I found a stranger to take my before race photo. It was already super hot at 6:30 in the morning!
Chewy Sprees.... my pre-race fuel. Not sure if it is the best choice but it does give me a great sugar high. It is just too bad I burned through all the sugar in my first mile. Apparently when you want to run an overall 7:38 pace for 6 miles your first mile should most likely be slower then a 7:15 WHOOPS.
They did have a 5k that started the same time as the 10k and never in my life have I been more tempted to just turn around do the 5k. ;)
Anywhoo, so as for a recap on last Saturdays 10k this is how it went down. I started to fast, then pooped myself out. So much so that I walked a lot. Now, as someone who typically runs lots of miles 6.2 miles doesn't seem to far. It seems like regardless of how fast or burnt out I am feeling you'd think I would at least keep running the entire time. NOPE.
My goal time: 47:30
My Actual time: 52:10
So anyways, I finished the race, had a melt down, licked the salt in my wounds, (literally, it was frickin HOT out) and then got over it. Live and learn I suppose. I apparently will always be livin' and learnin' because this happens to me more often then not. I also realize that staying frustrated about a race is a waste of time. I think allowing yourself to just feel disappointed or frustrated is good but then just move on. Dwelling on things doesn't do anybody any good. I am sure of it.
I do realize not all of my races are like this. I had a great marathon, I did do the Bolder boulder 10k pretty well and feel like I am getting stronger as a runner. But these times just happen and if they didn't life would be boring I am sure. Back to the drawing board we go.
So whats on the agenda so far this week:
Today: Run 5 Miles with 3.5@ 7:30 pace. Then swim at least a 2000m distance. (P90X Ab ripper)
Tuesday: Running Club, 6x 600/200's. 600 @ 3k pace with last 200 @ mile pace with 90% recovery and Barbell class
Wednesday: Practice the Sprint Tri. We live right next door to the course so a few friends and myself will swim, ride and run an an easy pace to see how it all feels.
I am hoping these things help me feel ready for my Tri in 2 weeks =)
Does anyone out there actual preform well consistently on race day?
- me, obviously not. But I do know a few girls at running club that tend to always come in right around what they are thinking. Pretty amazing I say.
Does anyone else Melt Down?
- I am a big reactor. Although melt downs happen to me they aren't always good indicators of how I am actually feeling. I can melt down and really only be feeling kind of frustrated but regardless..... my melt downs are inevitable.
Who else likes to cross train and what do you do?
I am really liking the swimming and biking....
This also happens to me every time. I go in with expectations and seem to get really frustrated at the end when I don't meet them. I just had a 10k recently too and finished around the same time as you, with the intention of finishing in under 50 minutes. It was so hot and the course was poorly organized that I had to stop and walk to figure out where I was a few times. I guess that's when we just sign up for the NEXT race so that we can achieve better results! That's what PRs are all about. Gotta have bad races in order to have better races!
ReplyDeleteI tend to have really specific goals, and I get let down when it doesn't go EXACTLY how I had planned. Of course, people say to have "A, B, and C" goals but I know what the best I can do is, and I want that! If you know you're becoming and faster and stronger runner, try not to let the times bother you! You were awesome!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteJen!!
ReplyDeleteI think you did a totally awesome job and the fact that there was walking involved and you still had such a great time is something to be proud of :) I love you and you are such a great Sis. You push me to go faster and farther! Without you Jen I would be moving at a tortoise pace.
I agree with Christina, gotta have bad races to have even better races!
XXOO
Sarah
This happens to me more times than I would like....usually every other race!!! My Garmin has helped me to stay on pace so much in fact that my last race I ran without it and ended up walking at mile 2!!! I just can't control that competitive spirit in me...I hate it when people pass me! You are going to rock your tri!
ReplyDeleteThis happens to me all the time as well. I have big goals for the day but never seem to really achieve them. Nowadays I like starting more towards the back of local races and compete with myself by trying to see how many people I can pass. It's fun and keeps me entertained during a race.
ReplyDeleteI have 'finish line' anxiety I guess you could call it. There are several races where I was finishing strong and all of a sudden near the finish I panick - which results in me tossing my cookies. Very frustrating!
ReplyDeleteYou still ended with a great time especially for going out so fast! It's hard not to want to take off out of the gates with all the adrenaline at a race.
Good job on your race. Humidity and heat are performance killers for sure.
ReplyDeleteAnd my husband ALWAYS calls me out on my meltdowns. We usually laugh about it after, though, so it's okay.
I am a chronic melt-downer. I get SO hard on myself, and I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not perfect, and even if my race sucked, at least I put myself out there. I actually was just blogging about this too. I'm trying to work through my starting-and-finish line anxiety for the NYC Marathon this year, and I am SO NERVOUS OMG. So yeah, right there with you!
ReplyDeleteThat's still completely awesome!! I do have an occasional meltdown. cough.
ReplyDeleteGood job on the race! Even though it didn't go perfectly, not all races can.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how you judge how fast to go out during races, one way I like to judge my pace is based on my heartrate monitor. If I see my heartrate go over a certain number (for me its around 180 depending on the race length), then I know that I need to back off or I will likely die during the race.
Generally I try to start a little bit slower than goal pace, to try to ease into my pace a bit so that I don't go out too fast.
I definitely get nerves before races, but I know that is normal because everyone gets them. Just having confidence in yourself that you will be fine.
I'm not sure if I'm one of the lucky ones or not, most races that I do seem to go according to plan except for a couple. I guess I feel like I train as best I can, and I attempt to judge my pace accurately, then go out and try to execute that plan.
Good luck with pacing, things will go fine next time!
I can totally relate to this Jenn. I have major race day anxiety and almost always go out to fast and then suffer the consequences. I can run an entire marathon without walking but at my last 5k I had to stop and walk 4 times. So crazy!
ReplyDeleteYour workouts for the week look awesome and I think you are amazing!
I think because I'm not so competitive in a lot of fields, I just never push myself in races. Also, I tend to plant myself with faster people thinking it will be the push I need to go faster. After about 5 minutes, I quit with them and get all down.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't have meltdowns, but when I'm physically not happy, I make the world miserable for everyone. It was so humid today that I may have yelled at my dog more than once.
I can totally relate to you on this. I usually start out WAY too fast and then have absolutely nothing left by the end. The one time I actually tried to consciously slow myself down for the first mile, I ended up getting a PR! It just gets so hard to slow down at first when everyone is jetting off all around you!! haha.
ReplyDeleteI do think, though, that once you know your weaknesses they are easy to fix and it sounds like you are ON IT!
You are WAY too hard on yourself. 7:38 Pace is nuts! Girl you have come a long way. The bad thing is it never gets easier because you just keep getting faster.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Adrienne, don't be so hard on yourself. Even though you were nervous you got out there and you raced and finished!
ReplyDeletei melt down. it is so hard not to but a race is like any other day. you might have a good day or a bad day. you can all you possibly can to have a good day but we really have no control and as type A people (well at least thats me) we hate that in comes the melt down :( but you are right we can only learn and realize that these things happen and looks like you are doing that and your pace is amazing btw !
ReplyDelete