This is the first time I've run double-digits since February 2017, and it's my first 10-miler of half marathon training.
On my training plan, I didn't schedule 10 miles until late January, but Saturday morning I just felt like today is the day. I had 7 miles on my schedule, but knowing that I will likely miss my next long run due to holiday plans, it seemed like this was a good time to take a risk and push myself.
I honestly wasn't sure how the run would go. So far I've gone up to 8 miles in training and felt fantastic the entire time. When I drove to the start of my run, I realized I really didn't want to run the route I had planned. I got back in the car and drove to a different spot, so I started the run about 20 minutes late, but the weather was perfect for a late start, so it was okay.
Mid-50s and cloudy! Perfection!
At mile 6.5 I began to eat a cherry lime Gu, and kind of ate it in nibbles until mile 8.5 or so. I never felt starving, but the Gu definitely helped keep my energy up for the end of the run.
Around mile 7 I started to feel bored and ready to be done - clearly I'm out of practice with running alone for long periods of time. At mile 8 I started in on the positive self-talk; I didn't want to take a walk break, but my hips and lungs were started to ache. I just kept repeating C'mon girl, you've got this in you. You're gonna run 10 miles! Nice and steady! It was like I was urging on a horse.
Except I didn't fall off at the end.
At mile 9, I knew no matter what I'd succeed. My brain kind of turned off and I just sailed through the last mile.
Anyway, at the end I was too tired and relieved to feel much excitement over the accomplishment, but after a shower and breakfast, the pride set in. How surreal and wonderful, to know I'm running long distances again! To know I did Saturday's run at a steady sub-10 pace and didn't take any walk breaks! To feel as strong as I do right now!
Mile 4 is an outlier because I was exploring a new area, so I think I slowed down a bit to keep my bearings, and then I texted Matt to let him know my ETA.
I feel lucky that we are finally getting an actual winter in Florida this year, because it's making training much easier.
This run also makes last week the highest mileage training week I've had so far, because I ran two 5-milers, too. Although I've planned for four runs a week, I've pretty much scrapped my Thursday runs, which has allowed my legs to recover better for my long runs on Saturdays. I've always run best when I stick to three weekly runs and add a fourth only when it will really benefit me.
With all the housework we've been doing lately (painting, culling, reorganizing) and school events, it makes sense to skip Thursdays most weeks. I'm adding a bit more mileage to the other two weekday runs, and that's been going well, too. I am trying to keep all my runs at a minimum of 5 miles as long as my legs recover nicely from my long runs.
So that's it for plan adjustments! So far, so good. We'll see how things go as we get into the new year. A1A is just about 8 weeks away!
Way back when I first started having calf pain, one of the first things I did was stop running the bridge. Elizabeth and I had been running it about four days a week during half marathon training. I attributed that bridge to my increased paces and stronger endurance when I first started running, and it has always been my favorite means of speedwork.
It was a weekly staple for me, but I haven't run it since December 2016.
Monday afternoon, while deciding where to run, Elizabeth suggested it. And I decided to take the bull by the horns.
It took me all of 2 seconds to agree. I appreciated that she pushed me out of my comfort zone!
We chose to park closer than usual to take the normal route from four miles to three. It was cool and windy thanks to whatever bizarre weather pattern is going on right now, and we had the wind at our backs for most of the run. I felt fresh from four days of rest. The first 3/4 mile was a slightly too-hard warmup. Then came the bridge.
I was surprised. It was...easy. I was nervous going in, sure my calves wouldn't be ready, but my legs and lungs actually felt alright. Good, even.
We walked at the turn-around, about 1.4 miles in, to alleviate Elizabeth's side-stitch. Then we ran back up, this time into the wind. We took a brief walk at the top. My left calf felt...something. Not tight, but stretched. Like it was saying We have not done this in a long time wtf. I've been pushing my left calf much faster than I did my right (because I can, seeing as how they've both been operated on now), so some discomfort is expected, but it's a good reminder to take it slow.
We took more walk breaks than I wanted, but considering we haven't run any inclines in over a year, I think we did pretty well. Our running paces, even up the bridge, were in the 9s. I felt fantastic.
