As I mentioned yesterday, my goals were:
"A" goal: If I have a REALLY good race, I could probably do sub-31:00 (7:45/mi).
"B" goal: Take 4 minutes off of my last Leap Day time, for 31:15 (7:49/mi)
"C" goal: A sub-8 pace, for a time of sub-32:00.
"D" goal: Just finish.
To spoil the ending, I will tell you that I did, in fact, reach ONE of those goals
Nathan (my more youthful brother) said he would pace me, and that i really liked that idea. Having a pacer makes it much less difficult to cognizance at the race, due to the fact then I wouldn't have to fear approximately looking at my watch all of the time. I just had to preserve up with Nathan, and i would hit my goal. I told him that I wanted to aim for 7:45 on the first mile, and then see how i used to be feeling. If i was feeling true, I may want to strive another at that tempo; if now not, then I should scale it returned to 7:55. And just go from there.
Kendall (Nathan's female friend) picked up my packet multiple days ago, so I failed to must get there early, which turned into fine. I dropped the youngsters off at my buddy Andrea's, who turned into type enough to watch them, and then I went to Willow Metropark for the race. I met Nathan there, and then at 6:00, I did a heat-up (the race start become at 6:30). I ran about 1.5 miles very clean, and did some strides and stretches. I felt pretty true, other than a stomachache that i'd had all day.
My belly felt like it had a pit in it all day today, and i ate greater than ordinary, wondering it would make my belly feel higher. For dinner, I made what I notion would be an amazing pre-race meal: a sandwich with peanut butter, banana, and honey. It ended up feeling like lead in my stomach, but I ate it 3 hours earlier than the race, so I figured there was time to digest.
besides, the race turned into a little overdue beginning. Nathan and i stuck collectively on the start, and then when we crossed the starting line, my simplest purpose become to maintain up with him. I instructed him not to permit me begin too speedy (something I constantly do), and at the start, I felt like we had been going so slow! but after a half of mile, i used to be definitely feeling the tempo, and it definitely did not feel sluggish. I failed to observe my watch at all, because I simply failed to want to understand.
From the very starting of the run, I just failed to experience proper. typically, after I do velocity work, my legs feel springy and mild (on a very good day, besides); however these days, they felt clumsy and heavy. And my stomach--ugh. The pit become just getting deeper, and soon, it became all I may want to reflect onconsideration on. as soon as I let that negativity get into my thoughts, I simply started questioning that these days wasn't my day. It just wasn't going to manifest.
My first mile changed into 7:forty five at the nose, which is what I deliberate, however I knew I had to slow down. I told Nathan i would attempt to run 7:fifty five for the following one, but in my thoughts, I wasn't positive if I may want to even do any other mile, not to mention 3. I felt virtually terrible approximately it. I informed Nathan that i might try and make it to mile , however I could not do greater than that. there was simply no way. We hit mile two at exactly 7:55--seriously, Nathan is a ridiculously correct pacer--and a few steps later, I just crashed. I slowed and spent the subsequent 5 minutes looking to trap my breath. those two miles felt lots harder than they must have!
The closing half of mile of the race became extraordinarily windy, and i was glad that i was now not aiming for a time goal at that factor. The wind turned into so robust it took my breath away. I crossed the end line in 34:15, exactly mins quicker than my time in 2012. So, I hit my "D" purpose, which was just to complete. hey, as a minimum it became a course PR
I felt truely terrible, like I absolutely allow Nathan down, despite the fact that he stored insisting that it was okay. He said he is aware of i have a 10K PR in me, and today simply wasn't my day. that is exactly what i would tell a person in my state of affairs, but it's hard to consider it while it's approximately me, if that makes sense.
As I drove home, i was definitely beating myself up approximately the whole lot. I kept thinking if I may want to have made it if I had saved attempting, but honest to God, I do not suppose I could have these days. searching at my stats now, i'm sort of shocked--my coronary heart fee got up to 209! The most effective time i have seen it in the two hundred's is whilst there is a trouble with the screen; however it really is always apparent from a variety of spikes and dips. This one looks pretty correct:
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| Crash and burn at mile two |
i am completely torn when I think about how this race went. i was pretty confident going into it that i would do properly, based on my 5K time from the start of this month. Now, but, i'm thinking the entirety approximately my schooling and whether or not or not i can hit my 10K purpose in April. but, here is what I understand:
I recognise that humans have awful runs sometimes, and awful races.
I recognize that i'm not going to hit my intention at each race. If I do, then my desires are too easy.
I recognize that I did attempt my first-rate, and i didn't end the race wondering that I ought to have achieved higher.
I recognise that my pace has stepped forward dramatically over the last four months.
I recognise that I nevertheless have six greater weeks till my 10K, so masses of time to paintings on it.
I know that i used to be now not feeling my nice going into the race nowadays, so it just may additionally have no longer been my day.
And once more, I realize that human beings have bad runs now and again. it's a truth of walking existence.
I recognise that humans have awful runs sometimes, and awful races.
I recognize that i'm not going to hit my intention at each race. If I do, then my desires are too easy.
I recognize that I did attempt my first-rate, and i didn't end the race wondering that I ought to have achieved higher.
I recognise that my pace has stepped forward dramatically over the last four months.
I recognise that I nevertheless have six greater weeks till my 10K, so masses of time to paintings on it.
I know that i used to be now not feeling my nice going into the race nowadays, so it just may additionally have no longer been my day.
And once more, I realize that human beings have bad runs now and again. it's a truth of walking existence.