St. Xavier Cougar 5k recap 10/8/16 and this week's training plan:
I posted a little bit about this in the Running Thread but thought I'd do a little bit more of a race recap here. I have only a few pictures I wasn't really thinking this would be needing a race recap when I started my weekend. But lucky you, here's a recap about the time I accidentally had the best race ever (that did not involve running through Epcot)
So we had an amazing night out on the town while kiddo was spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa's place. Good food in the hotel across from the theatre's lobby restaraunt (mmm scallops) and a glass of wine. We saw Hamilton courtesy of Keels not being able to make it to Chicago this weekend (still super bummed for her about that...can't be happy about that part) but it was sweet of her to think of us when she could not go. I knew people were saying how amazing Hamilton would be, but sometimes that sets the bar too high and then I end up not enjoying something as much. But I can tel you all that this was not the case with this musical. If I had a report card I would choose "exceeds expectations." It was at a weird day for me to see it too, because there's a lot of shaking up going on around my company and I've been doubting myself whether I should try to move up or if anyone even thinks I am capable or wants me to. Watching a musical about a guy who basically spends the whole time "moving up" hit home like a lot. Maybe I can blame that for my out of nowhere tenacity the next morning.
Or perhaps it was because I was not my race self the next morning. I did not expect to race so I did not do race laundry. I did not go to sleep at the prescribed time nor hydrate properly nor obsess over what I was eating (hello cheese and chacuterie plate.) I only had my dumpy saggy capris (although with very cute minnie mouse head on them) and threw on a long sleeve pullover that if I were to go fast would probably be too hot once running. My lucky socks...in the dirty pile, so no-go. I didn't wake up super early. I did not have a sour rumbly nervous belly. I had not obsessed over setting all my stuff out. Because in my brain, my hubby was racing and I was just a supportive wife hanging out and enjoying a nice kid-free morning across the street from our house. NOTE: I am not prescribing that you or I not be ready for races before you run them...this was a fluke of nature thing where everything came together and was 3.1 miles literally across from my house and starting at 9am on a 50 degree, no wind, perfect day. Wait for me to go back to my normal nervous, anxious self in a few weeks here.
So let's talk about the race!
Hubby wanted to try to break 30 min, since his current PR was 30:34. I was like "maybe I'll just run today and win an awesome raffle prize, it's nice out afterall." So I told him I was trying not to get too crazy off the start and that I felt too close to the front because of fast people. So we lined up a little farther back but not too far back. I told him not to follow me. I may be around 9:45 if I go out too fast so he may be ok following me at first, but for him to run his own pace. (I didn't want my lack of a plan to mess him up.) I told him I'd slow down if I hit a "going too fast" kind of wall - thinking like in my brain not in my body. Does that make sense?
Well the race starts and we are off and I feel a spring in my step and this is my home course but almost ran a little backwards from the other races in town. So kind of new to me, while still being very familiar. The local park was coming up quicker than I thought (at this point I felt like I was running probably about that tempo 9:45ish tempo-y pace.) Last year by this point I was seeing the lead guys running back down the other side of the street already. Not until we got to the very end of the street did a police van come throuhg with volunteers pushing us to the side. I never saw the lead guy before I turned to the park. That should have been my first clue I was fast. And right before we get to the park the 1 mile clock is ticking down with the first number an 8....whhhhaaa??? Realizing it took me at least a half minute (looks like 20 seconds) to cross the start I knew it was still a low 9 number. I looked at my garmin which I had been trying to ignore and
Mile 1 9:00.7
So at this point my gut reaction was to slow the eff down. But mile two is full of quite a bit of turns. It felt like every block there for a little bit was a turn as we went back to the original street then off of it and zig-zagged around until back on the original street again. I tend to speed up to next "desitinations" during my runs. Be they turns or mile markers or water tables or whatever. So I think mile 2 was not super steady but must have had enough speedy portions because:
Mile 2 8:56.5
My fastest race mile ever. I've dipped below that during moments of time in races (last .1 mile specifically) but never a sustained lap.
So at this point I'm basically like "I feel good, It doesn't seem that far away from the finish, it's just a mile+....ok, Let's Go"
I will say that by the time I was entering the college campus where it started and I knew that was roughly .5 miles, that then I became a watch checker. To this point I had been running around and near two of the same women. Gray tank and ponytail (she had a very long ponytail) and they were just soooo smoooth and didn't seem to be breaking a sweat. I'd say right around this time of the race it became less of a smooth run for me and more of a mental "keep it up, keep this pace, keep pushing, left right, you've got this, stay with these people" I didn't do any water stops and my mouth was getting a teeny bit parched but it was so close I skipped that last table. My quads were feeling a little heavier than normal but there wasn't like any obvious burn or pain. My pace was ALL over the place. going as high as 9:40 (still less than tempo) and as far down as 8:55 (at least for what I saw when I was looking.) Mile 3 marker had no clock and at this point I was just pushing so I didn't look down at my watch at all past this point.
Mile 3 9:07
I turned right and gray tank took off. I found her in the crowd later, looked her up and she finished in 27:13 so must have started behind me and also beat me. I don't remember seeing ponytail after that turn. But there was a women in my age about 10 sec behind me so I'll guess that was her. So I see the clock now at the finish line at it's 27:30 something and I mentally scream in my head GOOOOOOOO!
I have not been a fan of sprinting like a mad women lately at the end because of some pics I've seen of myself looking crazy and I just love me a good marathonfoto. But this time all I cared about was the clock had a 27 on it and it was ticking dangerously close to a 28 and this was my chance to do what I thought I'd never do.
And I crossed it right on the edge of 27:50 something. My garmin said 27:48, I stopped too fast and looked down too quick and got a wee bit dizzy and almost dry heaved. I put my head back up and started walking towards the water and then felt totally fine. So that was weird but reminded me of my old crew days where you empty the tank at the end and then your stomach. Luckily I didn't push it that bad.
My official time matched my garmin pretty close 27:49. PR!
7th in my age. Right where I was last year when I PR'd at 28:57 for same race. But this year that time would have put me outside the top 10. Speedy ladies this year!
Hubby just missed his goal at 30:17 but still a PR and he said he was behind me for 1.5 miles!! Dang...I told him next time not to follow me. I probably screwed him up because his last mile he did have heavy legs. But still...a happy day in the roxymama household.
Ok, I will get to my training plan but I must EAT LUNCH!
Just imagine it's a cinammon roll and not something healthy.
