Today was the Father's Day 10K, a race that I really love because it was my first 10K in about 10 years last year. Last year I had a pretty good race and came in better than I expected but it was the type of race where I fought and dug tooth and nail to get myself across the line. Leading up to today's race I was worried (see my blog about nerves), but got myself psyched up and per Toby's advice, paid a lot of attention to my nutrition and hydration.
The Start
I woke up at 5:45 before my alarm at 6. I had some cereal and a cup of coffee and was rearing to go. Chris was on the fence about, well, everything. He wasn't sure if he was coming and he wasn't sure if he came if he was going to run or not. This delayed us a bit, but we got to the race about a half an hour before the start, enough for me to grab a chip and get stretched. Last year the start was a combo 5K/10K start along a pretty narrow riverwalk which made for a very slow and congested start. To counteract this I tried to seed myself closer to the front, but thankfully this year the race organizers split the starts so the 10K went and the 5K followed 15 minutes later. As a result, it was actually a very fast start- probably the fastest I've ever had.
The Middle
My first three miles were solid and I was keeping pace. I made a friend, Nathan, who was running next to me for a while. I introduced myself and said at this rate we were going to be each others' rabbits. He was slowing at an uphill on ramp so I told him "what goes down must go up!" and what-do-you-know the sucker passed me (but he cheered me on while he was doing it!). At the three mile mark I actually came over a minute faster than my most recent 5K and I lost Nathan after I passed him. This stretch was hard because it was very windy and it was on a gravel trail. Looking at my Garmin I slowed down a LOT, about thirty seconds per mile below my goal pace. At this point I was feeling good but not feeling strong enough that I could have made up that time. So, I decided to have fun. I continued to thank the volunteers. I was cheering for the runners around me "If you're gonna pass me like that, you'd better finish strong! Don't let me catch you!" I was also cheering at the accidental spectators... yesterday was a Kenny Chesney concert so drunk concert-goers were waking up on their boats on the river to start to drink again. Nothing like yelling at drunk guys to cheer for you!
The Finish
This is a hard finish. It's about a 1.2 mile straightaway so it's very hard to gauge when to kick. Last year I kicked too early and this year I kicked too late. But the real kicker? Without trying I finished less than 30 seconds slower than my time last year! And I had more fun than I've ever had on a run. It sucks a bit that I could have had a course PR today, but there was nothing like cheering people on and running on a beautiful day by the river... screw 30 seconds on a clock! And unlike last year I wasn't fighting tooth and nail and gritting my teeth and digging deep for all I had... I was laughing and smiling and having a blast. This is the way to run a race, my friends.
The Aftermath
I was so hopped up on endorphins Chris wanted to kill me. I was like a 5 year old who just got back from camp and had 10 cups of coffee... "And then I was running, and then I cheered someone on and then I saw...." He wanted to go to the gym so I thought I'd keep him company since he was a good sport at the race. I had so much energy I thought I'd run another 2 miles so I'd knock out 8+ for a long run today. Well, I started and I felt so good that I decided to run another 5K. So I did! Not only did I run another 5K, I ran it so fast I beat my 5K PR for the season. At this point I had 9.3 miles under my belt for the day so it only made sense to run a little further to make it 10 miles, so I did!
Totals
TONS of fun
10 miles
2 good runs 
I very rarely get nervous. I've found that the best cure for nerves is to prepare. Then, even if things don't go as planned, I know that I did all that I could leading up to the event.
Well, I am signed up for a 10K on Sunday and I am nervous.
Recently, my runs have sucked and I don't know why. There are legitimate factors like the heat, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm just in worse shape than I thought. I look back on my training log and before I got sick, I was cranking out awesome bricks... 15 mile bike rides followed by 6-8 mile runs at tempo pace. I'd been doing this weekly for about two months in addition to running three other times a week. But since I've been sick I've been having a hard time cranking out 6-8 mile runs at a slower pace and without the biking beforehand. I've been consistently hitting my other runs and those have been going great, but my long runs are really lacking. I can't figure out what is going on and I'm not sure what this is going to mean for my race on Sunday.
