Believe to Achieve

I signed up on Monday to run the 4 miler because I needed to get myself back out there in the action.  Was worried about how I would feel since I have been one big bundle of joint pain after another-- mostly in my right heel, lower back and feet (metatarsal).  I was particularly worried that even after two aleves in 16 hours the joint pain hadn't really subsided.   After my 12 miler yesterday at 10 am I felt great.  But four hours later my joints were not happy once again.  Can I really feel this old already?   Woke again this morning at 4 am with LOTS of joint and muscle aches.  Seriously a 12 miler doesn't ever do that to me!!!  Whatever.  Well, since the aleve I took yesterday around 4pm wasn't really working I decided to take two tylenol and then a magnesium supplement.  Two hours later after walking around and a 2.5 mile warmup before the race nice and easy my joint pains had subsided.  YAY!!  However, when I stood before the race and the warmup the muscles in both my legs twitched over and over kind of like a seizure of the legs.  No pain just intense shaking.  Worried again.  Something metabolic is going bonkers.  I decided perhaps I took too much magnesium or hadn't taken enough glucose in so I took a strawberry/banana gu 10 minutes before the race started after I warmed up.  I started to feel better.  I hadn't eaten anything for 12 hours.  Oooops.  Now to my race report and details which I am quite pleased with.  A course PR for me.  Ran this several times YEARS ago.   The last time was in 2006!!!  WOW.  TIME FLIES.    

Warm up 2.5 miles at about 8:30 pace.  One mile with Tara.  I could tell and already knew her and her friends would be a ways in front of me.  No worries.  My goal was just to get under 27 minutes (6:45 AP).  It was cool on the warm up but after the 2.5 miles I wanted everything off including my runner tights but that couldn't happen since I didn't bring any shorts.  So I just ran with a light shirt, NO gloves or head band.  Runners that didn't warm up were FULLY clothed at the start.  Warm ups surely pay off. 

Mile ONE:  6:25.  I had my garmin in hide mode but I got curious around .3 miles into the race to look at my AP -- 5:59!!!! YIKES  so I overshot and slowed down A LOT apparently to get this pace.  I should NOT have looked at my split.  IT mentally plays with my head.  So I just kept my watch in hide the remainder of the race except when it got to the miles it would show me for 10 seconds my split.  I didn't know my overall time until I got to the last 1/4 mile. 

Mile TWO: 6:30.  Feeling quite relaxed and very NON tight.  Was feeling hopeful that I would clearly BREAK 27 minutes.

Mile THREE: 6:42 running around walkers a bit and a slight uphill (same as mile one) but really not sure how it was slow other than I was off by myself for a while until the end when I passed a few people. 

Mile FOUR: 6:28!!!  I apparently have no kick.  In fact I kind of COASTED in to the finish line.  I HONESTLY DO NOT LIKE TO FEEL NAUSEATED RUNNING.  That tells me I am pushing too hard and hey TODAY IS A HOLIDAY.  I felt the nausea coming on with .1 miles to go so I just didn't push it in.  No need to .  I had been following Tara and her group of friends about 30 seconds behind and the last .3 to 1/2 mile they really kicked it in to gain a lot of ground over me.  But I hadn't worked on my kick in 8 weeks so  I didn't care.  BUT I do care that I didn't try harder to get under 26 minutes!!  Oh well.  I reached my goal so I am very happy about that!!  : DDDDDDDD     WON A  12 pound TURKEY.  GoBBLe!!