Though having the Garmin made it interesting. It was really nice to see when we hit mile 1 we did that in 9:48...but then seeing the second mile finished in 10:55 - it was getting a little unnerving. I kept watching the average pace which was over 10 M/M and just hoping I could get the energy and move past the pain to get it under that 10 minute mark...but it didn't happen. Here was our miles:
Mile 1: 9:48
Mile 2: 10:55
Mile 3: 9:47
Mile 4: 10:17
Mile 5: 11:20 (can you tell we were tired and hurting and kind of done!)
Mile 6: 10:10
Last .25 - we had to run around a track and can I say -I started sprinting and the garmin calculated my pace as 7:44 (wish I could have kept that pace up a little longer! LOL)
So with chip time - I finished in 63 minutes...10:17 M/M average pace.
The worst and most disheartening part of the race was that we ran in a square and as we past the starting line we still had half a mile before the finish line and we kept passing all these racers who had finished. It was so frustrating to see so many people already done and I was just ready to be done! I was dying...and I'm soooo sore! And my husband so nicely told me that a pregnant lady finished the 10k right as I came into the stadium to run the last lap. Thanks a lot honey!
And I got the nicest present of having Paden run to the finish line with me. It's so much fun to have him there running with me at the end. I can't wait until he is a little older and we can run a 5k together. How old do you think he needs to be?
Me heading to the finish line...looking like a dork (why are my boobs almost to the floor in this pic? Agh!)
With my number one fan - and I think this picture shows how awful I felt...
Anyway here are a few things I learned/will try to take from this experience:
1. My pre-race plan didn't work this time. Not sure what was different.
2. I need to pace myself better. I think if I had started out at a slower pace, those hills wouldn't have killed me so much and I could have finished stronger throughout the race.
3. I'm sooooooo happy I chose a downhill half marathon!
4. I need to work on hills -
5. I need to find the cushions that surround my earphones cause I couldn't listen to my music the whole time running
6. Talking definitely helps get your mind off the pain - Thanks Stefanie!
7. I stopped 3 times to walk - only for a few seconds..maybe a minute - and I should have slowed down my jog - I think I could have saved time and still helped me regroup if I had just slowed down a little bit.
8. I should have drank water before the race - I was soooo thirsty
9. Finish line cheering sections are awesome. Thanks so much for Julia (who has a stress facture and couldn't race but still came out to cheer us on!) and Rachelle (who is amazingly fast and ran the 10k in 45 mins.) for being there to cheer me on! It makes all the difference!
10. Lastly - I need to figure out how to overcome side stitches and cramps - they really put a damper on time...I was just trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Anyway so I didn't get an amazing time. I don't feel like I did my best - but I'm happy to have a 10k under my belt and I will try to take the positive from this race and learn from it! Hope everyone else who raced this weekend did better!
** on a side note - I am pretty sure I broke my nose...but I have something I learned today. If you hit your nose with a car door - your health insurance doesn't cover it...you have to submit a claim to your auto insurance and pay out of pocket for any expenses until they reimburse you. And another side note, there is nothing they can do until your swelling goes down.**
I am still SO sorry about your nose...that sounds awful :/
ReplyDeleteBut...girl...seriously...you really ROCKED this 10k...that is a GREAT time. And the hills in that area are definitely killer...I was training around there a lot right before I got injured and I would go home exhausted. I have gotten side stitches a few times and it usually seemed to be from too much or too little water or eating too much just before I run. Not sure if that helps? But that has been what I have figured out so far.
So glad you had your garmin...it seriously changed my running after I got mine...My pace improved pretty quickly just because I could be smarter about pacing and push myself when I needed to. It helps for when you have time goals too...so you can keep track of yourself during the race and even have a plan that you can kind of follow and have real live data right there in front of you.
It was so fun cheering you on at the end. I LOVED when I saw you and stef running around that last turn and I was so proud of you all. I hope that we can run together soon...up for some hills when I get better? :)
Your race sounded like you did a GREAT job! Hills are a huge challenge! Keep at it! Give yourself more credit! :o)
ReplyDeleteI get side stitches too! I do not know how to get rid of them. I have noticed that if I eat more carbs before I run I don't get them nearly at all! :o)
That is a great time! I understand, though, about seeing people already finished when you still have a while to go. ROUGH. Thank you SO much for following my blog too!
ReplyDeleteI think that is a great time....esp with those hills! Sounds like we had very similar experiences yesterday! Thank you so much for stopping by my little blog.....I can't wait to read yours!
ReplyDeleteYour Poor nose!! You really think you broke it?? I'm so sorry :(
ReplyDeleteDon't be disappointed with your race! It looks like you did awesome and learned a lot, and don't forget that increasing your mileage isn't easy! Be proud of yourself. You are going to rock the 1/2. No doubts! I miss you darling girlie! :)
Great job running your 10K! That's awesome. Hey, are you a member? Just assuming because you ran the Rex Lee race. I'm a member too!! (and I follow you now)
ReplyDeleteGirl I think you did a great job in the 10k. Don't beat yourself up about it all. Remember you are sooo new to running and you are improving like crazy. Also I am so sorry you had side stiches the entire time. I used to get side aches so bad when I first started running and still do every once in awhile. I think you will find that the more running experience you have the less you will get.
ReplyDeleteAlso how cute is your little boy. OMG that is just seriously adorable that he ran to the finish with you. I have ran a lot of races (5ks) with kids as young as 6 years old.
Have a fabulous day!!
uh, you're pretty much INCREDIBLE--regardless of how you felt you did! I think it's awesome you pushed through--SO exciting to see you at the end (with your bum nose, dang it!)
ReplyDeleteSOOOOO proud of you for not quitting!!!