Since December 13 I've been running between 50-55 mpw with very regular cutback weeks (in the last month, every other week was a cutback week). When I cut back it is by 15-20%. I think I was just getting bored with running 'easy' all the time, and not doing anything fast. I was getting to a point where all the easy miles started to feel tedious. Mentally I was ready for a race.
On Wed., Feb. 24, I actually ran my first 'speed work' session since early December. It was 8 x 400 meters at 3K effort (about a 6:26-6:30/mile pace), with 200 meter jog recoveries. It felt great! I was happy with that workout after doing nothing speed-oriented for so many weeks.
I've been reading Running Within again because in the last week I'd been feeling a teeny bit anxious about racing. All of 2009 I was never 100% fit or healthy for any race. I always felt like I was just racing because I felt like I had to, but I never felt really ready for any of the races. But before this race I felt ready. In fact I am feeling the strongest I have felt in over a year. So the last few days I'd been telling myself, "You're ready," and "time to put your hard work to the test."
Knowing that this race was going to be a test of my fitness, I relaxed a bit. I also reminded myself to not focus on the outcome, but to focus on the things I could 'control,' like my form and relaxing my body on the run. I also visualized a plow tearing through the dirt smoothly and without any hiccups. I had no goal time.
My goal was to run controlled but 'fast' through the first half, and then pick it up as much as I could the rest of the way, and really go all-out in the last mile, completely dropping the hammer in the last 1/2 mile.
Whether or not my splits reflected that goal (they didn't), I still ran at such an effort that it FELT like they did!
I ran the tangents perfectly for the first time ever. My splits were 6:27, 6:44, 7:01, 7:13, then 6:37 for the last .97. I did not panic when I saw that first mile, I just kept telling myself to 'relax' and 'just go with it.' I did, however, panic a little when I saw that 7:13. This is when I had to make good on my goal and just give it everything I had in that last mile. .97 miles never hurt so much!
My friend and I ran the race together the entire way. I am not kidding. Side by side, neck and neck. Every now and then we'd be a step or two apart, but always ended up together. After the 4th mile marker, I started to give up mentally and literally told her, "Go get that girl." There was one female ahead of us. We were going for 2nd place (and third).
My friend then started to take off, but then I told myself, "No. Don't let her go. Hang with her." It hurt, but I held on. And then I began to pray. And then it happened.
I reminded myself to relax, I reminded myself to let my skin and muscles hang off my bones, and I visualized the plow. All of the sudden I was able to pick it up and run smoothly through the pain I was feeling. And man, was it PAINFUL. The good kind of pain, not the injury kind. I was ahead of my friend by a couple of steps over the last 1/4 mile. I could hear her breathing right over my shoulder. I knew she was coming on fast and I also knew she was hurting as much as I was. I could practically touch our pain.
Finally we had about 150 meters to go and I felt the lactic acid throughout every inch of my body and it HURT! Hurt like a Mo-FO! I am not kidding. But I kicked as hard as I could (which probably looked like a jog) because she was right on my hip. I ended up beating her across the line by literally one or two steps. And then I almost went fetal on the ground. I was hurting so badly.
Here we are just moments before the finish. We never caught the gal ahead of us. She finished 20-seconds ahead. I was 2nd female overall, first in 40-49 age group, new 8K PR of 33:50 (previous PR was 34:06). My time on the course last year was 34:49. I'm very happy with my first race of 2010, and really thankful to God.
