start of the women’s race I was talking to a lady who made mention that she had recently been to France and raced the 3,000 meter there.. WTF!..I think my eyeballs did that bug eyed check her out thing... her jacket said USA.. and then her singlet said USA.. So I am wondering is this gal on Team USA.. ??? and if so WTF she doing here? I never did ask her as we had to line up.
So we line up with a number on the right hip, a number on the left hip, then a number on the left front shoulder and then also our race number on our chest... little excessive don’t you think...??... I am guessing this is to ensure that if one of our body parts goes flying off in the race they will know who it belongs too.. jeez..
We are lined up.. in order according to our race numbers.. I am #7.. Ms. USA is #8... I try to make small talk... she tells me to move down... I look to my left.. thinking move down where..??... we are all crammed up as is..if I move down anymore I will BE my next competitor... .. I guess Ms. USA is either nervous, had too much caffeine or is on speed... she starts to push herself closer to me in order to... I don’t know ...occupy the same space as me..(BACK UP JACKSON).... I mean if this chick is as fast as she lets on.. why worry about losing 3 seconds at the start..
BANG off we go.. and MS. USA dang near took me out.. thankfully I am a big girl.. not like titanic big... but like tall and I do have more meat on me than she.. so I am not ruffled but I did feel bad for the couple gals behind us... as they got pushed far back...Ms. USA and the other open runner gals (under 30 years old) stampeded out front...
It didn’t take long to realize I had completed the first lap too fast... and was in oxygen debt.... CRAZY ...coming around the track and seeing 14 laps to go... then 13..12 and so on... so I believe it was 15 laps around that indoor track for the 3,000 meter.. talk about thinking yourself a hamster on a wheel.. jeez us... I don’t know what is mentally worse... getting lapped by the leaders a couple times or the fact that each time you went around you still saw those high laps left..
But nothing prepared me for the freak woman who jumped on the track half way through the race to try and stop me... OK.. let me explain something first... the long jumpers had to utilize part of the track.. the back corner... but they were timing their run and jumps around us and things were working out quite well. I guess when you have limited space you make due .. but either case no problems... but in the middle of our women’s 3000 meter race ... a spectator.... gets on the track stands RIGHT IN THE WAY of me in my lane ARM OUT yelling stop... . Long Jumpers are competing...
We are in the MIDDLE OF A RACE!!!!...the two seconds that it registered that she was there and the two steps to the right to go around her and the two steps back I am sure didn’t cause me much time loss but the wondering what the h-ll she was doing on the track and what was going on sure did rattle me...
Afterwards I asked the guys who were watching what the hell was that.. they said some very interesting words about her.. they were in utter disbelief of the whole situation .. I am sure glad she didn’t try and grab my arm and wrestle me to the ground. .. !! SO I ASK.. WHY does this freaky stuff happen to me!
As I came around the track again I noticed that crazy woman was now off the track and I thought I saw officials talking to her... I sighed a breath of relief...
Half way through my thousand laps ..I clocked 6 minutes and 26 seconds.. I was thrilled.. and then I got lazy.. I just didn’t pick it up.. I must have been daydreaming.. because the goal was to clear 14 minutes... and well when I hit the last lap I had to freaking sprint in order to try to do so... I ended at 14.03... a few seconds short of my goal..but still pleased.. not my best 3000 time but under the circumstance I will take it!
The other girl in my age group.. she had to be an elite.. she ran the 3,000 in 11 seconds and something that’s like a little under a 6 minute pace.. H_LL I can't run one mile at that YET.. let alone two... So I will take second place with pride!...
So after the race Ms. USA comes over to me and said I looked good.. (oh yeah.. thanks honey.. I am sure I looked good the three times you LAPPED ME!!).. tee hee...
