This past Saturday I ran my first race since the Distance Run in September. My heel didn't really feel better until January and with starting the semester and periods of great sickness in our house, I haven't been consistently running since February or so. I've been eeking my long runs up (7 miles last week) and thinking towards Broad Street.
I've been conservative about returning to running for a few reasons. One, my heel. Everything I know about plantar fasciitis says it can rear it's head for a very long time. I still have occasional aches but I'm on top of it with lots of stretching. Second, I have a tendency to go off the deep end with running and get tired of it-physically and psychologicvally. Third, I've been wanting to have more FUN and think less about race times and training runs.
Most runs for me are about 4 miles a few days a week with a long run. Just last week I did my first tempo run with 2 9:30 miles. Nothing earth shattering, for sure. But I've been enjoying myself and feeling the mental relief that comes from clearing my generally cluttered brain.
The Adrenaline Run 5K is in Haddonfield and so is my dad and Kim. We decided it would be fun to do the race and then have some family time. Tom's hip has been off so I was the lone racer. I was pretty nervous because I simply have not run that much to expect a good performance. I told myself I'd treat it like a good speed workout, try not to hurt myself, and enjoy historic Haddonfield. My kids were miserable so I was thrilled to ditch them for a while (seriously).
It was very cold at the start but I puttered around to stay warm. I didn't realize it but I was pretty far back from the start which was frustrating. I hit the garmin when I passed the start but the clock was already about 30 seconds into it. So I picked my way through some people and tried to find a pace that worked for me. My breathing was hard but not gasping. Mile one came in at 8:20. I liked this because I felt good. Still working hard but could maintain the pace. My head started to panic a bit but I tried to keep it at bay. I had no idea how long I could maintain that pace. The scenery was great and my head was constantly turned by the architecture (an occupational hazard).
Mile two and we headed uphill. The garmin beeped and there it was again 8:21 (or something like that). This was when I began to get the "I don't want to do this anymore" blues. Anyone who runs knows this feeling and knows it's a major headgame to get that voice to go away. I kept thinking towards the finish where I knew Tom, my dad, and two grumpy children would be cheering (at least Tom and my dad). I pushed bad thoughts aside.
Coming in on mile 3 you can see the finish but it's oh so far away. I look at the garmin and see I'm still on an 8:20 pace. I start to feel the, as my fiend Bernice calls them, the "hurly whirlies" coming on so I backed off a little but plodded on. Someone tried to beat my into the chute with a crowd of people cheering her on but I made sure that didn't happen, much to her chagrin. I hate when people do that. By my watch, I came in around 25:25 or so. This is the time that got me an age group award last year so I was thrilled.
The thing that got me so excited was my consistency in pacing. I always struggle with it. I accelerate, get tired, slow down. Accelerate, slow down . .My evenness was great. I felt genuinely good too. Not fantastic-I don't know anyone who does who is racing a 5K. And it was FUN!
I feel like doing the race really reinforced how I've been running. Running to run. Running for fun. Mixing it up now and then and listening to what my body feels like doing. It feels much different from last season and much more freeing. I'll take it.
Here are some pics:
Here we are before the race when everyone was relatively happy.
This is my poor dad who had to endure much screaming from my children. Apparently, by the looks of his jacket, he's getting a call from the mother ship.
Don't let that smile fool you. Cranky, cranky, cranky. And whiney.
