Goal #2: Win $500
Goal #3: 10k Race in Low 35
Actual:
3 mile warmup
10k race in 36:49 (552, 543, 559, 538, 621, 713), 3rd place, $150
2.5 mile cool down for 11+ miles total
I hadn't run a bad race in 2013 up until today. I made up for that euphoric high I'd been on with a slew of positive race experiences over the past couple of months. I think that the heavy racing schedule from April finally caught up with me and affected my performance today. On the warmup I knew that today was going to be rough based on how my legs felt. Unfortunately, my legs didn't lie and I struggled to maintain my goal Half Marathon pace in half the distance.
I even positioned myself perfectly by tucking in on the first mile and staying relaxed. I stuck with the second place girl through mile 2, where we struggled with directions on the course as volunteers were lacking at the turns. After the 2nd mile, the eventual winner pulled away from me (ironically in the very same spot that last year's winner ALSO pulled away from me at). At that very point, I questioned why I even do this race because it seems that every year I always feel absolutely terrible and that the heat and the hills just rip me apart.
All you need to know is my legs felt heavy and tired, I got beat by the same girl that I beat just one month ago at the USATF 8k Champs (a very tough competitor) and I fell out of contention for the win after the second mile. It wasn't my day, so I'm moving on as I know it's not a true indicator of where my fitness lies and is merely a small bump in the road on the way. And, hey, at least I got to meet an awesome new runner on the scene (Stevie) and was able to spend some quality time with Thomas and Michelle! On that note, I need to go celebrate the birth of Thomas at the pool, and I know such celebrations will not disappoint!
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