I have been quite lazy since Ironman and have only been out running and riding a couple of times, and the weigh scale shows it. It's easier for me to train when I have a goal to train for and right now I don't have a goal because I haven't registered for an Ironman next year. Oh sure, I'll do shorter races next summer, but I haven't planned on any yet. I know what will get me out running - a race!
I jumped on the Internet bandwagon searching for a race, any race - anything to get me out there. Ah ha, the Running Room's Fall Classic. I don't generally do Running Room races because, well, I don't like the Running Room or its business practices, but I figured I'd do it because winter is coming to town and there won't be much opportunity for me to race before the snow flies.
So, on Thursday I registered for the race on Sunday. It was a choice of a 5 or 10 mile walk or run. I don't do the walk thing, and it didn't take me long to decide I wasn't going to run 10 miles. OK, 5 miles it is.
The run was very scenic in the Beverly Heights district and the weather was fantastic. A good portion of the run was on Ada Boulevard. There was some young buck behind me for most of the run. He only passed me because I walked for about 3 seconds while drinking some water. I eventually caught up to him again and I slowly got farther and farther ahead of him, but I could still hear him breathing, so he wasn't that far behind me. "I have to get even farther ahead of him", I was thinking. "I can tell he's digging deep to try and pass me". As I approached the end of the race I picked up the pace a bit and got even farther ahead of him, but when I got about 30 feet away from the finish line he upped the ante and sprinted. I think he was thinking "I can't let a girl beat me". He crossed the finish line a mere second before me. He was a good pace bunny though because I didn't want him to pass me and that kept me running fast. Well, I don't feel bad by losing to a guy by a second, especially when he's in his 30s.
My finishing time was 41:52 - an 8:22 minute/mile pace. Not too shabby for someone who hasn't ran very much in two months. I haven't lost my speed, I've just lost my endurance. I don't think I'd be able to keep up that pace for a half marathon.
Where's the food, I need food. Pancakes, yogurt, bananas and sausages were on hand. That's the kind of post-race food I like.
