I was originally really excited about racing in Raleigh at the Tar Heel 10 miler. I very rarely get to race locally, so to drive a few hours and win a few bucks sounded like a good chance to take. Of course it would have been a tough physical task to run a very hilly 10 mile race this weekend and then head to Kentucky for the Kentucky Derby Festival to run a very hilly half-marathon the next. So when I heard about the Moe’s dash and how it offered quadruple the $ for first place, compared to Tar Heel, AND it was only a 5k, I decided to take a chance and try something different; And the venue of the Moe’s Burrito 5k dash was DEFINITELY different. The main idea was pretty simple. You run about half the race, eat and finish a burrito, and then finish the race. The first 3 Males and females to cross the finish would get cash prizes and there were age group awards as well. The race was also set up so that You could choose not to eat the burrito but then you would not be eligible for cash prizes ….or bragging rights:)

Anyhow, as silly as it sounds, I was pretty nervous before the race because I knew my burrito eating split would be very slow.  Without getting in to too much detail, I have no bottom molars to chew with except my wisdom teeth in the back of the mouth. I am also missing some top molars, so with all those teeth gone, it’s pretty difficult for me to eat things quickly with the exception of soups or smoothies:) And unlike any other race where this would never matter, I knew not having teeth could be a HUGE hindrance for this one!:) But I talked to some close friends about the disadvantage and decided to go ahead and put my burrito eating fears behind me!!

On race day I did not tell my arch rivals from the Charlotte Running Club, Caitlin Bullock and Laurie Knowles about my disadvantage, because I knew how fast they were running wise, but ALSO knew that at least Caitlin, was known to be a very fast burrito consumer!  And boy was I correct!  After running the first 1.7 miles at about 5:08 pace, and thinking that I had a pretty good lead to start the consumption, before I knew it, I looked to my left and could not believe how close to me Caitlin and Laurie were as far as their burrito dwindling. I kept looking at their burritos thinking man, they are animals….they must have been given a kids size or something?? I was trying so hard to chew and swallow, but again, when you don’t have teeth, it’s pretty hard to get anything down in a rush. After over 2 and a half minutes of choking, I was ready to go, but both Caitlin and Laurie were right behind me and there I was back to square one. Straining to keep the very small lead I had, the post burrito mile felt like one of the last miles of a marathon!!  I knew the Charlotte duo were behind me and competition is all that can keep you going in a race where all you want to do is stop and throw up! It was a slower pace than I would normally finish a 5k, but I was relieved to finish and run straight for the bushes to….. well, you know(ugggh) I kept going to the bushes or the bathroom for the next 45 minutes to the point where they were giving out awards for first place female and I was no where to be found. They had to come get me in the bathroom after they had already called my name. I was in severe digestive pain to say the least!

Anyway, when all is said and done, it was a really fun morning to go to such a unique event. Warming up with Caitlin and Laurie, the talented band, the people dressed up as burritos, and winning a couple grand….those are some things I just don’t get to enjoy EVERY race I go to. I’m sure next week’s Half Marathon in Kentucky will not be nearly as exciting!! Thanks Moe’s for a great experience!!

P.S.- Oh and as far as my body rebelling against the burrito, I was sure to replenish with a 12 inch from subway and cookies on the side. I had to go home and run an easy 20 miler, so knew I would need something in there!!