It goes without saying that I am proud of myself. To consistently run a 10 minute mile, then out of nowhere run a 54 minute 10k is, well, impressive! I think there were several factors that impacted my performance...
1) Running with a herd. My first race, the Stanky Legg 5k, was very different in the sense that it was a trail run. We were in single file formation, and there was little room to "make a move." This race was a typical road race. Granted, the pack was a bumbling mass of bodies for the first quarter mile, but after that, it was wide open. However, there were constantly people passing me, and I was constantly passing others. There was no way to really estimate what my pace was. I was upset by this at first and I felt like it was making me do poorly. However, about half way through, I used this to my advantage and really enjoyed the mystery of my pace. Apparently, it paid off!
2) Cheers from the crowd. About 3.5 miles into the race, we ran through my apartment complex. Like, literally in front of my porch. My neighbor was out there cheering for me, yelling and blowing me kisses. Further down, my friend that lives in the complex had a huge painted sign with my name, and she had pom-poms and did a dance and yelled for me. I was so excited, and it made my adrenaline start pumping even stronger than it was before. What an amazing feeling! Thank you, friends; you have no idea how much you helped me!
3) A bit of a competitive nature. Now, I am not proud to admit it, but I have an undercurrent of competitiveness that runs through me from time to time. I am not one bit proud of it, but I sometimes get really jealous and feel like I must be the best, do the best, win win win. It doesn't come out often, but when it does, watch out. So, I will spare the details, but in a nutshell, I ran into someone else running the race that I just had to beat. There was no question about it. I had to. And I did. By 10 minutes. Booyah. I am not completely proud of this bit of motivation, but I am just being honest in saying that it was a huge factor in why I did so well. (B was at the finish line cheering on said person... yea, I know, enough said.)
I can definitely tell I pushed myself. Yes, I was sore yesterday, but nothing I couldnt handle. However, my left knee is killing me- the lateral collateral ligament is really hurting. A lot. I ran yesterday, but it was a very slow, painful 4 miles. I am definitely resting today. I read up on treatments for pain and it just says the usual: ice and anti-inflammatory meds. But I think the bigger problem is that I MUST make sure I keep stretching and strengthening that area. I am going to spend some time researching specific stretches, exercises, and lifting series that focus on strengthening this area. I will be damned if it keeps me from my goal! Any tips or pointers here would be much appreciated!!!!
I bought a watch. That's right, a digital watch to wear during my runs. Omar's incessant obsession with me doing sprints and time-interval training finally got to me. I spent all of $10 on a neon green watch at Target. I still dont see myself focusing too much on my time for long runs, but he made a good point: since I now know that I am capable of this pace, why not try to test that on my short run days? I still have 3 of the 5 days a week that I only run a base distance of 4 miles, and so on those days, maybe keep an eye on my time would benefit my ability. Who knows.
My next race is on March 21st, another 5k. *scoff* Shoo, that ain't no thaaaang. I chose to run this upcoming race because it is the weekend that my parents will be visiting and I wanted them to be a part of this experience. It should be a fun one!
The sense of pride I am feeling is insurmountable! What an amazing feeling!
