Cherry Blossom 10 Miler!

Ah, after months of training and all that psychotic gym time, today was the big race day. I spent last week tapering my runs and the weekend just relaxing and fueling up on my carbs so I would be ready for today. Luckily, yesterday's torrential rains provided a nice excuse to sit around and be lazy. Unfortunately, the bad weather carried over and what we once expected to be a springy and clear Sunday turned out to be quite chilly and very windy. Once we got going, though, it wasn't a factor at all, and in fact I'm pretty sure all the wonderful fans and spectators (Thanks Dad, Auddie & Molly!) were more uncomfortable than we were-- at least when it came to the weather.

I started off the race rather conservatively-- after all, I had never actually achieved the ten mile mark in my training.. eight might have been my max up til today, so I wanted to be sure I didn't go out too strong. The first three miles or so didn't allow for much aggressive running anyway, as I felt like a sheep traveling in one huge flock, and it was difficult to find my pace. After the congestion let up, all that remained was a straight shot down Rock Creek Parkway and back. Things started to smooth out, and after I reached the halfway mark I knew I could turn it up a bit and push myself harder. I guess this mentality paid off because surprisingly, each of my ten individual mile times improved as the race wore on, capped off by my final mile time of 8:04! I had to pat myself on the back for this, as my usual target pace is around 9:30 and I had started off much slower than that in the crowded pack.

The good news is that I never felt any pain throughout the race and there was never a moment of misery or any sense that I could not make the distance. It was a great accomplishment to run my first 10 mile race, especially for someone who always seemed the ardent anti-runner. (There was a time when I would see people running and ask myself "Why and how do they do that? Why would you be running when you could just move slower and walk?? I just don't understand.") I was also very pleased to see the result and outcome of the training and discipline I put forth to prepare for this event.

That said, I will not be running my first marathon any time soon... at least not in the foreseeable future. I've just decided that it's not for me; the desire's not quite there. And until it is, I'm not setting my sights on 26.2 miles. When it comes to that, I'm definitely still in the "Why and how do they do that?" mindset. I think ten miles will suffice for now. Next stop: Army Ten Miler in October! But for now, a bit of rest and laziness. Off to the couch I go.

Sibs post-race:



Auddie (Yes, she is officially taller than I am now. And no, I am not over it. It's weird!), me, Huan, and Molly (Molaramy):




Current Music: Let it Ride, by Ryan Adams
Current Mood: pooped.