It seems slightly ironic that as Erin and I have been struggling (states apart) with running and our motivation that we both signed up for races on the same day...today. My race was early so I took on part 1 of this blog entry and I'm sure that there will be a full-fledged blog-errific recap of her 03.31.12 race experience soon.
So, I ran the 4 mile Race to the Rocker in Cuba, Missouri this morning at 9am. In case you weren't aware, it is logical to insert the tidbit here that Cuba, MO is home to the world's largest rocking chair. Impressive...I know, but I had to look past all of the allure and excitement that surrounds the landmark itself to focus on the task at hand. Now, I have run just a few 5k races in the past, but nothing formal and no actual timed/chipped/formal "race." So, today was my first REAL race experience. I was not prepared for all the formalities of wearing a number, being timed, hearing my name announced as I crossed the finish lin
e (which I missed because I had my tunes too loud - thanks Neon Trees), and everything else that comes with a real race. I'm glad I didn't realize all of this would happen ahead of time otherwise I would have been nervous about that part as well as wondering whether I could even cross the finish line running.
e (which I missed because I had my tunes too loud - thanks Neon Trees), and everything else that comes with a real race. I'm glad I didn't realize all of this would happen ahead of time otherwise I would have been nervous about that part as well as wondering whether I could even cross the finish line running.But...I did! I ran the entire 4 miles and it felt GREAT! It was perfect weather, a really nice course, well organized, and great company too. (See picture of the Salem Running Club ). And afterabove) today's run I feel excited again about beginning the actual 1/2 marathon training. I'm ready to be able to say, "I just ran 6, or 7, or 9 miles" on a random Saturday and then eventually after the ultimate goal has been reached, to buy a super awesome shirt that references something about 13.freaking.1 or I'm only 1/2 crazy or... you get the picture, but I need a t-shirt to mark that accomplishment forever.
Anyway, a couple of things I learned about today's run that I should/could reference later:
1. I actually did carb-load last night (not entirely on purpose) with a bowl full of whole wheat cauliflower and sausage pasta. And this morning, stuck to a whey protein shake, banana, and a plain piece of toast. That could be my go to pre-race meal plan. I felt extremely relaxed and had lots of energy and no pain through out the run or afterwards.
2. I got to wear my new Garmin watch today to see how accurate it was and to test how good my estimates of my time/mile were. What I learned was that I have shaved about 30 seconds off my mile average. Now, granted my pace was averaging about 11min/mile, but my official 4 mile time today was 41:29 so I paced slightly under a 10 1/2 minute/mile. I placed 48 out of 148 in my age group....woo-hoo! All of that aside though, I LOVE the watch. It's small, lightweight, easy to use, and functional too!
3. Other random thoughts that are somewhat appropriate to insert here...*need bigger running shoes when I wear current shoes out...*must wear exact same outfit (weather permitting) to run 13.1 as I wore today - comfy!....*remember to stretch post-run; somehow I currently find this part unimportant, but I can imagine it will become more so as I add length to my runs.
Until next time...happy running!
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