I know I will need to build bridge runs into my routine slowly, maybe once every two weeks for now, but another mental barrier - another post-injury fear - is getting ready to fall. Soon, maybe it will be like this past year never even happened.
Friday night, after a long and exhausting week, I paused at 1.7 miles into our run. I asked what we wanted to do. Elizabeth told me: "You said 4. We're doing 4." And I said: "Okay." And we did.
Back in 2012, I wrote about the first time I successfully ran four miles. I had to go back and find that post because tonight was the first time I've done so since...Well, since the A1A half marathon last February. (I'm not exaggerating. I just went back to check. It's really been over a year.) This has always been a special distance to me. It became my everyday easy-run distance, but before I got there, it was my Everest.
Four miles was a huge deal for me the first time around, and re-reading my post reminded me of why. It was the first time I broke a mental barrier and saw what my body was capable of doing. It was the first time that I understood the fragility - the illusion - of limitations.
It was the first time I knew I could make real progress. This time around, four miles feels much the same. I am seeing progress. As I wrote then: "...I realized I really could go farther, and that there was no limit because my body is an amazing machine that will adapt, progress, adjust, and grow strong." So, in honor of this new beginning, I bring you a post from six years and many lessons ago. My heart ached reading it. When I wrote it, I never thought I'd recapture this pure, simple joy, or the feeling of awe that went with it. I never experienced it even in marathon training. But tonight, I felt it. And re-reading the post, I almost felt I would cry.
In the summer of 2011, after taking a long break from running, I hit a personal milestone. I began running 4-milers.
Four miles doesn’t seem like much. After all, I’d run a Half that January. What’s four miles? But there was something special in those runs. For whatever reason, K and I weren’t running together a lot that summer, although we were still updating each other frequently on our logged miles. I think it had something to do with my ITB injury post-Half. But I finally rejoined the running world, and was running about three miles every-other-day, and she upped her distance to four.
I wondered if I could do that. At the time, I was running a path that had gotten stale. I had a horrendous mental hang-up associated with this route, and no matter how many times I ran it, I couldn’t get well over two miles before I needed a break. The path was a straight out-and-back, from my driveway, up the street, out to the main road, turn around at the corner intersection and come back. The particular corner is a bit of a sharp turn, and there’s enough brush there to block your view of the main road if you don’t continue all the way to the curb or turn the corner completely.
One day, spurred on by K’s increased mileage, I turned the corner. Where we live, the sidewalk corners at big intersections are covered in yellow plastic, signifying a crosswalk and stoplight. Usually, I’d get a foot on that yellow mat, pivot, and turn around to go home. But there I was, faced with the corner, the stoplight, a turn, and I went forward.
Down the road I continued, and as I ran, I felt a weight lift from my mind. Here was a new, unbeaten path. Here was freedom. Here was unchartered territory, a wide sidewalk that stretched for miles, all there for me to claim should I feel ready to claim it.
I hadn’t yet discovered mapping a run, driving to the starting point, and going from there, so I’d grown bored with my start-at-home-run-straight-out-run-straight-back existence. I didn’t really know I was bored, of course. All I knew was that the run seemed sluggish, boring, and weirdly difficult for such an easy distance/pace. But when I turned the corner and saw beyond the hedges all that wide open sidewalk, I knew I’d discovered something. The brain-shackles fell off and the lightbulb went on.
The first time I ran four miles, I had to walk. But soon I was running four miles under forty minutes, running even the last two-tenths that put me over my goal distance because I knew I could do it. Running 4.1 and 4.25 and onward.
Four miles doesn’t seem like a far run, but this was the first distance I had ever really run on my own, for fun. (Before I ran the Half, the farthest I had ever run was a 5k. That’s including “training”. Remember how I said I didn’t train for that?)It was the first time I realized I really could go farther, and that there was no limit because my body is an amazing machine that will adapt, progress, adjust, and grow strong.
This fall, as K and I hit four miles for our training for the Half in November, the running is for a different purpose. We are actually sticking to a training plan. Our route takes us down the street where I originally added the distance, and I sometimes I can hardly believe that it used to be so difficult to take that one extra step onto a new road.
