Run Like Hell 10K (10/26/14)

I raced this weekend!!!!

I've been taking it easy with my Achilles injury, but with my recent diagnosis, PT work and clearance from two doctors, I decided to go for it at Sunday's Run Like Hell. I've run a couple races in the past few months, but the last time I really went for it was March's Shamrock Run. 

No costume but sporting my Halloween colors:

I didn't plan to race the 10K. My primary goal was to finish the race, probably doing 10-minute run intervals. My second goal was to run the entire thing, but I figured my endurance wasn't up for it since I haven't run that far in months. My stretch goal was a PR, which I've set the past two years at the Run Like Hell. But that was just silly talk.

I started off feeling good, enjoying perfect temps and lots of crowd energy. I kept the first mile comfortable and then sped up a bit to see how it felt. I was able to push just a bit but still feel good, so I kept it up.

Soon, I saw that I was inching closer to my 10K PR pace, so I thought I'd keep up the pressure and see what happened. There was a pretty stiff headwind in some of the sections, even causing me to grab for my hat a few times. But I kept stomping through the puddles and dropping my pace, astonished that a PR was possible.

I walked through the first two aid stations, just enough to grabbed a little sip. (The second one was NOT water, despite the volunteer telling me it was water! Quite a yucky surprise) Then I skipped the last one, knowing the end was near and it was time to push hard. 

I was prepared for the uphill finish, and I kicked as hard as I could to the end.

Brad finished about 10 minutes ahead of me and was there with the camera:

Go, go, go!

Sucking wind and trying to smile for the picture:

Man, that felt amazing! AMAZING!

In my head, I thought last year's PR was an 8:52 average. So when I finished at an 8:49, I was absolutely elated. PR!!!!!!!!!!!

Then I got home and looked up last year's race and saw that my PR is actually 8:47. CRAP. SO FRIGGIN' CLOSE! So sad. 

Then I came to my senses and remembered that I just ALMOST, ALMOST PR'd after not training and barely running for months. WOOHOO!!!! Yeah, I'm really excited about that.

Check out my splits... not perfectly negative like last year, but pretty darn good:

1 - 9:13
2 - 8:54
3 - 9:02
4 - 9:02
5 - 8:39
6 - 8:27
.28 - 7:43

I really credit my cross training. Most of my non-running exercise in the past several months has been kickboxing and spin class - really intense stuff that pushes my anaerobic threshold. I could really tell that my lungs and heart rate were under control until the end of the race.

Oh - so how'd my heel do??

I felt a little pain at the very beginning, then it seemed to warm up and settle in. Throughout the race, I felt no more stabs of pain, though I could "feel" my heel - kind of a tightness. It was sore immediately after but feels fine today.

Eryn also did the 10K and set a big PR for herself!!!

Racing sisters in matching warmups:

Mike joined us and ran the 5K, his first in a really long time. He did awesome, too!

And Brad did the same thing I did - thought he PR'd and then ended up missing by just a few seconds. OOPS! Perhaps we should look at our previous records before we head out instead of relying on faulty memories :)

Mom and Dad ran/walked the 5K:

The whole gang of happy racers:

This is a really great race! We've enjoyed running it for several years and will keep coming back. Next year, with the correct number in my head, I WILL set a PR :)