Spousal Pride AKA Boston Blacklight Run

I think one of the most fun parts about being married, is when you're proud, like reeeeallly f-ing proud, of your spouse. This most DEFINITELY happened this past Saturday, when my Mister ran his first official 5k: the Boston Blacklight Run.

Us post race.

Here's one of the things that makes Hood and I work as a couple: we are yin and yang...polar - yet complimentary - opposites. Al set out to do Couch to 5k with quiet determination. He was steadfast, he was consistent, he did not bitch, he did not whine, he did not brag, he did not boast. All I had to do was buy him the running shoes. See... opposites!

Let me back track a bit. It wasn't just Al & I running, we were joined by Mr. & Mrs. H-Bomb who made the trip down from Manhattan so we could have a fun time all running together. It was Mrs. H-Bomb's first 5k as well; while Mr. H-Bomb put us all to shame, completing a half marathon a few weeks earlier.

Before I get started on the actual race experience, I need to list my playlist for the run. I take great pride in these and really enjoy making them. Here you go....

1. It's Time by Imagine Dragons
2. Let the Groove Get In by Justin Timberlake
3. Soul Man by The Blues Brothers
4. Hearts on Fire by John Cafferty
5. Applause by Lady Gaga
6. Murder by Justin Timberlake
7. Love Shack by The B-52's
8. Can't Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
9. Work B**ch by Britney Spears

The race, altogether was, interesting. It was dark...in a field/some sort of industrial complex. Nothing was actually clearly marked. This went from the registration area to the actual coarse itself. I would have been REALLY happy if things would have been more clearly marked. (Both where things were to go to AND the actual race path itself.

I really, REALLY wish there would have been some more race officials around  the entire coarse. See, Mr.  & Mrs. H-Bomb had an agreement to run together as to that what works for me. Al and I... nope. Only if we wanted the race to end in the non-tears-of-joy tears. This left both him and I running alone.

There was one part of the course the ran alongside the edge of the property that ran adjacent to a lot of bushes, shrubbery, and tall grass. I kelp thinking, "you know...this would be a prime place to hide in the bushes and abduct someone...." (Blame growing up with a father who had been both a cop and an Army medic.) So I ran in a straight line all the while scanning the bushes. Then there was another moment where a turn took us through a bank of parked school buses, and I mentally remarked "Wow! This sure is Halloweeny." (Translation: "This looks like a great place for someone to hack me to bits.") But still, I kept running.

I think it was the lack of informing runners how uneven and pothole riddled the terrain was that ended up being my biggest complaint.

Most surreal moment, and Mrs. H-Bomb can confirm it....a woman on the race course, wearing a race shirt and bib....SMOKING! ARE YOU F*CKING KIDDING ME!?!?!?!?!

The end of the race was a flat out mess: having to wait to cars to let out, dodging participants that were done with their waves and milling about, along with a complete breakdown with there the marked coarse was for about the last .35 of a mile.

It was the missed marking that made me think I didn't run a TRUE 5k, but when I crunched some numbers, I think I would have made the 5k in 42 minutes...2 minutes and some change faster than my August race. More on why I was so keen to get to the finish in a second.

Do I think I'll be running the Black Light Run again? Ummm....no. Did I have fun? Absolutely! Getting brightly colored flower thrown at you (sometimes VERY hard) as you run past...maybe it's because on the inside I'm a 5 year old...HIGHLY SATISFYING.

Now, I wanted to get to that finish line quicker because I wanted to see Al as soon after he finished as I possibly could. I'm so proud of him!!! I remember how emotional he was with I finished my first 5k on Spectacle Island, and I think I was equally as emotional for him.

There was a big party afterwards but we elected not to stay. We decided that a Tex-Mex feast at Border Cafe was much more out speed.

It was super nice to have running buddies in Mr. & Mrs. H-Bomb. I sure did miss having one once Reed Making Warrior moved to LA.

So what's next? For Al - continuing to run and finding what running App works for him. Also possibly running a December 5k with myself and Inky Lady.

As for me, I run my next 5k in a mere twelve days I'll be home in SETX running the Compassion Color 5k with my sister, my Mom (she'll be walking) and a few other friends from home.

A-one, two-hoo, threee....

Also, now that I've got three (and very soon to be four) 5k's under my belt...well, I thought it's time to embark on 5k to 10k. It'll be nice to have my BWJesque Drill Sargent in my ears again. I've already done the first run and do the second tomorrow. This time I've decided to commit to running two times a week instead of three, given that swimming is still my biggest priority exercise wise. I know I thrive well on a challenge, on having a goal. I'll be done with the program in late February, so I'm pretty sure that finding a 10k in New England in late February will be my biggest challenge.