Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured

Run gone wrong!  The plan today called for hills and with the race on Saturday, we chose to take it a little easier and run the hills in my neighborhood - this ended up being a very good thing.    I did not feel well yesterday on the way home from southern Texas, but didn't think much about it this morning and headed out to meet Annette.  Within a mile, I knew I would need a bathroom along the way and we passed by my street towards the end of the second mile, so we stopped.   Started running again and about another 1.5 miles out, I stopped at the POP....not good.   Trekked back up the hill and grabbed a drink of water from the water bottles I had stashed heading out this morning and again ended up back at my house - 3 stops in 5 miles for those keeping track.  Ridiculous!   I ran Annette back to her car and then back home to get just past 7 but what a long, hideous morning.   

I am attributing this to eating raisin bran for breakfast the last two mornings and my body not adapting.  This is what I get for trying to eat healthy.     I am hoping my lunch run is better, that maybe I can go three miles with out a break. 

I ran with Annette today and we repeated the  - I run to her house, we run together, she run homes plan, but this time I still had to add on afterwards.  The run was much better than yesterday's, only two bathroom stops.  I picked it up at the end and did 2 MP miles.

Avg Pace 8:43

Rough week and lots of travel, so an easy 4 with Jenny & Saskia.

What a race.  El Scorcho is an Ultra event in Fort Worth with  25K & 50K options that is run at midnight, I obviously chose the 25K.  The race is all run in Trinity Park and consists of running loops that each measure 3.1 miles.  

I have had a stinky week.  I traveled Tuesday - Thursday and had major stomach issues that didn't resolve until Friday and a headache that was on the verge of a migrain that would not go away and bothered me right up until the start of the race.   I am sure both are stress related and while I really had zero expectations going into this race, I did have the following goals:  

1.  Have fun - I hate racing and I am really needing to learn to enjoy it

2.  Stay positive - this was my downfall in Houston and I in looking back, did most of 2011 so I wanted to mentally be strong.

3.  Run Progressive Splits - hopefully stay in the MP range. 

Right before the race started, I felt miserable - tired, hot, nauseated...but the gun went off and so did we.   I ran this focusing on the loops, not the miles and the first half of the first loop was terrible.  My calfs cramped, we had to run some on grass - you name it, I was miserable.   At this point,  I knew I would be seeing Jay and I needed to get my act together if I was going to survive.   I started running half of each loop for members of my family and this helped and made it much more enjoyable.   I also thought a lot about Dean Bullock and his battle and the courage I know he is fighting with and my Dad who battled cancer and how strong he is.   I felt stronger and stronger as each loop went on, but never got any faster and MP was not happening.   Did I hold back to much  - maybe, but I also know I ran hard and had to fight along the way.  

Splits:  8:59, 8:36, 8:36

            8:41, 8:36, 8:33

            8:31, 8:22, 8:26

            8:29, 8:26, 8:32,

            8:33, 8:28, 8;28, 8:32 , last .5 7:48

I ended up finishing in the top 10 female finishers overall, which made me pretty dang happy.   I finished about 20 min slower than the winner and 10 min slower than Wendy, who I run with at the store and this puts it in a little more perspective regarding time - They are both very fast, so while I couldn't get my pace where I wanted it - I am not sure it was realistic.  

It was very eye opening to how much work I have to do to get ready for MCM in October.  Time to get busy.