Looking forward to this weekend and our first official long run of training, I feel a little daunted. The first step to an increased distance is always humbling. But I know, thinking about the pride and awe I felt when I ran a 4-miler for the first time, that the struggle will be worth it, and in the end I’ll have faced and conquered yet another obstacle, another fear, and will have come out victorious.
Here's to more progress, more growth, and more broken barriers.
On Saturday, Matt and I went for a run on the golf course for the first time in months. I switched my intervals to 2:1 because 3:1 has begun to feel like too much effort too soon. At the end of each run, I'm totally wiped; there's no "easy" effort with 3:1.
About 1.5 miles into the run, I told Matt, "I don't know how I'll ever do that 5k next weekend. I'm already feeling so tired and weak." I felt frustrated and a little hopeless, knowing I've been able to do about 2.5 miles but that I still don't feel like I'm making progress as far as strength and stamina goes.
He assured me that even if I end up walking the last mile of the race, I'll be able to do a 5k.
We continued on our run. My body finally found its groove, as it would after a couple miles of warmup in the old days, and before I knew it my watch was beeping...we'd done 3 miles! The last 1.5 had felt really good!
Matt is such a good photographer!
We ended up doing 3.16 and on the last walk break I just decided to walk the rest of the way home; there was no point in pushing it.
This run gave me tons of confidence and made me feel so strong. I gave Matt a high five and spent the rest of the night totally jazzed. I didn't care that I'd walked about half of it with the intervals. I was so happy that my legs weren't sore and spent at the end.
The run took about 35 minutes. After spending 2015 going for speed and finally breaking my 5k PR, chipping away at the 26:xx range and trying to get to 25:xx, it's ironic that running that distance nearly 10 minutes slower made me so happy!
This is how you know you're back at square one. Distance completely supersedes pace. I'm too happy to be running to feel anything else. I'll run without intervals again eventually, and I'll get back to my previous paces. If I'm honest with myself, right now I can't really imagine ever getting there, but I know logically that I will. For now, I am just going to be patient and celebrate my small victories as they come.
Let me start by saying that this 5k was actually 4.3k (2.66 miles), so my "23:53" finishing time is impressive, but not that impressive. This was a first annual race, so I'm giving them a pass on the short course.
I arrived at GCTC around 6:50 and texted Jenn to let her know I had arrived, and it turned out I had parked right next to her!
We already had our bibs because Ashley had picked up everyone's early and delivered them to school. There were a whole bunch of us teachers running: Jenn, Tubbs, Ashley, Kasey, Michelle, and Shelagh. Kasey, Jenn and I made our way to the staging area and the bathrooms, where we ran into everyone else. We hung out and took some pre-race photos until it was time to start.
All of us! Hero teachers!
Shelagh photobombed my pre-race lineup pic!
Michelle and I were both in our lioness skirts! After the race she told me she was buying it in the Safari print. I don't blame her; it's so cute.
Because this race was fairly small, I ended up starting right at the very front of the line! Talk about nerve-wracking. Luckily, that didn't last long. Within the first few seconds of the race, a handful of people had passed me and I was able to let up on the pedal a bit and find a good cruising pace.
Can you spot me awkwardly waving at the cameraman?
I hadn't run in over a week and was a bit worried about my stamina for this race, but everything felt good. The day was cool (73) and overcast. There was some gusty wind that made it hard to breathe at some points, but mostly I felt good.
The course took us weaving through an outdoor mall's parking lot, and while I ran up one of the lanes around mile 1.5, I caught sight of Jenn, Kasey, and Tubbs. I shouted at them but they didn't hear. Around mile 2, I could see the finish on the other end of the parking lot and knew the course would be short, but I wasn't sure how short.
I'm not sure at what point in the race this was, but I look like a confused T-Rex.
At that point, I began to feel my pace waning, but I knew I was still toward the front and wanted to try to keep pushing it. Around mile 2.4, Shelagh caught up with me (she'd been running with her daughter) and passed me. Then her daughter did. I finished just behind her.
I got a water then headed back onto the course to find the others. I found Jenn and Kasey just where Shelagh had first passed me, and I ran with them back to the finish and peeled off in time to get finishing pictures for them. Then, I went back and found Ashley, Michelle, and Tubbs.
Jenn and Kasey finishing.
Tubbs crossing the line while Ashley and Michelle cheer on the other side!
