Running is a Love/Hate Relationship!!

Ok, so this stress fracture thing I think I got a handle on. Actually, I dont think its a stress fracture, because its feeling better. Must have been just some metatarsalgia or something. It only comes after the run or if I move the wrong way. But I digress...

So I bombed another 10k in the heat!! I ran my slowest 10k of all time!! I'm soooo embarrassed to post my time. Suffice it to say that I took a walk break through a water stop and walked up a hill... LOL. Yes in a 10k!!!! Now I was really starting to hate this running thing again, lol. So I had to regroup myself and try to find some type of mental recon-silly-ation. Because in 6 days I was to have my yearly run called the CRIM. This will be my second time running the 10 miler. Last year was a heated debacle... almost 100 degrees and humid!! Needless to say the outcome...

I know I'm in the middle of my marathon training circuit, but I just had to take a couple days off before this race, plus I have been swamped at work, so it was a no-go anyways. The race day was unseasonably cool... like 68 degrees at start. I felt really good this day. My major focus was to hold my pace throughout at bare minimum my GMP and to stay hydrated (this is my hot running flaw). Not running for dear life or nothing. This race is infamous for the BRADLEY HILLS, which I guess is similar to Heartbreak Hill x 3 times repeated. The start was the typical 8700 people!!! I started in the slow(er) group at 8:00/mile pace. That was PERFECT. It kept me from starting too fast, so I got out actually at my goal pace!

Mile 1-5 was totally unremarkable, I kept my turnover steady and didnt push it. Then we make that sharp left turn onto Bradley Street... here comes the hills!! This year I planned to attack the hills (which I did) and rest at the top of each. This worked out well, because I didnt even get winded like last year and it was over before I knew it!! 1 mile of just up up up!! The rest of the run was rollers. Mile 7 kinda hurt me... it was a roller that was a gradual up for like .75 mile. Now at the top of THAT one I was tempted to "rest"... not happening this time. I gotta suck it up, because my marathon will be no excuses!! For the last 4 miles, there was a pack of us running together, like 10 of us. It kept me honest, so I stuck in that group. Oh, and of note, I only peeked at my Garmin like 3 times during the run... once near the start to make sure I wasnt starting too fast, once at mile 4 and once at mile 8 to guage how fast to run the last 2 to be under 1:15:00.

So we make the last turn and we hit "the bricks". By this time, the group kinda scattered. We had like 400 meters to go... There was this short chick that see-sawed with me the last 4 miles. Her and about 5 others were like 50 meters ahead of me. This is when I decided I would sprint in. Alas... I caught and passed all of them, but "she" tried to keep up, but my Garmin said my last 400 was at a 5:00/mile pace and that was too much for her, LMBO!! I finish in 1:13:38. Respectable, and clearly what I planned on doing!! So now I love running again... and I think I found my new favorite distance. Marathons are tooooo long and 10k's and below are tooooo fast and exhausting. One last thought... I check the post race pics and that chick was in all of my "down the stretch" pics. Grrr!!!! Stealing my thunder!!

Splits (per Garmin)

Mile 1- 7:09

Mile 2- 7:07

Mile 3- 7:18

Mile 4- 7:16

Mile 5- 7:07

Mile 6- 7:36 BRADLEY HILLS

Mile 7- 7:14

Mile 8- 7:28 That long incline that hurt!!

Mile 9- 7:18

Mile10- 7:13

So next up... a 30k hilly mostly dirt road race!! Goal... 7:40-7:45 pace. We'll see how that goes, until then... I run on...