Valentine's Day 10k

Race report:)

Today was the V-day 10k. It was absolutely gorgeous! I couldn't have asked for a prettier day to run, and it reminded me why I have always chosen to play outdoor sports. First, I saw Samantha Mazer, a fantastic runner and triathlete. We got to catch up on her year. She is going to triathlon Worlds for the 3rd time this summer, and I think that is amazing. She is a top runner at Ole Miss, too, so I was excited to see her run today (she ended up winning the race:)

So, then it was time to line up! Gina had her headphones on, Leslie Brahm had a heart on the back of her leg with (LB and CB...it is the Valentine's day race afterall!), Lisa F. was going to try to break 1 hour, and Barbara had her pacer (Scott) and was ready to break 45. I was ready to run around 7:05 pace...and off we went.

Mile one...right on track. 7:02. Right where I wanted to be. Oh...huge hill...okay, got over that one. One very strong girl passes me. Probably in my age group. Oh well...she looks great! Very strong! Mile 2 good...keep it up. Mile 3 hmmmm, I am off pace..big time. What gives? I am normally much faster at this mile. Okay, now I am feeling my bike ride with Joy yesterday. Heavy quads! Leg turn over was a little slow and we were running into a head wind at this point (but, I knew the winds were blowing W/SW so I knew what to expect). I tucked in behind a teenage boy, and we took turns taking the lead from each other. Mile 4 I saw Leslie Brahm. She has been getting over the flu and I could tell she was not feeling her best. I passed her and encouraged her to keep it up and try to have fun (although it is not fun when you feel bad in a 10k). Now we are in a very hilly neighborhood plus we still have the wind which lasts the whole rest of the race. Okay, hills are my friends. Keep it up. Think about Jan Johnson...feet, knees, hands. Milk the cow. Mile 5 okay so I am way off pace. At least the day is so beautiful and this is just money in the bank for future races. I finally noticed how poor my running form had gotten, especially at the hips. I paid more attention to my stride and picked up the pace which felt easier. (Yes, form matters!). I get passed by about 3 guys and that sucked. Normally I don't get passed this late in the race, I do the passing! Oh well. Up that big over pass again. Smile for the camera. Mile 6 is a 6:42? Wait...mile markers must've been off somewhere (which I suspected around mile 4-5). Okay, end of race. Everyone is encouraging me to catch the guys in front of me, but, my legs are happy at their current pace. I made myself run THROUGH the line without looking at my watch (a bad habit). Then I got a carnation...how nice! Time, 45:15 (unofficial). Okay, so...I was expecting a 44-44:20. At least my prediction was not as bad as Joy's...she predicted a 43:18 for me! Hope there was no money on that one!

So, about 7:16-17 per mile. I was about 10 seconds per mile off, but that's okay because I am now 10k faster for getting out there and running hard. Scott and I finished up with an extra 4 miles (we are always trying to tack on mileage since we are out there anyways). So, I got 2nd in my age group (yes, that girl that passed after mile 1 was in my age group:), Gina got 2nd in her age group, Leslie finished strong and actually had a good clock time despite her being sick, Lisa F did not reach her time goal but felt strong, and Barbara won master's and definately achieved her goal and more! Leslie and Chuk won their age group in the couples division. Maybe next year Ben Shaw will ask me to be his sweetheart so we can try to win something too!

Okay, by the next 10k I will back in the 44s (and it better be low 44s:) and it is time for me to work on getting in the 43s. My assessment of today: good endurance, lots of fun, good on the hills. To work on: must get back to track. Leg turn over was slow and holding my pace was hard- I think this is all due to not being on the track which really helps with muscle memory and pace. Okay, well we all know I am going to Corinth for 5 weeks, so see you at Tues track in 5 weeks! Ha ha :)

I am sitting here with wind burn on my face, watching soccer, and getting ready to eat dinner. I'll post a pic or two when they come out, and I will try to keep in touch while I am in Corinth.