I Will Never, Never Learn...
Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 4:07 PM | Dena Harris What was it I said in my last running post? Something about how going out too fast in my legs at the Blue Ridge Relay did me in and I had learned my lesson and would never, ever go out fast again?
I am such a liar.
Ran the Salem Lake 30K this morning. 18.6 miles of mild trail and greenway. The day was warm, but the course provided a lot of shade, so temperature wasn't too much of an issue. What WAS an issue was the 8:24 pace at which I ran the first 6-7 miles. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
The trail at Salem LakeThe goal was to run an 8:37 pace and finish the race in 2 hours and 40 minutes. Well, that was my friend Christie's goal. She's training for her fall marathon and is in great shape. My goal was to hang with her as long as I could but I knew I'd more than likely slow down and come in around a 2:45. Even that was a little iffy. Most of my long runs this summer have been 8-13 miles. I knew I could hit 14-15 miles, but was planning on pulling the last 5k out of my a$$. Overall, I really just wanted to beat my time from two years ago, which was a 2:48:20.
I may have been able to pull that off, if I hadn't ripped it out of the gate. I started slowing around mile 8, by mile 12 was at an 8:40 pace, and started doing a lot of walking around mile 14. Results haven't been posted, but by my watch I was a 2:48:58 - thirty seconds slower than two years ago.
On the one hand, I'm bummed. Frustrated. I'm such a better runner now than I was two years ago and I can't believe I couldn't beat my time.
On the other hand... I was in no way prepared to run 18.6 miles. I hadn't built up the mileage and ran today more on wishful thinking versus solid preparation. From that perspective, I'm actually pretty proud of myself for finishing in the time that I did.
I was in a lot of pain after the race and I don't think I was the only one. A number of people were saying they cramped. My legs haven't hurt like this after a long run in well over a year. Just a constant throbbing, deep ache in the bones feeling. I was also a little nauseous, which thankfully went away after about 30 minutes.
All in all, still glad I ran it. Christie and Bill, who I started with, each had great runs. I'm happy for them.
And I'm not moving off this couch for the rest of the day.
(Ding-ding!) More bon-bon's, please.
Dena
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Reader Comments (3)
Don't beat yourself up too much. Yesterday I was worried about how I'd do in the 10K after last weekend's Asheville hills, which of course led to my inevitable anxiety/rationalization about being a pokey slow runner. Maybe two seconds after I checked the 2009 10K results, my friend with MS—who could barely walk, speak, or even feed herself back in the spring—triumphantly Facebooked that she had just run for 12 minutes. Classic reality check!
We're lucky we can do this at all at any speed. We all kicked ass just by getting out there today!
Still beat my time and I HAVE built up the mileage. :)
Iris - Thank you. You are 100% right. I was giving myself a lecture on the course on being too concerned time and not taking in the beautiful scenery and the fact that I was lucky enough to be participating in such an event. Less focus on time, more attention to gratitude.
Nathan - I'm grateful I beat you. ;) (Although I suspect this race is probably the last time that is going to happen.)