We are the champions

Here's the report from yesterday's race.

385/390 1:14:46 New Personal Best

Honor the winner:

1/390 Nicole Kneller 39:26

All I can say is Wow

I made a play list of music for the race. I was lucky enough to have Another One Bites The Dust and We are the Champions come up at the very end, inspiring me to press on.

1. Distance assigned: 10k race plus 3K extra to make up assigned distance

2. Pace assigned:
1st 3K--7:30 per K--no faster using a ratio of run 2 min/walk 1 min
4K-6K--7:00 per K--use 3-1
7-10K--anything you want--your time to pass people. Use any run-walk-run you wish

Pace actually run:
I ran the assigned pace exactly – checking my times at the mile markers. In hindsight, perhaps I should have adjusted for the heat (the average temp of the race was 80 degrees F, with a high of 96 degrees).

3. Walk break ratio assigned: See above. Walk break ratio used: as assigned.

For the "make up" I ran 4.5k in the evening on the beach with my dog. Very relaxing, if challenging, due to having raced. Walk breaks – either 2:1 or 3:1. Some hill and stairs work.

4. Speed-work done: none

5. Any aches/pains? At 7k, my left foot started cramping and I developed pain in my left hip, probably from a compensatory stride. I finally took my shoes off and ran without them for about 50 meters. I realize my laces were too tight. I adjusted the laces and put my shoes back on. My foot was fine for the rest of the race. My hip hurt again a little during the evening run (when lifting my leg).

I felt very good after the race. This time, I didn’t get chills (granted, March was cold & wet). No knee pain arose. I rode my bike home 5k nd continued with my day – no flopping on the couch.

6. Questions? No. What I learned:

Every race is unique.

Bring enough water. I used what I was carrying to drench myself. Same at the 5k water station. Felt good, but I didn’t drink enough.

Don’t tie your shoes too tightly out of pre-start nervousness. Foot cramps mean loosen my laces.

It’s okay to be last for part of the race – “walk breaks are my secret weapon”

The mental training is the most important – I had positive self-talk and strategies ready for aches and pains and being last for a while. I passed people in the last 3k.

Make a plan for the whole race – the 7-10 “Do anything you wish” left me unprepared during the race – I should have planned in advance what I wanted to do. I felt tired and my structure broke down, leaving me vulnerable to the “I can’ts”.

Inspiring music & images really help me.

Running in hot weather is very difficult.

I will run faster when I lose more weight and continue training.

7. Weekend workout planned for next weekend:

May 31--4 x 800 shoot for 5:00 on each one--2:30 per lap. Walk for 3-4 minutes between each 800

Thanks for your help. I really had a fun time.