Let's go from the start to the finish of Saturdays event, quickly because more then anything I just want to get this post over with and move on setting my sights on my upcoming A race the High Cliff 70.3.

Saturdays Home Town Half Marathon was less then stellar. I worked all week to rehab the ankle and left for the race feeling uncertain as to how race ready the ankle and foot was. I had not run on it all week and simply was going to warm up and test it out. I arrived at the start finish area about 7am and picked up my chip and went and huddled in the tent out of the snow and 32 degree windy day. I felt ready and I was trying to get my head in the game so to speak, push the doubts to the back of my mind. About 15 minutes before the start I went out and used the porta potty and then ran a little two block out and back warm up. This was not a good warm up as I had some shooting pain around my foot. So I did it again and it seemed to loosen up a bit but this did not help with the doubts.

I had decided I was just going to go out and try to run below my PR of 1:43:56 but do it just trying to run on feel. I had the Garmin but I decided that I was not going to perseverate over splits, but instead just try to run smooth and pay attention to my foot.

The race was well put together, a good group of runners, support out on the route, and nice water stations. I will break the race into three parts. Two five mile segments and the final 5k.

The first five miles went well and I am happy to report the shooting pains in my foot were gone after the warmup never to be heard from again. I settled into a group of people that seemed to be about my pace and I was just keeping to myself, tucking in behind groups when we turned into the wind and just cruising along. I finished the first five miles in almost dead on 40 minutes.

The next five miles I slowly began to fade. One problem I have is a I can't drink while I run so I stopped for a drink and lost my group of neon yellow runners I was trailing and never really found my rhythm again. Most of these five miles were done into the wind and looking back it definitely took it's toll on me. It is somewhere in this five miles where I felt my left quad starting to tire and whine at me. It didn't take me long to realize that it must be compensating for the weakness in my ankle. But I pressed on feeling fairly good and quickly approaching the last 5k. I hit the Ten mile mark at 1:20 and a bit of change.

So I did the simple math knowing if I could just run a sub 24 minute 5k I could likely set a PR on a crappy day with a bum ankle. So I asked my tired mind and body the question, do you have three sub 8 minute miles left in you? The answer on this day was no. Plain and simple I knew it straight away. So I slowed down, I quit. I ran a 27:20 minute final 5k for a final time of 1:47:38. I am not pleased, with it at all. I want to justify it saying I was injured and I could have done better. But the fact is I had right there, right under my nose. All I had to do was kick it the final 5k and I have a good race, but I quit and had a bad one. I chose the easy way out, it was truly a 5k of shame, not matter how I think about it, justify it, look at it, that is how I feel.

But no fear I am coming to terms with it and this post is the point where I put it behind me, plan my week and focus on getting my foot back to 100% and set my sights on my upcoming 70.3 race. And since I have never done a Half Iron distance tri before I am guaranteed a PR, so I have that going for me.

On a side note this Saturday morning marks the first run of a running club I am helping get started at the local YMCA. We have been getting things organized and our plan is to focus the training on the Fox Cities Festival or Races which includes a 5k, Half and Full Marathon. My motivation for starting this group was two fold. First as a big YMCA supporter and a believer of the mission of the Y I thought the Y needed a running club. Second was I wanted to help support Rural Girls Run the World effort. Both are simple ways to share love of fitness with others and help support a more healthy community. So even though I suck, I am still doing some good things.

Have a great day