Embrace the Race 2014

May 11, 2014

Fourth 10k (6.2 miles) - Embrace the Race

Highland Park, IL

around 50 degrees

Time: 1:07:32; average pace 10:54

Place: 85/120 overall; 30th in age

As I crossed the finish  line panting, "water...water...water..." I told myself that I will do NO MORE RACES IN HIGHLAND PARK!" As with the Cupid's dash in February in the same town this race sucked too. I thought I had a hard time in February because I had not run much because of the harsh winter we had. I did a little better mentally and physically but those damn hills will always kill me unless I do some serious hill training. And I won't because I just don't like hills!

This is the second time I got bib # 418. It is also the house number of the first house I lived in.

I got in line for one of 2 port-o-potties 12 minutes before the start. Every few minutes I yelled out, "anyone 5k people want to let the 10kers go ahead of you?" Each time I got a few takers who let me get a head of them. Ha! SO I am doing my thing and... "5,4,3,2,1....go!" Crap! The start gun went off as I sprinted out of the john adjusting my pants and shirt. I kept right on going over the start line. 

There was only 120 of us 10kers. It got lonely out there. One some blocks I was the only runner. I get completely unmotivated when there is no crowd. It was like I paid for a regular Sunday morning run except that it was in Highland Park and I didn't actually pay; I got a free entry through active.com. 

I was on a run/walk plan of 5 minutes running followed by 1 minute walking. I was having such a hard time that I ended up doing a 4/2. My fancy new Garmin has a built in run/walk alarm system so when the watched buzzed to start running again I just counted to 60 and then ran. 

It was a little humid so when I started flying down the steep hill that led to the beach I felt a cool breeze combined with wonderful feelings of elation and relief. I just let gravity pull my down that hill at a 7 minute mile. I let go and went with it. As I got the bottom I realized what was coming next - the steep hill going UP! That evened out the 7 minute lie going down. I ran for a few seconds and then I couldn't take it any longer so I walked. The top of the hill greeted me with a bunch of 5k people who were moseying along like turtles.  Great.

It was over shortly after that and I was glad!