Last year was a busy racing year for me, with multiple 5k races, and my first adventure into running half marathons. I packed too many races in 2013, and just burned myself out. I found out that I am just not one of those people that is able to constantly race. I just get obsessed. Training becomes all I can focus on, and I just let everything else take a back seat.
Training cycles are something that is extremely useful when preparing for a race. Without being properly trained, there is a higher possibility of injuring yourself and not being able to finish. My problem though is that I don't know how to take a break. I run and run for months, getting prepared for a race, and then once it's over I just... Keep going. The opposite of what you are actually supposed to do. Depending on the distance that your run, it can be recommended that you take up to two weeks off of running, and work on lower impact exercise instead. Leisurely walking, swimming, or riding a bike around the neighborhood for example.
Me? I wake up the next day (and the next, and the next, and so on) and go run. Taking a break from running makes me feel anxious and restless. But in the past several months I have managed to scale back on how much I run. I let my body rest, and gained (a much needed) 7 pounds.
Sunday morning was the first time I felt ready to really run full throttle again. I was prepared to get back out there and run my heart out, and whether I won or came in last place didn't matter. And all that time paid off.
It was a little local race at a nearby high school, with somewhere around 360 runners. I went into the race with a fresh mind, feeling mentally prepared to kick some butt. And I definitely needed that mental strength.
For all of you that think that running a 5k is easy, you couldn't be more wrong. I would rather run 8 miles than run a 5k. In 5ks, you really don't have the option to start conservatively. You don't really have a lot of wiggle room as far as hitting your paces goes. Maybe you can start 15-20 seconds less than your overall goal pace, but you need to hit your stride fairly quickly. You need to start fast, and stay fast. I wish I could say that I didn't want to totally pass out at the end of the race, but that would be a complete lie.
I talked a friend into running this race with me (the first person I have actually convinced!), so we chatted a little bit as we toed the starting line. It was nice to have someone to talk to before we started, and she helped calm my nerves a little bit. I was feeling a little iffy about the weather (a rather brisk 34 degrees..), but she kept me distracted until it was time to take off.
Almost immediately my Garmin decided that it was not going to work with me today. Instead of hearing a beep every mile to let me know how far I had gone, I heard random beeping about every 3-4 minutes. That was the biggest bummer I think, since I kept thinking that I was farther into the course than I really was! So here's a pretty accurate breakdown of how I felt in this race:
Mile 0.5- It's really cold. I hope I warm up soon. DID I START TOO FAST??
Mile 0.75- My lungs are already burning.
Mile 1.0- Did that spectator just yell out 7:14 for the first mile? Stupid watch.
Mile 1.75- Why are there no mile markers here? This hurts.
Mile 2- What do you mean I am only on mile 2? Sitting down seems like a good idea.
Mile 2.1-2.9- One foot in front of the other. Legs feel like lead.
Mile 3- Almost there! Did she just say first female?!
Finish line- I'm never running again. Is this what a heart attack feels like? Wait.. I'm first female finisher?
Yep! I finished first out of all the females running, with a time of 22:41. While that's not my fastest time, it's a solid finish that I am very proud of. And it just made sitting on the couch for the rest of the day much more worth it!
Happy Monday everyone! If you are running today (or any other workout!) I hope it's a great one.
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