My goal for this race (10K) was discipline. A finish time didn't matter. A PR didn't matter. I wanted to show that I could be disciplined.
Disciplined to take the first 2 mile (as coach says) "Controlled".
Disciplined to go balls out the last mile.
There was a 5k going on at the same time. I've never done this race. I couldn't believe how many people came to race.
I missed the announcements while I was doing my warm up. I couldn't figure out if the 5k'ers were starting before the 10k'ers.
I didn't want to get wrapped up in speedy 5k racers. DISCIPLINE, Tea, DISCIPLINE.
I tucked myself somewhere in the middle of the pack.
The race starts on a downhill. People are blowing past me. I heard my garmin beep at me to slow down.....and beep again....and again.....slow, TEA SLOW.
It was hard. I certainly don't mind being passed. I mean hell....that's the story of my life.
The plan was 2 miles controlled, then get faster every mile thereafter. I set a goal of getting faster by about :05 per mile.
I didn't realize that this course was a rolling course. It was two loops.
At 2.5 miles, a woman passed me. She looked to be about my age. I didn't like that she passed me. I decided that I was going to try to hang with her.
But, she was widening the distance. By the 5k mark, she was 50meters ahead of me.
I nailed the first three miles. 2 easier, 1 picking up the pace. After the first 5k loop, I realized that in order to meet my goal, I was going to have to take advantage of the downhills and do a better job of pushing on the uphills.
I looked for the woman in my AG. I saw her and realized that I was gaining on her. It was slow, but I was GAINING ON HER.
ME. I WAS. ME. I don't "gain on people".
That's when something just clicked. I was going to catch her.
I would love to tell you that I caught her in .25 miles, but I didn't. It was slow and methodical. It took me a mile.
At just past 4.25 miles, I passed her. I felt her glance at me. At mile 5, there's quick turnaround, and I saw her about 30 meters behind me now.
I DID THAT! I PASSED SOMEONE INTENTIONALLY.
ME.
I decided to do it again. I saw a woman in a red ultra marathon shirt. ATTAINABLE. She was out running me. BUT, I could do it. She was only about 20 meters ahead of me. I could catch her. Then I lost her. I mean....she disappeared.
I saw another woman, wearing all black. In front of her were two women wearing tutu's. Ok. They are running too fast. I'm going for the woman in black.
She was ahead of me by about 30 meters. I have 1.5 miles to catch her. I get to the top of the hill. I see her. 1.25 left.
I have to do it. I have to catch her.
By now, my butt is starting to hurt. I am NOT backing down I will catch her. I start running harder.
At 5.5 miles, I pass her. I realized that I am thisclose to catching the tutu's. I run. I am giving it everything I have.
No. I mean. I AM GIVING IT EVERYTHING I HAVE. I am grunting and scaring children and adults alike who are walking the 5k.
I AM CATCHING THE TUTU's.
I passed the TUTU's at mile 6. Now....it's for the glory. There's no one ahead of me. No one to catch.
I must be making a ton of noise because I hear the announcer say, "CLEAR THE PATH! SHE'S COMING IN HOT." THEN everyone on the sidelines started cheering for me.
I'm RUNNING! I'M A RUNNER!
With nothing left to give, I cross the finish line.
I had no idea what my finish time was. My previous best was 1:01:51.
Today I finished in 1:00:45.
