Yesterday was an awesome day for running! After a week of days where the temperature hovered around 32, we had a high in the 50s, so we were able to run in shorts and pullovers. The race was at Stanky Creek at 2pm and I think I found a good meal to eat before a race like that. Around 11:45 I ate a turkey sandwich with a granola bar and a clementine and my stomach was fine all afternoon.
We got there a little after 1 and Drew and I decided to run the full course for a warmup - and I was thinking about how far I've come since last year. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine coming to a 5K and running the course as a warmup! We ran it slow and it took us about 31 minutes. Then we just stretched and drank some water until the race started.
I tried to start close to the front so I would not get boxed in because the race starts on a sidewalk then darts into the forest across a narrow bridge into singletrack. Well, my plan was foiled by some little boys! The little kids always start near the front of the race and it is always a pain to try to pass them. But as soon as the gun sounded the little kids in front of me almost fell so I got trapped behind them and got passed by a lot of people. After the bottleneck at the bridge (I had to walk to get through!!) my plan became to not get passed once and to pass as many people as possible. And that is exactly what happened - I think I passed probably 18-20 people and no one ever passed me. I even passed a couple of people who always beat me, so that was nice. My finishing time was 27:08 and as I finished Drew yelled at me to smile, so hopefully my finishing photo will be better than my last two! So I improved on my time from last year and I got second in my age group. I think my time is a decent one because I normally finished 5Ks around 25:00 and Drew finishes around 20:00 and we were both about 2 minutes off our norms. Drew finished in 22 something. I'm currently first in points for the series for my age group, but I'm a little nervous about keeping that lead - the next race (8+K) is the day after the Sylamore 25K!! We'll see.
So the race ended and Drew and I got water, ate a gel, and took off again. My goal was to reach 18, but we were tired from the race and my left hamstring has been bothering me for about a week now. I started off okay but the as the miles went by I felt worse and worse - plus Stanky creek has so many ups and downs. I tried to bail out after 4, but Drew pushed me to do 4 more - he knew I would be kicking myself later if I stopped, so thank goodness my husband knows me like that! We finished the 8 mile loop and stopped after that to end with 14.2 for the day. And I don't feel that bad about it with a race thrown in there. We were sooooo tired once it was over. I just plopped down on the ground.
But then I picked myself up because we were going to McDonalds where we feasted on fries, burgers, and nuggets! It was awesome. My hamstring is worrying me though so I have been putting icy hot or bengay patches on it. I'm not going to run or bike for two days to give it plenty of rest, so hopefully it'll start to feel better soon. Hopefully I'll have some good pics to post soon!
Happy running!
Run, Race, Run! Gorge yourself on Micky D's. Sounds like a great day! Did you see the snot nosed brats that got in your way on the McJungle Play area? Hope the hammie starts behaving itself soon. Have Drew help you slowly stretch it every day.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit I don't get a real lovely picture in my mind when I hear about a creek named Stanky. Seems better suited for a locker-room than a creek. Hopefully your pictures will change my first impression. I'm guessing the creek wasn't named by a land developer or realtor.
Good luck in the series. I wouldn't lose much sleep over the 25K the day before the series race. Just try to get a good meal in after the 25K and some rest. You will probably go from second to first place!
Congratulations, Twig!
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I generally am not able to run due to my schedule during the week unless there is a holiday, or day off. Lately, I have been running once during the week, I ran 5 miles today because we had a snow day and I love running in fresh snow. My legs felt pretty good.
It hasn't always been this way. The body adapts to the stress and different people stress their bodies in different ways. I try to ride a stationary bike during the week and do some weights on the bowflex, but other than that it is rest and recover for the next one. I have been fortunate that my body can handle it without injury for the most part.
Damn! I was wondering what all those cars were doing at the Stank! I thought it was another bike event.
ReplyDeleteI would have run the Stank with you and Drew if I had known, but ended up pounding the pavement instead.
Congrats on the awesome race! It's a great feeling to be able to pass others, and, not getting passed by anyone? That's amazing :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're being smart about your leg. Hopefully it'll resolve itself soon!
Happy 31 Yall!!
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