Monday, August 30, 2010

I Came To Move

After my 14 mile split, I felt totally abused. What happens to you personally when your electrolytes get low? I get whacked. I'm moody, my muscles cramp and I feel hungover. I took it light the next few days, went to my Hatha Flow classes and that was about it. I am actively trying to take care of my muscles and joints, as opposed to my normal routine of abuse and neglect.

A month ago, the KC Marathon was the only race I had in view. Honest? I FREAAAKKKEEED me out so I've been avidly signing up for every 5k I can get my hands on. This includes this weekend's Kansas vs Missouri Rivalry Run 5k. It was definitely a cool idea, basically runners from Kansas and Missouri sign up-each runner gives a point to their state, division winners and overall winners get more points for their state. There is a big rivalry between Kansas and Missouri, so it was fun way to put it to a foundation's benefit.

I had an awesome feeling about this race. I'm trying to get more comfortable with this distance because so far I have not lived up to my potential. Dead set on setting a PR, I anxiously drove to the race which was in the Power and Light District of KC. Well guess what? You need to pay to park in the lot next the race, and somebody had no cash. So I frantically drove around downtown trying to find a free spot. Finally, a mile from the start and nine minutes to gun time I parked. I sprinted to the starting line, which I guess was my warm up. Slurped some GU and then...oh...no...felt that old familiar pang in the gut. There was no time, the anthem was being sung so I pushed to the middle of the pack and BAM! Gun time.



Look at these people! So serious!


I made a rookie mistake of going out to fast from the gun, and within a quarter mile I was tiring out. Before I knew it, I was passing mile one. I peeped down at the 405 and GASP! I ran the first mile in 7:20! Holy Hell! I needed to slow down, and quick-oxymoron huh? Lucky for me, Mile one was at the bottom of a glorious monster of a hill. So clearly no trouble slowing down. Hoo-dogey, we have some hills in Missouri but this one does take the cake-apparently it's the hill that use to weed out people during the KC Marathon, but they have since changed the course.


What goes up must go down, so the downgrade from that scale was a relief and I whirred down it-and by mile two I knew I could pretty much do anything and still set a PR. I took a brief walking break by the water station, and carried on. I'm glad I did because we took a left turn on our last half mile, and DWAM-60degree grade of incline. Who does that?! Who makes the finish on that high of a grade??


Those hill repeats have paid off, and I feel pretty confident saying this but hills are a strength of mine now-I have the butt to prove it. When many of my counterparts were throwing in the towel, I spotted my mom just at the right time-who screamed "HEY GIRL YOU KEEP RUNNING...RUN FASTER!! YOU LOOK GOOD!" God, I love that lady. She's the best.


I finished in 26:30, which is an average pace of 8:33-and sets my 5k PR in a race. Obviously, I can run a lot faster with G-and maybe I'll be able to set a new PR at the Strut your Mut 5k in September. No division win for me, I wasn't even in the top 10-depressing for a PR, but it's all good. Here are my STATS:


bib number: 454
age: 22
gender: F
location: Overland Park, KS
overall place: 119 out of 424
division place: 19 out of 107
gender place: 32 out of 259
time: 26:30
pace: 8:33
RACE STATS:
Number of Finishers: 424
Number of Females: 259
Number of Males: 165
Average Time: 30:57


I came home and ran Goliath on his very own 5k, so I got a total of six miles in for the day-not counting the mile to and from my car


Total Mileage: 6.06

Time: 54:35.42

3 comments:

Her Posh Palate... said...

This absolutely blew my mind... Way to go!!!!

Becky said...

Great job!

I admire your commitment to running and doing what you love.

Holly @ couchpotatoathlete said...

Great finish time! Julia you are so inspiring!