So today was race day! I keep typing "race" out as "rage" or "rest". Anyway, it went much better than I expected. Although I had no goal in mind because I had no way to determine what I could do, playing some tennis on Thursday actually helped to calm myself down and made me realize that no matter what I think of myself, I can do more than I know.
Well, that was sappy, but sometimes sappy moments happen.
TL;DR version: 49:34!
Friday:
I went to the Logan's Center to pick up my race bib and ended up eating their pre-race pasta meal. The meat sauce was pretty good and tasted like fennel.
Then I went home and sort of gathered my race gear together -
I say "sort of" because after taking this picture, I dumped everything on the floor.
Pre-Race Meal:
Yeah, I already ate pasta. Who cares, so what? My mom cooked up some liver and onions and I ate some anyway. You're probably gagging, but I'm blaming my good race on the surplus of iron.
I went to bed around midnight and woke up at 7:20 AM. I left the house at 7:50. The race starts at 8:30 and it takes around 25 minutes to get from where I live to Notre Dame. I overslept, though I didn't really care. I quickly put on my clothes, fixed my d-tag to my shoe, ate some oatmeal and a banana and drank half an energy shot.
We (my mom and I) rolled into the parking lot at 8:15. I started eating the G-Chews I brought, then stopped because the gummy chews was putting me off. Early morning weirdness. I did eat three, so that was alright.
I didn't warm up. A man sang a great National Anthem, and then I lined up close to the front. Right then, I decided on my strategy: Bank time, then hold on until the finish.
Mile 1: 7:24.17
So this was faster than I expected. I wasn't dying, so I slowed myself down a little and then focused on my breathing and stride.
Mile 2: 7:52.29
I had no plan for this mile other than to keep it under eight. Success!
Mile 3: 7:40.86
I was beginning to feel taxed, but I wasn't dead. I figured the great slowdown would occur after this mile.
Mile 4: 8:04.31
This mile went around one of the ponds. I don't know if I appreciated the change in terrain, or if I felt that the dirt path wasn't doing it for me. In any case, I just wanted to keep breathing fully. A few people were passing me and I contemplated whether or not to slow down and recover, or try to hold on. I told myself that I would finish the fourth mile before deciding.
Mile 5: 8:41.61
I'd say I struggled with this mile the most, but mentally I was keeping focused, which is rather rare for me these days. At this point, the course looped around the second pond and back onto the campus. I saw my mom at this point, who said something about being the eleventh female. One of the volunteer girls whistled at me, and even though it was a joke I really appreciated it. Thanks, girl! I was passed by two chicks who I later found out were in my age group, but I would have had to run a little bit faster to catch up, which was impossible at that point.
Mile 6: 8:28.40
This was the only point in the race with a slight incline. I was tired, for sure, but I didn't slow down as much as I expected, and I even sped up. Those walking lunges and squats I've been doing sure paid off, is all I have to say about that.
Point 2: 1:22.50 @ 7:04
The last .2 is a real pain. I told myself I could die once I finished.
Finish: 49:34.14, average pace of 8:00
And it was over. I finished fourth in my age group and ran my second-fastest 10k. The splits weren't as consistent as my PR earlier this year (which was set at another Notre Dame race), but this race made me proud of myself. I don't think I've ever felt that way after a race before so it was a good feeling.
Then I got a massage for my calf that made me feel wonderful. (I apologize, lady who massaged my calf, for having to touch my sweaty leg.)
I still won't be training for anything anytime soon as I prefer to just enjoy running for the time being, but I can't say I won't enter a race here and there. Just short races. Preferably with complimentary massages.