Shelagh's daughter had followed back out onto the course, and she called to Tubbs to "run with her heart" and that seemed to really perk her up.
After the race, we hung out to see results and bask in our accomplishments. I ran into Mari, who you may remember from Ragnar and various other races. I saw her at Sanibel, too, and it's been nice to bump into her at races lately.
Mari led the race for a little while; she ended up placing 4th in our AG.
Shelagh placed first in her AG, and her daughter placed second in hers! I placed 8/43 AG and 21/168 OA. For a race that was short and that I ran for fun after some time off, I'm perfectly happy with that.
My splits. I've officially given up on Nike+ and am getting used to wearing my Forerunner and using GarminConnect.
It was such an awesome experience to run this race with so many teacher friends, three of whom had never run a race before. They were really proud of themselves and so ready to find another! I was disappointed with the short course, but overjoyed with the experience and atmosphere.
If they fix the course next year to make it a real 5k, I'll probably be back.
Have you ever dressed in a costume for a race? Do short courses bother you?
If you read my weekly recap on Sunday, you already know how this story ends. I missed my time goals - all of them - and just didn't have a good race. I'm definitely disappointed, but it's been especially hard to swallow because I don't know what went wrong.
From the moment I woke up, I just didn't feel...right. I wasn't excited. I felt a little nauseated - the kind where you know you have to eat something to settle your stomach - and just not great. Low energy. No adrenaline. Just...blah.
This was my fifth year running this race and for some reason I just wasn't as excited as usual!
I was excited for Elizabeth, of course! She met us at the house at 6:20 and we drove together to the race in Sanibel. We used the bathrooms and got in line and then...ran.
This drone photo of the race, courtesy of SanCap Aerial Photography, shows that it was a little smaller than in past years.
By the first mile marker, I already knew it wasn't going to be my day. I couldn't find a groove; my legs didn't hurt and my breathing was alright but something felt off.
At mile three I paused for water and let Elizabeth go ahead of me. By that point I knew I was well off track of my goals, and I wanted to salvage the race and just finish it, but I really couldn't even dig for a negative split. I just kept fading.
This recap is kind of awful because I can't think of what to say! There was no reason for my lethargy. I had a good dinner. I slept well. I had a good breakfast (UCAN, some coffee, and a Gu). The weather was a lovely 74 degrees and not too humid. It should have been a perfect day to PR, but my body and mind were just not there.
In retrospect, these splits are ugly but they're not as bad as they could've been.
At the finish line, I saw Elizabeth at the end cheering and I waved; Matt was recording me. The finish was ugly; the woman behind me started to overtake me and cut in pretty close, and I stepped on her heel by accident. It seems like a little thing, but usually I can at least sprint my finish and finish strong. It was like the epitome of the whole race: awkward and uncomfortable and out of character.
But I caught her eventually.
The highlights came after the race finished. Elizabeth told me a woman had approached her at the finish and asked, "Are you Elizabeth? I recognize you from Ali's blog!" (She found us again later and I got to meet my first real-life fan, which was so cool! She told me I'd inspired her and that she had gone back and read old entries, etc. Even though my race was bad, this really put things into perspective and made me feel much better, so thank you, Esther! Also - congrats on placing first in your AG!)
Us with Esther and her friend Jenn!
She did it!!!!
Another woman came up to me and told me, "I don't usually like tattoos, but yours is so positive and motivating!" Last year at Sanibel an older gentleman complimented my tattoo, too, now that I think of it.
Elizabeth had a wonderful finish time and ran a strong, steady race. I am absolutely thrilled about that; I really wish I could've been with her at the end but I know our training together helped her get there and I feel lucky to have played a small part in her success.
Matt was able to get a picture of Elizabeth's finish! Super strong!
Matt earned himself a PR - he ran "easy" because Chattajack is coming up and still managed to place 4th. Sean finally nabbed a spot on the podium this year after a few years of trying, coming in 2nd in his age group.
Our division - there were only 29 this year. My adjusted time was 1:03:57. The race was definitely smaller than last year!
Sean and Matt's finishing times.
