Northland Half Marathon & 5K

After the slight disappointment of not hitting sub-30 in California with AB, I had two take-aways: 

1. I really need to start incorporating speed work and I'm ready for that.
2. One's mental state of mind is everything

I had signed up for this 5K as a spur of the moment - several friends were running the half marathon and I thought, oh hey, I'll just run the 5K, then hang out and cheer friends in as they finish. The day before, I was wondering why the heck I thought that sounded like a good idea. 

I hadn't been running a whole lot since California. MJ is a little cranky, and I keep trying to do plyometrics with my Daily Burn workouts for whatever reason. So, I'm perpetuating the achiness out of sheer .... idiocy, I suppose. All that being said, I thought it would be a good use of a tempo run (start that speed work!), and decided to aim for around 10mms. Quick, but not racing. Good. 

I get to the race early, do a long warm up, see my friends, say hi and good luck and realize it's way too warm for my arm warmers and jog back to the car to return with the perfect amount of time to pee and then get in line. This race had actual, flushing toilet restrooms at the start/finish, which was luxurious ... until one toilet got clogged. 

So, I line up, wait for the start and take off. After settling in, there is a duo that I tell myself to keep within spitting distance of - they are going nearly the perfect pace and I wanted to make life easy. Mile 1 ticked off in 10:08. 

Can you find me???

The course went out and up over a bridge, then down onto a hard surface trail. All the downhill made things pick up a little bit, and as we neared the 5K turnaround, I noticed very few people actually turning around, and very few women about my age. The wheels were turning and I realized it was one of those races where I may actually have a shot at placing well. Mile 2 ticks off in 9:50. 

So, I'm climbing back up the hill and bridge, thinking I'm tired and maybe I'll just go back to tempo, when a voice says, no, do it for AB. Give him the race he should have gotten with you in Cali. Well, when a voice tells you to do something for a running friend, you sort of just do it. Plus, I knew that most of the course was downhill from there. I decide to ignore my watch and just run. I pick up the pace and just keep going, "do it for AB, do it for AB." Naturally, I realize I should also be doing this for myself. I mean, I'm the one with the sub-30 to chase. And I'm just good of a reason to do this as AB is, so I just go. And go. And go. I'm not even sure what my time is, as I refuse to look at my watch. All I can think is, just give it your best effort (and don't let that woman you passed pass you back). I round the final turn and see the finish line, UGH, it looks like it's forever away. I see part of the clock, with a 2 in it and as it comes into view, I see the clock turn over to 30:00. I think I actually made some sort of frustrated noise out loud, but then I realize I'm the only person running for the finish line at the moment, so I pose for the cameras as I cross the finish.

PT would be proud of that straight line my hips are making.

I'm all annoyed until I stop my watch and look down at it. 

29:57

Holy shit, I think. What's the official time???

I get in line, give the person my number and he says, "okay, you got second in your age group." "I did?" I say as I take the slip he gives me. Then, I nearly forget about that part as I read the piece of paper: 

I looked up and around, as if there would be someone I knew to share the joy with and reached for my cell phone, which was in my car. Damn. Oh well. Instead, I shared a quiet, glorious moment, as I stood there, holding this tiny piece of paper close, grinning like an idiot. 

Then, I went and got some free beer and coffee. And of course, texted AB.