Team Lucca

So happy to have this wonderful lady, mother of two and excellent runner with Team Lucca

Meshell and her daughter, KatieBeth

at the inaugural "Whole Foods' Run

For me the worst part of any race is the waking up early. Way earlier than my natural eternal clock would wake me up. No surprise that I would wake up 30 minutes late on this particular race day too. So the rushing around starts. The inner questions begin "do I have my water bottle, do I have my ipod, do I have my gloves, do I have my bib and shoes"? Not only for myself but for my my two runner children as well. Zack,17 and KatieBeth, 15. I could write in detail the amount of good it does to keep your mouth shut (nagging) as a parent and set good habits by example, but that's another story. So, we are off....flying out the door with our backpacks and gear.

Whole Foods Running School www.runningschoolfunrun.com started this run to promote good health in the community and among our youth, where we all know obesity is running amok. A very good reason to wake up early and drag my children out in the cold.

Organized at the Whole Foods in Roseville, gathering in the parking lot, the festivities began and ended at this location. I appreciated plenty of room for parking and easy access to registration and the start. Due to my lack of organization skills I had not registered yet, so had to do so before the buzzer went off. I easily found the reg table and all the computers set up for easy accessibility. Because my children were running the 5k and were not that excited about waiting 2 hours for me to run 13.1, I decided to run the 10k instead. It turns out that was a very good idea!

The 10k and 13.1 runners all started together, and for an inaugural event, there was a huge crowd. Shout out... to Rich Hanna who pulls Sacramento together. Running the 10k and not the 13.1, I had enough energy to just go for it and run hard and have some fun with it. I was not prepared for the hills. Not huge hills, but hills nontheless. I powered up the hills and recovered on the down. What I loved the most about this event was the community coming out and the type of runners that challenged themselves. Running up those hills were mothers of new babies, friends out to challenge each other, people who just wanted to get off the couch and start a new life. I love the diversity that community events bring together. I am reminded that people run for so many reasons and very few run to "win" something. On the turn around and running past those that are behind my pack (mind you, I am a slow runner) is the most fun. Seeing the faces of those who won’t give up and the personal challenges all around. It is so inspirational, and keeps me going. So for me, as a distance runner I start to warm up around mile 5. My muscles warm up, I'm relaxed, my rhythm and my breath and muscles begin to work together. I have found the sweet spot. I am in my element and could run easily for another 15 miles. But today...it's about going a fast (for me) 6 miles. I have to remind myself that I don't have another 2 hours to go and I can kick it into gear. I have a hard time with running speed. That is something I will want to work on this season.

The course is easy and relaxed, and good for all levels. As I come into the finish my two beautiful children are waiting for me with the medals that they received 20 minutes before and I am reminded why I do such things. We get our cytomax and walk around waiting for the food line to open up. After standing in line for food, that really wasn't that good. Some type of flax cereal, yogurt, fruit, and apple juice....where are the bagels and cookies? I'm just say'n. Haha, Whole Foods....go figure. After we eat and the kids are still starving, we watch the half marathon runners come in. So far and few between, no medals left, no food left, and festivities are winding down. So...in retrospect, I am glad I did the 10k and not 10k and not the 13.1. This event was better for the short distance, for sure. The cost was also a bit steep for this type of event. For sure it goes to a great cause but for a family with lots of children,...could be an expensive day.

So, as for if I would do this one again?....Only with the kids, it is definitely a family event. However, a good way to kick off our 2011.