So really, there were some major highlights for the day. Still, I went home feeling let down. After a nap, everything sank in and I cried a little because I just felt so disappointed that my body didn't perform the way I wanted it to. This was a harder pill to swallow than BDR because I really can't pinpoint what went wrong, and anytime you finish a marathon it's worth celebrating. It's hard to say the same for a 10k.
But I'm glad I ran it, and I feel really lucky that I have running friends to turn to who understand my disappointment and know just to what to say to make me feel better!
Today, I'm reflecting on the fact that this race was a huge improvement from my last couple 10ks. I've taken about 5 minutes off my recent times, which shows that my improvement is measurable even if it's not as drastic as I was hoping for. I'm pleased with my progress. I know that I have it in me to have run this race better, but it is what it is. It wasn't my day.
I know I'll continue to get faster if I keep working, and this single race doesn't define my journey. I'm not ready to find a redemption race, but I am motivated to keep chipping away at my times and improving my paces.
And I know, of course, that I'll run it again next year. For some reason I just love this stupid race!
This week, when Helly wrote about her 1600s, I responded with this:
This is such a great example of how fellow runners and bloggers really inspire each other!
My speed work consists of 400s, 800s, and bridge repeats. Once in awhile I'll throw in a tempo run, but I have avoided 1600 repeats because they freak me out. The idea of holding a really fast pace for a full mile again and again is just daunting!
But Tuesday was gray and drizzly, and I had that blog post and my comment bouncing around in my head, and I just decided that's it. I know I can hold a good, fast pace in a 5k because I did it not too long ago, so why do 1600s scare me so much?
I decided to finally try them out.
I told Elizabeth we'd aim for a 9:00 pace; I wanted to be conservative because I had no idea what to expect.
I was thrilled with the outcome! They weren't the fastest - in fact, they felt a little easy and I know now that I could have pushed harder; I never know what my limit is going to be when I try new speed work - but I felt so strong for conquering my fear and trying a new workout!
Next time I'll aim for a more consistent <8:40 pace the entire time.
Of course, now this means we'll have to repeat it at some point; I've opened a can of worms. But I was reminded of how invincible a good, successful, challenging workout can make you feel!
Also, our park added a sign demarcating it various routes and their distances, which is a nice little addition!
The breezy, rainy weather definitely helped, but I'm feeling a little better every day about crushing this 10k no matter the weather. My body just feels stronger and more capable than it has in a long time, and I'm excited to see my hard work pay off. Hopefully it pays off in the long run for longer distances, too.
Tell me about a workout you crushed that raised your spirits! What's your favorite distance for repeats? Who has inspired you lately? ABK
There's nothing quite like basking in the afterglow of a goal race that went your way. I've spent all week enjoying the twinges in my quads and reflecting on how I was able to finally nab a new PR after three years of half-heartedly trying.
There's no magic or surprise here - once I got rid of the "half" part and really decided to go for it, it was mine. But I had to really change my mindset in order to get to the point where my priorities shifted. I had to change mentalities from distance to speed. I had to willingly take a step back from certain aspects of training to focus on parts that I usually don't enjoy very much. I had to make each run purposeful, and that meant some of them weren't fun.
But I ended up really enjoying this whole 5k training thing. I liked having new workouts to try; I liked finishing each run totally exhausted. I liked feeling like my workouts had a reason.
I've also noticed this new mindset has helped in my recovery. I wanted to skip my run this Tuesday, but I told myself that this time of year - with the heat and the stress and the crazy schedule - is always when I quit, and then I have to work extra hard to get back to basic fitness. I don't want to lose my progress, and this time around I was able to convince myself to stay on track!
So, besides the shift in my mental faculties, here are a few things that I think really helped me kill the SUP & Run 5k last Saturday.
1. More consistent cross training that worked for me. This is key! I've tried cross training before and it always ends up boring me or injuring me. When I was just doing T25 for cross training, I was always too sore from all the jumping around to really push hard during my runs. This time around, I took aspects of T25 and other circuits that I enjoyed and I created my own HIIT-style workouts.
Oh you know, just pumping iron in a church parking lot...totally normal.
I also added cross training on running days. Once it became habit to lift weights for a few minutes following a run, I didn't think twice about capping off running workouts that way.
