Believe to Achieve

Drove with Mel to the start.  Warmed up 2.2 miles in the MUGGY STENCH.  Oh my.  Do I really want to race this today?  No.  Not official but actually have my garmin in working order (although it read battery low at 5:30am, I got it plugged in for 15 minutes to 22% battery : D).  I have to say the wall covering of clouds just added to the stench of humid air.  72 degrees (not counting humidity) at the start.    I lined up next to Mel and Jane.  We took off and well, off they went.  Not a good sign when I see Julie Thomas (winner of SGM last year and 2nd at UVM this year) pulling out her inhaler during the first 200 yards of the race).  Not a good sign because 1) she is running next to me (briefly) and 2) I feel like I need an inhaler too.  I had a hard time catching my breath in this junky air.  All that did was cause my heartrate to soar too early.  After two miles I was mentally done with this race.  I thought to myself "you can just pull out at mile 4, all you need is a 4 mile MP run today (according to my schedule)".  Then of course I tried to talk to myself and calm down and finish the race decently.  Mile 5 was off by .1 miles but I thought oh maybe the last mile will be short and I will get to have a strong finish.  Well that was ludicruous because we were running UPHILL and I just couldn't push it in.  My legs felt like jello.  Not sore, just jello-y.  Oh well.  At least this is a PR for me at the Freedom 10k that is even a long course due to the fact that we now merge earlier with the 5 kers and we stumble all over them for about 3 miles of the course.  Its hard to push it when people are jogging casually and taking over the WHOLE road.  But that was expected.  Except it wasn't expected at the courthouse turn and the two other turns.   It made it difficult to get through.  I never felt good in this race.  I am not a good heat runner and the water was just warm.  The ice water at the finish was great.  If that were in the course I would surely have "woken" myself up with pouring it down my spine and over my head.  It was just TOO BLAZING HUMID for me.  I think I mentioned that about 100 times already.  Splits:  6:34 (uphill start then down), 6:26 (.3 of nice downhill), 6:40 (flat), 6:49 (flat), 7:05 ( uphill  for .7, downhill .3), 6:57 for  0.1  (PUSHED lap button at the OFF mile 5), 7:03 (6.1 mile mark, ALL UPHILL), 6:54 for .22 UPHILL FINISH (didn't even try to push it in, already accidentlally went on the 5 k side then had to go under the flags to get back on my side).  Was at a 10K (6.2 mile at 42:01).  The course was .12 long.  So based off my time two years ago, the year I ran 3:11 at SGM my time is over a minute faster   :  D.   So I guess that's an improvement.  Cooled down with Mel and Jane for 2 miles then one more mile with Melanie.  Total miles 11.5.