I surprised myself today.
I walked (literally) to today’s race with no expectations. I, of course, wanted to to cross the finish line feeling strong, but I did not have a goal time in mind. I thought a low to mid-8 minute/mile pace might be doable; but, considering that I have not raced in a couple years due to an injured knee, I wasn’t positive what my body was capable of on this cool, summer Sunday morning.
Kendra and I ate a light breakfast/snack (plus strong cold-brewed coffee for me), pinned on our race bibs, and walked to the start of the race. We regretted leaving our phones and/or cameras at home (hence the lack of photos).
What I did bring was my old, hot pink mini iPod that I dug out of my dresser drawer late last night. I don’t use it these days, so the tunes have not been updated in some time. This was the best part. I was happy to see my playlists listed from Half #4, #5, and #6, including many motivational tunes from WREC days with P.
I turned on my playlist from half-marathon #6, circa 2012, just as the gun went off.
Conditions were just right: cool temperature, shady park, nostalgic high school cross-country shorts, unflattering Lulu bang buster headband, and a daringly new pair of sneakers. My legs felt fairly fresh, and I was excited to be a participant on the course today after several slow months of recovery.
I looked at my watch within with first mile to see a low 7 minute/mile pace. I knew I needed to settle down or I was going to get myself into trouble. I felt strong the entire race; however, to keep my mind aligned with my body, I used positive affirmations to prevent myself from slowing down or from concentrating on the “hot spots” on my soles (as there was minimal bonding time with my minty Mizunos).
I maintained a positive attitude and let the music play loud. I felt nothing but joy listening to throwback tracks, running swiftly though the shaded park trails.
Mile 4 was most likely the toughest. I had not run at this pace for this distance in… years. (How did I run 13.1 miles at 7:23 pace!?) I could feel the effects of my low-mileage training, while simultaneously, I felt strong as I was reunited with the racer inside of me. I have endured athletic events of all shapes and sizes since I was a young girl, and I was going to do it again today.
Time: 47:57.1
Pace: 7:44
Age Group (21-30) Place: 4/19
Stats according to my Nike+ SportWatch – not sold on the statistics, as I am decently confident Mile 1 was one of the fastest, and I never witnessed low 8:00s during my run. No worries!
Workouts | Week of August 4
Monday – Rest
Tuesday – 3.1 mile run + 50 step-ups / 50 lunges / 50 jump squats / 50 1-leg v-ups + 3 x 1 min. plank
Wednesday – Dumbbell Superset Workout (@ 15lb) + 5 x 15 burpees + 5 x 1 min. plank
hadn’t lifted iron since Friday – this felt good!
Thursday – 6 mile run at 95F
Friday – 60 min. gentle yoga class
Saturday – Dorm Room Dumbbell Workout (@ 15lb.) – I added 60 KB swings & 30 dumbbell snatches
Sunday – Summer Sizzler 10K + 1.5 mile walk to/from race
And how about Saturday’s farmer’s market loot? I love starting the week off with a fridge full of fresh, local fruits and veggies!