2. Sticking to a schedule. Like cross training, scheduling has bored me in the past, too. But this time, I made sure to sprinkle in a variety of stuff, so my schedule never felt old even though it was consistent and predictable. I also made sure that each of my runs was purposeful throughout the week; I don't really believe in "junk miles" but when you have a set goal in mind, each run should contribute to reaching that goal.
Obviously I have to stay flexible, especially because this time of year is nuts. Some weeks I move around which days I rest, and I know that when I'm in DC with students next week my plans will change drastically, but in general, this schedule has made working out second nature and hassle free.
3. Having a training partner. Elizabeth is actually my "accountability partner" at work, and that's a more apt name, really. Even when we don't train together, we keep each other accountable for our workouts. That will come in handy this summer when she's in Nicaragua for a couple weeks.
4. Speed work. This is so obvious it hurts, but you have to run faster to get faster. Again, a dedicated speed work day on my schedule has helped keep me consistent here. I don't follow a specific plan or prescribed workout; I just play around with what feels good and challenging.
5. Smarter eating. I hate that this is true, but there it is. When I eat less junk, my energy is higher and my body feels better. So I guess this is something I need to continue. I'm aiming for an 80/20 mindset right now, but I sure do miss my junk!
Luckily summer makes eating healthy easier. I can't wait for all that fruit!
6. Believing in the plan. This one may be the most important. Once all the cogs were in place, I had to trust that the wheel would turn. Instead of giving up or monitoring progress daily - which is sure to lead to disappointment - I really focused on the long-term goal. I kind of let myself get through workouts and meals without thinking too hard about them or over-analyzing them. I'd celebrate individual workouts that rocked, but then I'd move on. It was the same with workouts that were just kind of blah. I think this mindset is healthier and really helped me trust the process and believe in the eventual outcome.
Looking back on my activity and knowing I'm putting in the time is a huge confidence booster.
I finally feel like I'm on a good, consistent track right now, and I hope that recognizing the different elements that contribute to my success will help me stay on that track. Seeing results is fun, but in a way, I'm more excited about the results I haven't seen yet. I just have a good feeling that if I keep it up, things are only going to get better!
Easier said than done - how do you stay on track when you're on a roll? What a major change you had to make to reach a goal? ABK
Even though this was only* a 5k, this is going to be kind of a long post because it was a goal race and apparently I have a lot of feelings.
Friday night, Matt and I drove to Sarasota; Saturday's SUP & Run 5k was only fifteen minutes from my parents' house, so they let us and James crash there for the night.
I tore off my daily calendar before we left and felt like my weekend motivation was cryptically on-point.
Matt, James, and I had sushi for dinner, and mom had gotten us all cupcakes because she's the best host ever, so I had my fair share of carbs and protein the night before.
I was only going to eat half the cupcake but when I saw it had strawberry filling I couldn't help myself!
On the drive up, I was literally bouncing around in the car from excitement; I was just feeling totally stoked about the race. That feeling continued into the morning despite waking up a dozen times to pee (I was over-hydrating Friday because the weather for Saturday was sure to be hot). I also woke up with a bad Charlie horse despite foam rolling the night before.
Still, I felt really good Saturday morning. I rolled my calves and hamstrings and got dressed. Earlier in the week I'd decided that I wasn't going to wear a shirt to the race, which was a big deal for me and a personal milestone of a different sort. So Friday I had tried on five different sports bras to see which I felt most confident in.
After I took this, I threw an extra bra in my bag...just in case.
We left the house around 6:45. I had my UCAN mixed with water, ice, and coffee and finished it around 7:15. I had plenty of time to pick up my packet, jog around the park (mostly just to-and-from the port-a-potties a couple times), do some dynamic stretches, and drink some water.
UCAN magic.
My mom showed up at 7:50 or so; I had asked her Friday if she wanted to spectate the race and she decided to come! She's never seen Matt race SUP before so it was a good chance for her to see him in action. Matt's dad Dave also came to watch.
I never wear headphones during training anymore, but I like music on race day. My pick for this 5k? Les Mis! As I told Mom, sometimes you just need songs of revolution and rebellion in your ears!
The race began at 8:00 and it was hot. I lined up just behind Matt and James, knowing they'd be running miles in the 7s. My goal was to run an 8:41 pace as consistently as possible. Elizabeth texted just before I got to the starting line, and that helped me get my game face on.
