Woot! I fought myself & won!

Memorial Day weekend I went for a hike in the woods with my kids. It was a very steep hike. My calves and quads were screaming at me. They were still super unhappy Friday.

Saturday (today) I was scheduled to run a 7-mile race. My only goal was to better my time from the previous race two weeks ago. I'd looked at the competitor results from last year and I knew there was no way I was coming out on top with this group of runners.

I hemmed and hawed...I hurt...it was SEVEN miles...I couldn't do it in the allotted time...people were being non-supportive...I felt FAIL! 

I had options: do the 7-mile walk instead, do the 2-mile run instead, or do nothing.

I figured I needed to check in by 7, which meant setting the alarm at 6.

Six came...and six went...and I was still in bed.

I could just stay here, I thought. No one will know.

Except, I couldn't. I would know...and I would wonder if I did myself a major disservice by not believing I could do it.

So, I got up.

When I checked in I asked about the 2-miler. They said I was welcome to switch.

I didn't.

I ran. At mile one my runkeeper (cool app by the way) said I was doing a 10-minute mile pace! What!? Really? Woo hoo!

I kept running...and I walked...and I jogged. At the 5-mile mark I was 40-seconds per mile faster than two weeks ago. Goal accomplished. That was the one thing I wanted to do...to be better and to just keep improving.

And I kept pushing...through the last two miles. I got passed by an old lady a quarter mile from the finish. Which made me kind of sad. I'm pretty sure I was the last one to finish.

But, you know what?

I don't really care...cause for this I was racing myself. I was racing against my doubts...and I won. :P

Two weeks until Spartan!

Movin' Onward and Upward

Race one is in the books! Woot.

I bested my normal five mile run time and finished 35/59 in my division. On race day it rained. A drizzly soaking warmish rain. A little miserable by the end honestly.

I learned a few things:

• hydrate better. I lost at least five minutes on my time standing at the port-a-potty at mile one because I chugged a bottle of water an hour before the race.
• train better to find my happy pace. I played leap frog with several other racers. Very tortoise and hare type stuff. My natural running stride is long. So, I'd run, pass people, get out of breath and slow down. Then said people with their short jog/trot would pass me.  I'd get my breath back and take off again. Repeat, repeat, repeat. I tried to pace people who were doing the tortoise pace and it was really unnatural for me.
• eat something. I didn't eat before I went. The race started at eight. It was a 30 minute drive, I knew parking would be hard to find, and I still had to pick up my bib. So I left the house at six. I don't eat breakfast at six. Yuck. I could feel it dragging on me later. Most specifically as I stumbled my way back to the car after the race was over. I think next time I need to have a protein shake before I go. 
• find someone to run with me. Hearing my name announced at the finish line was so great! However, it was also disappointing because I crossed and walked to my car to leave. There was no one there to share my achievement.
• smile. I tried to smile as I neared the cameras at the finish line, I swear I did.  However, pretty sure it was much more of a grimace. ;)

So, what's next? Weekend after next, June 2, I'll be running a 7 mile race locally. I'm hoping to beat my average pace from the last race. That will make me happy.

Progress...one step at a time.