Sally, M, 35-39

Yep, I apparently ran as a boy on Sunday at the Scallywompus Mission Possible 10k on Sunday.

First, let me backtrack - to my birth.  See, I am the eldest of three girls. My parents raised us to understand and believe that girls are just as strong, smart, and successful as boys.  I attended one of the top all-women's colleges in the nation, served on a CJSOTF (SOF task force) in Sarajevo as one of very few women in the task force, commanded Army predominately male troops, and went into the male-dominated profession of law.  I support women's rights from my local Girls on the Run association to not voting for jerkfaces in politics who are trying to turn the social rights clocks back a century or two.  Yes, I am woman, hear me roar.

But enough on my personal beliefs - except when they extend to my running beliefs.  That said,  Women's running has come a long way baby - and in recent history - since just the 1980s.  In 1967, running under the name K. Switzer, Katherine Switzer finished the Boston Marathon in 4:20, after race officials physically tried to rip her out of the race (for the record, I was not alive then, but she's a personal hero).  In 1980, the Road Runners of America began a campaign to raise awareness about women's distance running and, in that year, the San Antonio Road Runners hosted its first SARR Women's Run.  I was honored to direct the 33rd annual SARR Women's 5k this year (and plug - next year's race is July 20, 2013- save the date).  As part of the RRCA effort, in 1984, Joan Benoit won the first ever gold medal in the Women's marathon event (I was alive then and watched her wave her floppy hat as she entered the stadium on TV).  And, add to that, it's the 40th anniversary of Title XI, which made so much of women's athletics possible.

See, I know a little about women's rights and women's running.  Yet, after an iffish 19-mile training run on Saturday morning (blessedly, after a 'cold front' - WI readers - that means 80-90 degrees), I apparently ran the Scallywompus 10K the next day as a boy.  Ooops.  Yep - 21st M, 35-39.  But, since I would have only came in 20th in the F, 35-39 age group, I didn't change it - how's that for some gender equality?  Both guys and gals actually do run more slowly than me, and about 20 of them in this category faster?!

Alas, none take uglier pictures than me - so, here it goes - the post-race pic from my race as a boy (guess I would have had a better disguise, had I not run in a skirt?).

disclaimer:  Had I not run 19 miles on Saturday, jumped into a shower to find all the places I chafed, and taken a 1-hour nap before packet pickup, I might have noticed that my bib said Sally was a boy.  I guess I was just unintentionally reverse-Switzer-izing them?

Thanks to Ceci for the pic - incidentally, she's a female race director who is directing an awesome Loteria race this Sunday - you still have a last chance to register here before it sells out.  I will be running it as a female.  Female spider, that is - pics to follow.