Of course, when I first started, my pace was in the 7s. Oops. I pulled back and found a challenging-but-doable pace, around 8:20. I felt strong and confident for the first half of the race and decided to stick to the faster pace and try to bank some seconds. At mile .88 I tossed water on myself. I saw Matt and James at mile 1.4 or so, and knew I was near the turn-around. I still felt good, although I had a little side-stitch.
There had been a breeze before the turn-around, but it disappeared in the latter half of the race. Around mile 2.4 I started to flag. When I passed the water stop a second time, I tossed more water on myself. I saw 9s on my watch and tried to pick it up but the numbers just kept climbing. I got into my head: If you miss your goal, fine, but you cannot finish this race with regret. You cannot regret your performance or your finish.
Just after I started to slow down, the finish came into sight across the lake, and that really helped me kick it back into gear.
So I picked it up. I forced myself to rally. My lungs felt like they were going to pop out of my chest. My legs had been the same level of uncomfortable the entire race; I was judging my effort entirely on my breathing.
There was a tiny bridge near the end of the race (crossing back over to the finishing area), and I bartered with myself. I could conserve some energy on the uphill there, but then I'd sprint the last quarter mile to the end. So that's what I did. I pulled back just a touch, and then just let loose.
I turned the last corner and saw 26:40 on the clock. My eyes laser-focused into tunnel vision. F THIS! I'M GETTING A SUB-27! I told myself, and pushed pushed pushed to the end.
I crossed the line at 26:57.
My A goal was 27:00; my secret A+ goal was sub-27, and I freaking EARNED IT.
Exhausted and proud!
My mom found me doubled-over at the finish and seemed appropriately surprised and impressed with my speedy finish; she wanted to get pictures but I'd come in too fast for her! (I wish she had gotten a picture because I'm sure my face was AWFUL in the best way possible.) When I told her I'd broken 27:00, I choked up a little.
I had passed the medals when I came in, so I went back and got mine, then got a water. A quick note here: this race benefits Operation Second Chance, an organization that seeks to offer support to wounded and ill veterans. The man handing out the medals was a vet, and I thanked him for his service.
Elated!
Mom, Dave, and I hung out under his canopy for a little while because James and Matt were out on the water doing their 5k paddle, but we were at the finish when they came in. At this point, many of the wounded veterans were finishing as well. It was absolutely indescribable to watch. Many of the injured soldiers had specialty seats on their paddle-boards because they had lost their legs; Matt said he saw one female vet paddling with a single arm.
James finished the full 10k (foot race and paddle combo) in 57:12 and Matt finished in 1:01:30. Their 5k run was 22:55! I thought it was great that they stuck together for the 5k rather than trying to push each other/beat each other because running isn't their primary sport and burning out on the run may have hurt their SUP portion. It seemed like a great strategy to hang together for the foot race.
Anyway, we hung around for awards and took some pictures in the meantime. I had a pretty good feeling I had a chance to place because there were so many divisions broken down into age groups: just the run, just the paddle, and the combination.
Sure enough, when they got to my division, I got to hear them announce my name for third in my age group! And there were more than just three of us! Yes! I collected my medal and basked in this sweet cherry on top of an already fantastic goal-destroying-sundae. (I came in 57 OA out of 163.)
Matt placed 2nd in his AG/division (5/73 OA) and James came in 1st in his AG/division (2/73 OA).
Power couple right here.
I felt weird tapering before a 5k, but I think it really paid off. Despite still having some calf issues, my legs felt fresh and ready to kick butt. Clearly my consistent running and cross-training has really paid off over the last few weeks. I'm feeling gratified and ready to continue working hard!
I honestly don't think that on this particular day I could have run any faster, and I think I performed the best I could despite losing control of my pace for a bit at the 3/4 mark; I was able to get myself back in control, so while my splits weren't even, they weren't too negative. This wasn't a race run under easy conditions, and I rose to the challenge!
I know I left it all out there, and I'm proud of that. I don't think I could have asked for a better day.
ABK *Only as in "just three miles to review, and yet this post is 1000 pages long", not only in the sense that 5ks don't matter. Clearly they matter, because I put a lot of heart into this race :)
