6.9 Mile Polish Square Run - 20 Weeks

            In little, unincorporated Sugar Camp, there is the Polish Square Run/Walk that goes around the country block that is 6.9 miles in distance.  It is a non-timed, low-key event that’s started off by the firing of a shotgun.  There isn’t a distinct start line, there are a couple unmanned water stations, and most of the participants walk.  Some even pull wagons of beer with them.  Afterwards, there is a polish smorgasbord of food inside the bar.  The entry fee is cheap ($20), and it gets you a sweatshirt and food.  The money raised goes to a local charity, and the top 3 male and female winners get a polish sausage.  Did I forget to mention that one house along the route also set out a beer station and there were Shorty’s at the finish line?  Yes, this really does exist.

The baby belly at 21 weeks.

            Andy ran and won it last year (by a solid 5 minute margin of victory).  I had stayed inside with Baya, figuring I shouldn’t try and run hard again only a week post-marathon.  I probably could have handled it, but I didn’t’ want to push it.  This year, I assumed it would be too late in my pregnancy to run, though I was just waiting and hoping I could.  By 20 weeks last time around, I had developed pelvic pain that kept me running no further than 4 miles, and my paced had slowed.  Sure, I could have joined the walkers, but that’s not really my style, and well, despite being 20 weeks, I still wanted to be the Top Female Finisher (despite it meaning absolutely nothing but it being an issue of personal pride).

            Andy said that if I ran, he’d run it with me (at my slower pace).  We started off being led by a couple of others, then passed one, but still had 2 ahead of us for quite a length of time.  We got in a spat after a mile or so had passed.  Ideally, I thought I could still run faster than what I was (closer to a 7’ pace versus our current 7:30 pace), and we weren’t in first (he said he didn’t care if he didn’t win – but let’s face it, he doesn’t care about as much as I do).  After we passed the leaders he felt better.  (And why did I say I thought I could run faster?!)  I think that I like to believe that despite being pregnant, I can just keep going like normal.  Pregnancy is a slow thing, a long process, but at some point along the way, you are bound to slow down - you just don’t want to accept that it’s happening.

            We finished together as overall victors, the husband-wife duo.  Twenty weeks and still going (albeit a little slower now I guess).