Dally Does Distance
I ran my race today. You may recall a tiny thread about running a 5K
when I can't? Well, it turned out to be a four mile road race instead
of a 5K. I was pretty scared about it, but showed up in running gear
and figured I'd just do what I could.
I started out slow, then tapered off. :-) But a others pointed out, I
ran faster than I do on the treadmill. When I'm running just one mile
on the treadmill I usually do about 11:30, when two miles I do more like
12 minute miles and for three miles I do more like 13 minute miles.
My splits were 11:32, 12:38, 12:18 and 12:07 for a four mile time of
48:35. I ran most of it but did a brisk walk up hills or when I just
felt tuckered out. I was in good spirits right up until I turned the
final corner after 3.3 miles. (My time there was 39:48, so I would have
beat my 5K goal of less than 40 minutes!) It was a pretty route (until
the end) and the race volunteers were real gems, so kind and enthusiastic.
But that last stretch was awful. The road wasn't clear, they had opened
it back up to traffic (as if the straggler runners were okay to hit) and
there was a wind tunnel effect blowing me off my feet with a frigid
wind. (It was 17 degrees F out, balmy to Dot but too cold for anyone
else.) I was also beat - I haven't trained past 5K. An old guy came up
on my tail and I tried to not let him pass me but I just didn't have it
in me. He beat me on the sprint (his, not mine, I had no sprint.) I
later found out that this is his first race after rehabbing a broken
ankle. He was about 70. I have to wonder just how pitiful am I?
I finished 67th. There are 15,000 people in this town and I did better
than 14,933 of them, but I came in dead last in this race. (Where were
the "fun run/walk" people I was promised?!?)
That's okay, I transformed this from a scary, challenging thing into "my
first race" that I can use as the 'before' picture. And I learned that
I really hate 4 miles: 3.11 is a much better distance for me.
I came home and stretched while I ran a hot bath, then after the bath I
took a nap. I'll do some more stretching later today. All my parts
seem to be working fine, though my legs started out leaden for the first
1/2 mile and my quads were really cold on the last .7 mile stretch.
There were a lot of hills and I felt myself digging deep for more power
from my gluts that just wasn't there. Gives me something to work on.
Thanks to all who advised me, especially the sweet tender words from the
MFW self-actualization specialists and Jenn for making this sound like a
normal thing to do.
when I can't? Well, it turned out to be a four mile road race instead
of a 5K. I was pretty scared about it, but showed up in running gear
and figured I'd just do what I could.
I started out slow, then tapered off. :-) But a others pointed out, I
ran faster than I do on the treadmill. When I'm running just one mile
on the treadmill I usually do about 11:30, when two miles I do more like
12 minute miles and for three miles I do more like 13 minute miles.
My splits were 11:32, 12:38, 12:18 and 12:07 for a four mile time of
48:35. I ran most of it but did a brisk walk up hills or when I just
felt tuckered out. I was in good spirits right up until I turned the
final corner after 3.3 miles. (My time there was 39:48, so I would have
beat my 5K goal of less than 40 minutes!) It was a pretty route (until
the end) and the race volunteers were real gems, so kind and enthusiastic.
But that last stretch was awful. The road wasn't clear, they had opened
it back up to traffic (as if the straggler runners were okay to hit) and
there was a wind tunnel effect blowing me off my feet with a frigid
wind. (It was 17 degrees F out, balmy to Dot but too cold for anyone
else.) I was also beat - I haven't trained past 5K. An old guy came up
on my tail and I tried to not let him pass me but I just didn't have it
in me. He beat me on the sprint (his, not mine, I had no sprint.) I
later found out that this is his first race after rehabbing a broken
ankle. He was about 70. I have to wonder just how pitiful am I?
I finished 67th. There are 15,000 people in this town and I did better
than 14,933 of them, but I came in dead last in this race. (Where were
the "fun run/walk" people I was promised?!?)
That's okay, I transformed this from a scary, challenging thing into "my
first race" that I can use as the 'before' picture. And I learned that
I really hate 4 miles: 3.11 is a much better distance for me.
I came home and stretched while I ran a hot bath, then after the bath I
took a nap. I'll do some more stretching later today. All my parts
seem to be working fine, though my legs started out leaden for the first
1/2 mile and my quads were really cold on the last .7 mile stretch.
There were a lot of hills and I felt myself digging deep for more power
from my gluts that just wasn't there. Gives me something to work on.
Thanks to all who advised me, especially the sweet tender words from the
MFW self-actualization specialists and Jenn for making this sound like a
normal thing to do.