It’s no secret that we’ve had a crazy hot summer. Record-breaking. Crazy. Hot. And I honestly thought we were over it. It’s September! Summer is “over”!
Not so much.
Last year, we were all wearing jackets before the race — it was cold! NOT a problem this year. It was supposed to be in the mid-80s.
Great turnout for a great cause! The race benefited CASA this year.
Only a few seconds after the above photo was taken, I decided to do something really stupid. (Do you ever feel like my race recaps are just a collection of stupid things I do? Yeah, me too.) I was at the start line with my friends Amy and Lindsey. They run faster than I do – any day of the week. But I thought I’d do a little experiment and see how long I could hang with them. Ugh. So instead of starting at a conservative pace like I knew I should, so I could warm up and finish strong — I ran my guts out for the first mile and waved to them as I fell back to my own pace after the first mile marker.
Awesome. So now I was physically worn out AND had to keep myself motivated even as I watched my average pace drop and drop on my watch through the rest of the race.
My only time goal for this race has been my time goal for 10Ks since I ran my first one — this same race last year. I wanted to break an hour. The closest I’ve come is 1:01, and I know I have a sub-hour 10K in me.
Somewhere during mile 2, as I was cursing myself for starting too fast, I also realized Stupid Thing #2. I typically have a rigid pre-run routine and diet. I eat and drink the same bland things every time. That morning, for no particular reason, I decided to switch it up a little. Not a lot, but enough to make my stomach angry.
Then somewhere during mile 3 it started getting really, really hot. There were entire stretches of the race that had us facing directly into the sun – no trees in sight. (As I complain about it, I notice the photo above which is a perfect shot of me running in the lovely, cool shade of a huge tree. I SWEAR. It was SUNNY.) Combine the heat with Stupid Thing #2 (and Stupid Thing #1, for that matter) and I wasn’t exactly having my best race ever.
But! I was running. And that is always the point. Not to be the fastest. And not even to run the furthest. But to just run.
And as it turned out, it wasn’t my sub-hour day.
(I have no earthly idea what is up with the race clocks… I remember approaching the finish line and being so confused. I promise it didn’t take me 4 hours and 53 minutes to finish. Nor did it take me 20 minutes. Somewhere in the middle…)
1:04:45.
And with the heat and my stomach and all the (inside my own head) complaining I did during that race, I’m pretty pumped about it.
There is some seriously sweaty yuckiness going on in that picture! That’s me with my speedy friend Amy.
And my new favorite running shirt.
Now then, let’s get on with some fall weather!
I heart this!! “But! I was running. And that is always the point. Not to be the fastest. And not even to run the furthest. But to just run.”