So, def. not my best performance.
But I can explain why:
1) bathroom needs kicked in early on, and I stopped at mile 5 at a port-a-potty for a darn long time.
2) I'm fighting off a chest cold that has made my lungs total slackers.
3) I used the chest cold as a crutch to take lots of walking breaks, probably when I didn't need them.
that last one is a killer. it's a demonstration of how I used an excuse to keep me from running my best race. And yes, I do really have a chest cold that I can't seem to kick. And yes, I needed to walk. But not as many times as I did. I ran 12 miles this past saturday with two walking breaks. total. I can run without stopping. I just need to make myself do it, even when it gets uncomfortable.
So yeah. lessons learned.
Packet Pick-Up: kind of lame, but a breeze. there wasn't much available at the expo - even a lot of the gazelle specific stuff seemed pretty picked over. It was a bit of a bummer, but I also didn't really need anything. Shirts were really awesome nike fitted. I went with a medium, my go-to for women's specific shirts and it fit perfectly.
Race morning: one of my girlfriends who was running the race works downtown in the courthouse, so we just rolled up to her parking lot about 15 minutes before race start. it was perfect! I also somehow managed to catch Courtney, fellow oiselle bird (this is quite repetitive isn't it?), and another friend from home before the race started. Perfect!
Race: started around the 9:00 pacers, and felt really good for the start. Had my spotify playlist (will share very soon!), weather was pretty great, and we were off. Ran with B for a bit, and then waved her ahead once the race-beginning adrenaline began to wear off.
Stopped at a bathroom around mile 3, and then again at mile 5. after the extra-long bathroom stop at mile 5 though, my digestive tract was feeling good.
Then there were the coughing fits. not so fun. but again, not so much I could do about them. I really think that I used them as an excuse to walk more than I needed to though.
So walking breaks came every water stop and at various other points along the course as needed.
The funny thing was, every time I stopped and walked, once I started running again, I wasn't plodding along. My legs had tons of energy, and quick turnover. It was just the oxygenating that wasn't happening as planned. Even though in order for my legs to have energy, they needed oxygen too.
I knew there was a hill at mile 12, so I walked a bit extra during mile 11 to make up for it. Turns out that hill was seriously no big deal at all. I plowed up and it kept going.
So after the hill at 12, you end up right along the river again, and that was just what I needed. Ran in the last mile + .1, and finished at 2:10.
The all female race was pretty awesome. It definitely had the woman empowerment thing going for it.
Post race: went back to B's, changed, and then headed to propaganda doughnuts, and founders for (obviously) donuts, beer, and food.
So yeah. lessons learned.
Packet Pick-Up: kind of lame, but a breeze. there wasn't much available at the expo - even a lot of the gazelle specific stuff seemed pretty picked over. It was a bit of a bummer, but I also didn't really need anything. Shirts were really awesome nike fitted. I went with a medium, my go-to for women's specific shirts and it fit perfectly.
Race morning: one of my girlfriends who was running the race works downtown in the courthouse, so we just rolled up to her parking lot about 15 minutes before race start. it was perfect! I also somehow managed to catch Courtney, fellow oiselle bird (this is quite repetitive isn't it?), and another friend from home before the race started. Perfect!
 |
| please ignore my squinty eyes in the first picture - didnt even notice until this was on the computer. fail. |
Race: started around the 9:00 pacers, and felt really good for the start. Had my spotify playlist (will share very soon!), weather was pretty great, and we were off. Ran with B for a bit, and then waved her ahead once the race-beginning adrenaline began to wear off.
Stopped at a bathroom around mile 3, and then again at mile 5. after the extra-long bathroom stop at mile 5 though, my digestive tract was feeling good.
Then there were the coughing fits. not so fun. but again, not so much I could do about them. I really think that I used them as an excuse to walk more than I needed to though.
So walking breaks came every water stop and at various other points along the course as needed.
The funny thing was, every time I stopped and walked, once I started running again, I wasn't plodding along. My legs had tons of energy, and quick turnover. It was just the oxygenating that wasn't happening as planned. Even though in order for my legs to have energy, they needed oxygen too.
I knew there was a hill at mile 12, so I walked a bit extra during mile 11 to make up for it. Turns out that hill was seriously no big deal at all. I plowed up and it kept going.
So after the hill at 12, you end up right along the river again, and that was just what I needed. Ran in the last mile + .1, and finished at 2:10.
The all female race was pretty awesome. It definitely had the woman empowerment thing going for it.
Post race: went back to B's, changed, and then headed to propaganda doughnuts, and founders for (obviously) donuts, beer, and food.
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