The Shameless Whiner: March 2011

Race Stats: Race name: Tyler Azalea 10k

Distance: 10k

PR 1:15:01 set 8/28/10 at the Lake Houston 10k in Kingwood, Texas

Goal #1: Finish-----Met

Goal #2: Finish with 11 minute mile pace or better-----Not met

Gun time: 1:13:11 Chip time: 1:12:37 Place: 513/657 overall; 40/58 age division

Splits (somehow missed the first mile marker!) hit mile 2 at: 22:55, mile 3: 11:05, mile 4: 11:57, mile 5: 12:32, last 1.2 miles: 14:11 Average pace: 11:38

Now don't go being too disappointed for me. After hovering around the 10 minute pace mark on my last two tempo runs of three and four miles, I figured I could easily manage a 10k at an 11 minute pace or better. Easy breasy right? Well, that was before I realized I would be going for a hike. Somehow, I missed the tiny little detail that there were hills on this course. I thought maybe I had just forgotten about it since I registered for this race two or three months ago. Oh no! There was a map but no elevation profile and the only description offered on the event website is that it is a beautiful course full of azalea blooms, dog wood trees, blooms, blooms, yada yada yada. The course was beautiful. That is true. I wish I would have enjoyed more of it but I caught myself watching the ground quite a bit. We are in Tyler frequently because we spend time with family there but, as fate would have it, we hadn't been since Christmas. This didn't provide any opportunity to drive the course or take a sneak peak and train on it. Surprise! Surprise! Hills!! For the first four miles or so they weren't too bad. In fact I would describe them as rolling. Shortly after mile marker 4 there was a doozy. This sucker was steep! I had to walk most of it. Now, I grew up in Utah and am no stranger to hills but I have been living in Texas for oh fourteen years or so and in my neck of the woods hills are few and far between. In fact, before yesterday I had seen nary a hill since my Ragnar relay in Vegas last October. To say I was unprepared is an understatement to say the least. I am used to my Texas race courses being flat and fast. Well flat anyway I haven't reached the fast part. I am not complaining, mind you, the experience has just reminded me to expect the unexpected.

Like many runners I run with music. As for music selection, I am pretty random. On my iPod my selections range from gospel hymns to Queen. I don't really use the music to pace off of just mainly for entertainment and strength when I need it. Sometimes I forget it is even there. In preparation for this race I decided it was time to add some new tunes and asked my son to load some for me. I was really excited for him to load 'Eye of the Tiger'. It really pumped me up and motivated me for this race. My son plays the saxophone so I asked him to load some of his concert pieces as well. The last two miles of this 10k were very difficult. There was that big hill at the dawn of mile 5 that really wore me out. So every little hill after that felt twice as steep as it actually was. I passed the 5 mile mark and was really feeling tired. I skipped through my iPod to find a song that would give me some strength and motivation. Music is a strangely powerful force. I found my strength in a song called "Fantasy on a Japanese Folk Song" performed by the Region 9 band last December. It doesn't have a terribly quick tempo but it is beautiful and I find it quite powerful. I can't get enough of it! I interpret it as a triumph over adversity and am touched more and more each and every time I listen to it. Region band is a collection of the best of the best of high school musicians. It was so exciting for Cameron to be a part of it. Now, I am not expert enough to be able to pick out each individual instrument so I couldn't pick out the subtle contribution of my Bari sax playing boy but just knowing that he was part of something so special and so beautiful was really inspiring and I was able to draw strength from his accomplishment. Somehow or another it helped me up another hill. Just as the song was fading I could hear the announcer at the finish line. Oh! Thank goodness I am almost there. I turned the corner and saw the finish line. I looked at my watch it said 1:07. Maybe I can make it there by 1:10 I thought. So, I picked up the pace and then I saw it. Another hill. Blast!! By this time "The Climb" had come up on my iPod. How appropriate as I run up yet another hill. I did it. I ran up the thing. By the time I made it to the top I was so tired it was all I could do to keep up my little trot I had going there. I kept telling myself go faster, finish strong. I saw a lady running the wrong way to run in with another lady (maybe her mom). It reminded me of how my Dad used to do that for me when I was a kid. I was able to muster up a little more strength and passed them. I saw my step son with my sweet boy sitting on his shoulders waving 'Yay Mommy' and that was all it took. The last 50-75 yard the kick finally kicked in and I was able to pass another runner or two and cross that finish line with 1:12 on my watch. Hallelujah!! I was spent. I had to lean on a stop sign for support until my husband and kids made it to me and then we headed over to the recovery table. After some water, a piece of bagel, some chocolate milk, and a banana I was feeling much better. It's hard to be disappointed when you finish feeling like you left it all out on the road and it's satisfying to know that I finished on a course that is much more difficult than I am used to!