I also think some of this is psychological. This race last year was my first 10K in about a decade. Going in I was dehydrated, I rolled my ankle getting into the car the morning of, and I had no idea how to pace myself or what I was capable of. Even with all of that I far exceeded my expectations and had what, for me, was a really great race. Then in September, after a summer of marathon training, I smashed that solid performance with a 10K that I still can't believe I ran as fast as I did. That leaves me with a most recent 10K that is well out of my reach and a prior strong performance on this course... I have a lot to live up to with this race which compounds a bad two weeks of running.
I put off registering for this race all week but then I realized that NOT running this race because I was scared of doing poorly would be taking the easy way out and the wrong reason for not running. I'm not that person, so this morning I signed up. If nothing else, even if I have a bad race, I'm really glad I'm going to get out there and give it a go. Wish me and my nerves good luck
Tomorrow (June 10th) I turn 25. I'm not so excited about this birthday, in part because in terms of running it bumps me up an age bracket and that age bracket is more competitive. But, I think I made the most of the last few days of my youth:
Ohiopyle
Chris surprised me with a birthday trip to Ohiopyle for lots of hiking on Saturday. We covered about 8 miles of moderate to pretty tough terrain and had an absolute blast doing so. Seeing everyone on the bike path made me realize just how much I want a bike (we went bike shopping on Friday). There was a bike that was halfway between a mountain bike and a road bike that wasn't a hybrid and of course I can't remember the name of it, but I've been thinking about it pretty consistently since we left the Trek store. Maybe that will be my present to myself for surviving a quarter of a century (although NOT biking in Pittsburgh could really help me make the next quarter century mark). Also, there is an adventure race I'd really like to do with Chris at the end of August that will involve biking... might as well start now, right? Anyway, a picture from Ohiopyle:
Beat the Heat Sunday run
Phew, it was hot on Sunday. 92 degrees when I headed out for my 8 mile run.
What I did right:
Since I knew it was hot I ran loops in the park to benefit from the shade and water fountains
There were times where my heart rate got around 97% of my max when I was at a slow jog pace. I knew I was getting overheated and I stopped to walk when I needed.
When I got home I immediately hydrated and grabbed ice packs to cool myself down. By the time I got home I was feeling pretty dizzy and confused so knew I needed to take care of myself ASAP (things I learned from years as a lifeguard, swim coach and lifeguard/first aid instructor).
What I did wrong:
My legs were not fresh after a day of hiking which was compounded the fact that I...
Picked hilly loops. At one point you climb about 30 stairs to exit the park and my legs were so shot I had to stop to rest half way up the stairs. At this point I still had three miles to run home. Three very ugly, sweaty miles.
I didn't bring my camelback since it was only 8 miles. Point learned that it's not "just" the distance I need to consider.
I didn't bring any gu which I don't usually use on runs that length, but I think it would have helped (or couldn't have hurt, at least).
Wisdom comes with age, so maybe 25 will teach me some things to help my training. Here's to a good run in a new age bracket
Once a non-runner, I am now an ultrarunner and triathlete. Running has taken me to Antarctica, and past what I once thought were my limits. My races and training cover the good, bad, and ugly, but it's always an adventure- one that you can follow here.
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CLS89 on How to start running by conquering your fears (AKA Proof Kat reads too much Zen Habits based on the title of this post)
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lenzlaw on How to start running by conquering your fears (AKA Proof Kat reads too much Zen Habits based on the title of this post)
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DCtoPgh on How to start running by conquering your fears (AKA Proof Kat reads too much Zen Habits based on the title of this post)
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Tom Slot on How to start running by conquering your fears (AKA Proof Kat reads too much Zen Habits based on the title of this post)
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