I was going to attempt to lump three races from my two weeks together. But well, in all honesty, I needed something to do besides stare at the computer screen. So this should be breif since the race was breif.
Friday I made it home after helping out at Operation Oliver for a few hours taking out some trees for an upcoming community proj (projects within projects :) ).... as my arms were fatgiuing from hand sawing trees I was wondering how this working out as my REST day... but at least I was only walking carrying tree peices not running miles and miles- right ? But anyway I left there early enough to clear NYC before traffic hour - which mostly worked- still caught the beginning of it... but what can you do. Home by 5ish and starving. I dont even remember most of the night, but it was restful.
Saturday I woke up on time 5:10am... despite the fact I'd been up to almost 11PM- much too late for me....and saw my parents off to work before heading to White Memorials nature boardwalk- my #1 recovery long run location. So gorgeous. Ran about 8mi before Amy joined be for 5, then we stood and talked for almost an hour and I then I finished up with 4 more miles... giving me 17 easy miles....
I was so so glad to catch up with Amy, we'd been trying for months and i loved having company on the run... however my stomach empty from miles 5+ was not happy with the long break and then starting up again without further nutrition besides "smart water"... smart water for a stupid girl who brought her water bottle out of the house on her way out- but never filled it out ... (i did consider going back- but.... didnt...womp womp).
Anyway I spent the rest of the day so tired I literally spent 3 hrs rolling around trying to comfy in my car and then a park, and then my car again.... but as the migraine began to reach unbearable it was now almost time to be social! My car instead of home- guess that would help..... I live in the middle of nowhere by about 20 min.... so i knew that after my errands when i started feeling- BAD- that if i went home I'd not come back out to town to see the friends I wanted to later... so i forced myself to stay out....
Anyway I caught up with Lisa and then met up with Alisha for dinner and after a this 1st glass of water at the restaurant - i felt magnificently better- it was quite odd.... its not like i hadnt tried a glas of water about 8 times since the run.... but I guess I finally began to re-balance and had a wonderful time chatting and enjoying a very good dinner at "@ the corner" in Litchfield where my old friend from childhood gymnastics was actually our waitress.... So nice to be home <3. Small town cozy.
Anyway- got home caught up with mom, showed her pictures from facebook of my races- and crashed- even later!!! But still woke up at 5:14... go figure... i laid there a lot longer sunday though :). Eventually I got up and made some cookies, wasted some time... a 1pm race is so late you never know what to do with the first half the day so i went for a slow 2.5 mile run (working my week to 70 miles by the time I finished the race).
My brother and sis-in-law got to our home and then we headed to town for the Race. Met up with Liz, Dave and the family as per LHRR usual- check in- port-o-pot line- warm up jog- start line- national anthem.... Canon BOOM.... and we're off.
I didnt start with fresh legs which was fine... my head was still heavy and achy and my stomach was at 70% comfy, but I thought I'd follow the plan- go out hard and see what happens- NOT my usual plan at all- but I also almost never run anything this short anymore so I thought I'd see what happend with an achievable goal of sub 50 (old PR of 51:??).
So I ran fast for me... sub 6:30 (huge downhill)- 6:30- .... missed my 5k PR by 5 seconds running past 3.1 in 19:40 (my PR is 19:36) So that felt good.. and i still felt fine and still assumed I'd die so was actually trying to hold back a bit... since it was a lil over 90 and very humid and the clouds were just breaking.
I kept expecting to get tired enough ti drop pace, but everytime it hurt it'd pass and I actually started to pass people between miles 5-6 which may have been stupid with the hill...sorry THE HILL- GALLOWS Lane... at the 6mi mark.... but i figured its just a .25 mi hill and its gonna suck whether or not im very tired or VERY tired.... so oh well... and then there it was... fear struck... i knew this would hurt... but my brother was there. And apparently 2 other friends (amy and cait) and some others who knew me. I didnt even look up, just kept my head down, my arms swinging and my feet moving.... - Now I LOVE hills- but getting up one at sub 7 pace... not really my thing....maybe someday it will be... we- me and the pack of 5 guys I'd picked up crested the hill as we turned the corner to the final .75 mi straight and gradually inclined stretch of the race... to be honest they were in my way, but I was hurting enough i figured it'd kill me enough to pass them, that they'd just repass me, so i hovered trying not to take their shoes off their heals....
Within a few hundred yards they final noticed a chick was pushing them and three of them picked up the pace and one hugged close and one dropped back... the long stretch finally hit the point of seeming endless. My stomach was a wreck.... I was so nauseated... but logically assumed the chance of me getting sick betrween now and the finish was highly unlikely...and not until you turn the last corner for 0.1 mi downhill fininsh do you totally HATE that you always do this race. It's downhill... but its like no relief and the longest couple hundred yards ever in the direct sun.. and then Poof.. all done. 48:27.... improving my over 3minutes... i was happy... and highly uncomfortable for about 3 min. Then I saw friends Lauren and Brian and forgot I'd run a race except that I was standing around in a sports bra soaked from sweat/ pouring water on myself at every water stop.
All in all... including a post race family picnic back home- it was a great day... oh yea- the migraine returned for the entire 5.5 hr drive home... luckily it wasnt bad in the dark quiet car... but at the one rest stop... with the noise, lights, movement- i questioned whether I was safe to be driving... but Im still here- and so is everyone else i shared the road with <3.
Looking forward to Baltimore 10miler saturday 6/16 and the Father's day 10k 6/17.....
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