Monday, September 10, 2012

That's more Like It.....I Learned from my Lessons

In my last post I mentioned where I thought I went wrong in not reaching my goal time at the Half. So I took those lessons into Saturdays 15k in hopes of reaching a goal time I have wanted for 3 years.

Me & Sarah:)
Saturday, September 8 was the Run for the Pets 15k (or 5k) which is another "Serres" race. The first year I ran this I had awful belly troubles and it rained lightly, the second year it rained before the race but not during (at least I don't think so) this year the forecast said 80% chance of rain one of my daughters even said "Mom it always seems to rain at this race for you!" It had stormed in the night and rained quite a bit in the morning before the race and was very cloudy everyone was hoping the rain was over. As we lined up and listened to race director tell us about tree debris and a limb that fell on the road it began to rain.....well not just rain but DOWNPOUR sheets of rain. Less than a half mile in the wind picked up(30-40mph) and it rained even more & harder, the drops felt like pellets hitting our bodies!  The rain lasted for about 2 miles but the wind continued the entire race off and on.

Don't think this pic really shows how the rain was coming down but it was pouring!
I say this over and over but I am not one to look at my watch to keep an eye on my pace but this day I did, I had a goal I wanted to achieve! Even though I was feeling fine and ok with the pace I told my buddy "I'm going to fast I've got to slow it down a little so I don't die out at the end." The course for this race is pretty & hilly (like every course around me!) but the end seems to be the worst on the hills and you finish going uphill with a slight downhill to follow.  Jenna (#302 right behind me in the pic above) is a much faster runner than I am but she was pacing with me we talked off and on mostly during the crazy rainfall but I tried to focus on my pace and such. I was super impressed with myself that I was able to stay with her for 5miles after that I told her I had to slow it down a bit and I was going to do my best NOT to walk any! So the next 4mi was all me....I walked through the water stop around 5.25 and jokingly ask the small young fellow there "Think you could carry me to the finish?" The look on his face was priceless, LOL! I made sure I kept Jenna in my sights and not let her get so far ahead I couldn't see her anymore. At 5.81 a big ball of leaves came flying down at me out of a tree and hit me on my left ear hard enough to almost knock my headphone out! But I kept on running along:) I took one GU before the race and brought another one with me, I could feel my energy getting low and decided to take the second one at the water stop at 6.40. That was the only two times I walked was through those water stops I was so proud of myself! As I was going up the last hill which is fairly steep, part of my mind wanted me to walk but the other part said "Feel the Victory, You might be feeling a little pain now but that is what Victory feels like DON'T STOP NOW!!" and I didn't I pushed on through it.

My goal time was 1:25:00 my finish time:
                                                           1:24:26
Hooray I did it!! I was so stinking happy and didn't even care anymore that I was soaking wet from head to toe! I think the rain made several people stay home there ended up being about 46 people in the 15k but I was lucky enough to get 1st in my age group (30-39) and its the first time I have ever placed at this race!!

YAY ME!!

2 comments:

Courtney said...

WAY TO GO!!!!

Suz and Allan said...

Congratulations on placing first in your age group and beating your goal!