Finish time (chip) 1:56:46. Thirty seconds off my PR.
Splits: 8:45, 8:49, 8:51, 8:51, 8:50, 8:52, 8:42, 8:42, 9:02, 9:04, 9:06, 9:07, 8:44, last .1 @ 8:09.
2.08 warm up with strides
Prelude…. No, I didn't abandon my daughter on the day of her first horse show. The show was postponed yet again. Upside: I get to do my half-m. Downside: so not ready mentally, and no proper taper - just a couple of panicky days off.
Weather: mid 40s and raining. Course: mostly flat with a few small ups and downs, never seemed more than 1-3% grade. Beautiful, forested, rural course. Road surface a little rough sometimes. Nice finish on springy high school track.
I imagine getting my head around this race was similar to turning one of those big tanker ships in the ocean. I woke up thinking, "not ready, not ready." During the warm up, I had come around to "well, it won't kill me." I saw many friends at the starting area and began to remember that I do, indeed, actually know how to run and have done a bit of running lately. By the start time, I felt like I just might like to do this race.
The first mile was mentally confusing as I kept getting caught up in the frenzy. "8:00? No. Slow down. Not that slow! Faster. No! Slower! ...."
Once we got through town and the field thinned out I was able to settle in and make the final decision on what pace would be right for me today: try to keep it under 9:00.
After meandering through some roads I know well, we split off into new territory for couple miles of out and back. Here, I saw many familiar faces coming my way and enjoyed cheering them on. Knowing people on race day is probably the thing about my running club that I enjoy the most.
At the turn around, my legs started to complain and I had to work harder to go -- well, slower. About this time I started to realize that I was chafing badly too. Just all kinds of spots under my clothing. The truth is, I am too much of an optimist and I did not believe it would really rain. I have to put body glide all over if it rains, which I failed to do. Punishment = the shower I will take after I finish typing this. OUCH.
I think my favorite moment in the race was around the time I saw the mile 12 marker. I had been having a hard time and felt like I was "laboring" at the pace. I remembered something just then that I read last night in Your Performing Edge by Joanne Dahlkoetter. She was talking about relaxation. This is a concept that always had made my eyes roll. "Right. Relax. Why don't I just lie down a spell while I'm at it?" But Dahlkoetter's explanation was the first that ever made sense to me. Relaxation makes the opposing muscle groups "give" so that the contracting muscle group can contract farther. All at once, I was surging forward, and easily passed a couple who had been right in front of me for at least 3 miles. Still hard work, but just a lot more bang for the buck.
As I entered the track for the last 300 meters, I saw my friends on the side cheering. That was a great moment too. The track is of a fantastic quality and I flew around it - albeit somewhat painfully. Great happiness. Finishers received a very cool running hat with the race logo on the front. The AG placement got me a medal with my placement printed on the back, and the applause of my friends, which meant so much to me.
As I mentioned on my blog the other day, this past week has been a real roller coaster of emotions. I am still mourning the loss of a very dear friend, and had to forcefully turn that off a couple of times this morning. But life goes on, and to run and race is a wonderful way to celebrate being alive. We walk the line between carrying on, and feeling left behind. "Every day above ground is a good day," said a man I know of who became a quadriplegic, severe burn victim after an horrific motorcycle accident. I want to change my blog title to that quote, but I'm afraid it's too morbid. Besides, my playful title is more like what life is made of.
Rants & raves… Rants: only 4 gym bathrooms for all the women in a field of about a thousand runners; some confusion about which lane to run in after the turnaround; crowded spot to run through as we entered the track at the finish. Raves: excellent race organization; mariachi bands on the course; awesome volunteers standing in the rain, breathtakingly beautiful course; the faces of friends all around me.
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