Third 5K - I beat my own mental game....

I was not feeling it this morning. I had a 5K race this morning, the last one of my training that I have scheduled, and I was not feeling it. I woke up unprepared, especially mentally. I had a feeling it was going to be a rough morning.

I really wanted to PR this morning. I also wanted to run the first mile of the race, possibly more. I spent the drive to the course getting myself pumped up mentally.  Lots of "you can do this" and "you got this" on the drive. I knew it was going to be a big race in terms of numbers - I also knew there would be a lot of walkers. I felt like if I got myself in a good mid-pack start at the starting line and kept a slow, but comfortable pace I could make this a great race. 

I managed to beat my mental game.

For the first time in a race, I ran the first mile. I slowed down to remove my sweatshirt, which ended up being the worst decision I made all day. I was in a groove and moving well - and just like that, my momentum was gone. All the muscles started hurting, my breathing became labored and I had to start alternating my running with walking. From that point on, I struggled breathing. I had a hard time catching my breath and getting myself relaxed to the point I could run well again. I pushed through and managed to finish strong, but was just a little disappointed. Overall though, I felt fantastic and was really proud of myself for the race I ran today.

I PR'd by 1 min 20 seconds - my avg pace was nuts. I really wish I would have ran my RunKeeper during the race because I'm curious what my splits were. I really think I ran a 10 minute mile today.  I took 27 out of 50 in my age group and 360 out of 657 participants. 

On a side note - this was really a great race. The Panera Bread Diabetes Dash for Life 5K - it was an inaugural event and the organizers did a great job. They had bagels, bananas and coffee for us before the race and bagels, bananas, cookies, scones, coffee and water after the race. We also got some pretty incredible finisher medals. This race is on my list for future years - I'll definitely participate again. 

Today's Stats:

3.1 miles
35:40 minutes
11:22 avg min/mil
If the half-marathon was today: appox. 2:45:08

Goals for next run
Going to take a couple days off to recover. The left knee and ankle are sore, which is normal for me on a non-running day, but a running day only exacerbates the issue. My runs from here on out have to be at least 4 miles as my next race is a 4 mile run on Oct. 4. 

Yes, that was 1.5 miles I ran today....

I haven't been very good about my training the past couple weeks. I've struggled with life getting in the way and my runs have been pushed to the side. Luckily, tonight I was able to get back out and get in a run - and let me tell you, it was a good one.

I knew I needed to get in a 4 mile run no matter what I did tonight. So, I hit the Y and decided I wasn't getting off that treadmill until I hit 4 miles. I hate running on the treadmill. My pace is slower than normal, I start hurting earlier than normal - I just all around hate it. But I know that sometimes it's the only option I have for getting my training in.

Tonight, I felt good. I was a little tired and was trying to talk myself out of going while I was driving to the Y, but once I got there I started pumping myself up and had myself convinced that I was going to run the first mile. Not only did I run the first mile, I managed to run the first 1.5 miles - I couldn't believe it. I was so excited. I thought about running a little more, but decided to stop for a water and stretch break. Was probably a bad idea as my momentum was gone. I ran/walked the remainder of the time, trying to run as much as I could before stopping and also trying to limit my walk breaks to short distances. I really think I could have kept going - possibly to 5 miles. But, I figured I better stop while I was in a good place - no reason to try to hurt myself. My pace was slow, but I don't care. I made it 4 miles.

Training continues this week - have another 5K on Sunday then my races increase in mileage from there. 159 days to go!

Today's Stats:

4.1 miles
56:00 minutes
13:40 avg min/mil
If the half-marathon was today: appox. 3:19:30

Goals for next run
The family is going roller skating tomorrow, so fingers crossed for no injuries. That'll be a fun way to change up my training. Probably won't get out for another run until Friday - will try to hit 4 miles again that day. 

Today's Inspiration

I've taken a couple days off from training for a few reasons. First, I'm on solo duty with the kids and time is a luxury. Second, during a training run last week I tweaked a muscle in the back of my thigh. Not bad, but it was tight and sore. I felt okay once I got to running in my race on Monday, but it was still pretty sore after the race and yesterday. I figured I should let my body recover a little bit, especially since I probably wouldn't have a chance to get to the Y at all. So, I've rested and I'm okay with that. Hopefully this weekend I can find a time to hit the road and get 4-5 miles in. I need to start increasing my mileage or I'll never meet my goals.

Second 5K = SUCCESS!!!

I had my second competitive 5K this morning and it was just what I needed. The weather was gorgeous and the race organizers said on several occasions that they believed PRs would be set today. In my case, they were absolutely right. I needed today's race - for my training and especially my confidence.

I had a pretty rough dream this morning - apparently my negative voice has traveled into my dreams. In my dream I quit halfway through a race and went home. My family was waiting for me laughing and telling me they knew I couldn't do it and should try to find a 2K now. I woke up from that dream when my alarm went off and did my best to not let it overtake my mind. I tried to think motivational and positive thoughts throughout the morning and did everything I could to not let any negativity enter into my brain.

From the race brochure

This was a great race. Only a small hill - flat and easy to run. The course was really simple and quiet pretty. I didn't think I started out fast, but boy did I. I stopped probably at the .5 mark to start walking a little. Before I even hit the 1 mile mark the runners were returning towards the finish line - I started to get discouraged but instead, decided to start clapping and cheering them on - it was a great mind swap. Not long after that I realized I was coming up on the 1 mile marker - I couldn't believe how quickly I had reached it. And, I should have been surprised - I ran almost an 11:26 mile. I thought I was going to cry I was so excited. I kept telling myself to keep pushing, keep pushing, you are going to PR. That was my goal - to PR.  By the time we made the turn and started heading back I knew the 2 mile marker was coming up - but I knew I had slowed down some as well. I pushed my runs as hard as I could and tried to keep my walks limited. Came up to mile marker 2 and was shocked to see it was around 24 minutes. I knew I could PR. 

I kept telling myself to keep your head up, keep running, you're almost done. I really wanted to finish strong and run as much of the last mile as I could. My 3 mile was not as good as I would have like it to be but I ran hard across that finish line. The clock said around 37:19 and I was blown away. I had PR'd - and not by a little but by a ton. Once I realized my official time would be even quicker than that you would have had to beat the smile off my face.  

When I got my print out, I started to get upset with myself. I finished so far behind everyone, especially in my age group. But, I had to remind myself that this is only my second 5K and I've only been doing this for a couple of months now. I have no right to be disappointed - I crushed my PR and ran a great race. And, at the end of the day, I didn't take last!

These little slips make me happy

Of the above slip, there's one change that I know of already. My finish position was out of 321 - not 295. Everything else has remained the same. 37:01:5 - are you kidding me???????  

Training continues as my next 5K is in 3 weeks, with a 4 miler two weeks later. 

Today's Stats:

3.1 miles
37:01:05 minutes
11:57 avg min/mil
If the half-marathon was today: appox. 2:51

Goals for next run
Probably won't get out much this week but will try to get at least one training run. I have got to get my daily mileage up to 4 miles. The back of my quad hurts a lot too so I may let my body rest up a bit. We'll see.

Today's Inspiration....