Racing Deal Breakers

So tomorrow is one of my favorite races of the Year, The Atlanta Women's 5K.  It is a great race because it runs through a beautiful part of Atlanta around Candler Park and because it is a women only event.  For a lot of women this is the first time they have ever participated in a race.  It has that very empowering feeling.  Also they have excellent swag at this race.  A great tech tee, very girly.  (This year it is purple with flowers and always the feminine cut.) Participants are also getting a blown glass necklace. So I am of course excited.

Some of my friends were planning to run it, but we are experiencing a very unusual beginning to Spring in ATL.  Today parts of Georgia got a wintry mix.  Tomorrow is predicted to be cold and rainy.  A lot of my friends said they did not want to run since it would be cold and rainy.  Last year it was about 70 and beautiful.  It got me thinking about what is a deal breaker for actually running a race.  When I think when I should have bagged a race I probably think about the last race of the ATC season last year in November, the Run around the Rock 5/10 miler.  On Thursday I got sick with a stomach flu was out of work all day Friday sick, could not keep anything down.  On Saturday hubby convinced me to run the race since it was the end of the season.  I thought I was going to die.  Not only because I had a stomach virus but running in hilly north Georgia when the last thing you ate was a piece of dry toast was a challenge.  Later that day I am laying down thinking what a horrible decision this was and hubby says "hey we should have stayed at the race you won your age group."  Now to be fair a couple of things worked together for that.  It was a 5/10 mile run and many of the competitive women in my AG were doing the 10 in prep for the Thanksgiving Half.  Also at the end, my desire to get to the car and get home was pretty motivating.  Even though, like all women I hate to give my husband the satisfaction, he was probably right that it made me a stronger runner. 

Dangerous weather (tornadoes, lightning, ice, snow, this is Georgia) would probably keep me from running.  I would like to think an injury would, but I am pretty sure I was out most of May last year, after running on my sore ankle at the Spring has Sprung 8K.  I have to say cold and rain would not deter me.  It was a great excuse though to pick up a cute dry/wet all weather New Balance baseball cap for the race tomorrow.  I don't mind wet feet, or wet clothes, but rain in the face is not fun.  The hat is cute and in the Georgia heat it will keep sweat off my face too.  Also I am only a little paler than a bar of ivory soap so it may keep me from actually burning to a crisp, on the off chance that sun and normal spring weather ever return to the South.  I hope if you are racing this weekend or just enjoying a fun run you are blessed with better weather and a great time.  For me I will be in the new white baseball cap running in the rain!  What are your race deal breakers?