I woke up early, with the plan of getting to the race place (the metropark that I constantly run) and to begin running by using 7:00 (the 10K race changed into scheduled to begin at nine:00 a.m.). I had oatmeal with milk, dates, and brown sugar, and a cup of tea earlier than heading out. I introduced along a chocolate Gu and Gatorade.
It became raining the whole manner there, and i used to be bummed. The temp was exquisite--59 tiers! however I sincerely did not need to get soaked earlier than the race even started out. after I were given to the park, it wasn't pouring rain, but it turned into a constant drizzle. higher than a downpour, as a minimum!
I decided to do two out-and-back routes from the car (a three-miler and a five-miler, in exclusive instructions). As soon as I started going for walks, I found out that it become going to be lots higher than ultimate week's long run! I felt tremendous. ultimate week, i was so slow and worn-out--due completely from per week at my sister's of eating eating place food, lots of junk meals and beer. nowadays, however, I may want to feel changed into one-of-a-kind.
After my first mile, I looked at my Garmin and noticed i was going for walks a nine:54/mi pace--too rapid. I knew I could not preserve that tempo for the complete 14 miles, so I deliberately attempted to slow down (but now not an excessive amount of). but, after a mile, i stopped feeling so brilliant. I can't without a doubt pinpoint what turned into wrong, however I simply wasn't feeling almost as appropriate because the first mile.
but, I stored going, strolling inside the rain. At approximately mile three.five, I saw a doe and her fawn! It was lovely. They simply iced over and looked at me, and i was terrified to be close to them (my dad and brother have been attacked via a buck one time, so deer scare me). i finished to as a minimum take a picture:
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| (I didn't say a GOOD picture) |
I planned the closing a part of 8th mile to stop right on the packet select-up. There were a ton of humans there when I showed up. So I went in and collected my race shirt and bib. I noticed Jessica in there (she determined just yesterday to run the race as nicely). She notion the race shirts had been hideously unsightly, however I form of like them. sadly, they are cotton shirts and no longer tech shirts, so I do not know that i will ever put on it. in reality, in no way thoughts--i am sporting it proper now
I saw my buddy Stephanie, and stated hey to her. Her two boys were walking the "Ducking dash" (and Jessica's boys have been all strolling it as properly). I stood around (freezing cold, because i was soaked from head to toe and i had stopped running 20 mins earlier). After the youngsters' run, we covered up at the starting line. I went to the again, knowing i was going to run a slower tempo nowadays. I began the race with Stephanie, and figured i would attempt to keep about the same pace as her, considering that she said she become aiming for "underneath 11:00/mi tempo".
when the race started out, she become going much faster than 11:00/mi! It become virtually extra like 10:00/mi, so I failed to try to maintain up together with her. After a 1/2-mile or so, she ran in advance. I couldn't believe that i was literally one of the final humans within the race. My pace wasn't SNAIL-like or anything--i used to be strolling simply over a 10:00/mi, and there have been handiest approximately 10 human beings behind me.
there has been a quick out-and-back first, and i noticed Jessica on the way lower back whilst i used to be going out. She regarded to be running without a doubt properly. i was maintaining tempo with a woman for a while, and we have been the only humans round. The relaxation of the gang became a quarter mile in advance, and the very last people have been behind us pretty far. So I in the end determined to pass her, however i used to be careful not to push my tempo too tough.
At around mile 2, I noticed Stephanie ahead of me by a quarter mile or so. I definitely simply wanted the race to be over already, and i had an extended methods to move. So I determined to look if I should "trap" Stephanie. She was doing truely nicely--she had hopes of beating her final (and most effective) 10K time, which became 1:10:xx. I had a totally hard time catching as much as her, due to the fact my legs were feeling quite dead!
We became a course covered with wood chips in the woods. Stephanie become much less than a 10th of a mile in advance, so i used to be trying hard to close the space. sooner or later, I called out to her, and we started going for walks collectively. I wasn't certain if I ought to have completed that or not, because I failed to need to step in if I wasn't desired--she had a aim for the race, and i used to be simplest doing it as part of a schooling run. I informed her to head at her very own pace, no matter what mine was, however we ended up sticking collectively.
The final miles had been hard. going for walks on the timber chips changed into tough--my legs felt heavy. We also needed to run on timber bridges, which have been slippery from the rain; and a gravel course. The remaining mile, I without a doubt felt like I wanted to simply lie down and die end. i used to be worn-out, and simply desired to be completed!
while my Garmin beeped at 14 miles, I found out I may want to just stroll the rest of the manner if I desired, however on the grounds that i was so close to the finish, I determined to run it in. I told Steph to move beforehand of me for the end, so I didn't spoil her end line image
My race results:
Chip time: 1:05:02 (10:29/mi pace)
Overall place: 84 out of 106
Female 30-34 place: 8 out of 11
My splits for the entire 14 miler:
