Today’s race is my anniversary race. Last year, this race was {the first race I ran} – ever. I ran the 5k course that year, so I was kinda excited to run the longer 10k distance course this year. It’s only the second 10k I’ve done, and the first one was the Bolder Boulder, which I mostly walked, so I also knew this race would be my best 10k time as well. It was a pretty cold morning, and the forecast didn’t look like it was going to warm up a whole lot while I was out there, so I wore an extra layer and hoped I wouldn’t get too warm. I picked up my mom, and dropped her off at her start line (she ran the ½ marathon) and headed to mine.
I was a little bit nervous as I waited for my start. Having done this race last year, I knew that the start line was on the lakes beach and trying to run on that was hard and a little exhausting so I had a plan to walk that part. I stretched a little, and chatted with a few other runners, and then it was time to go, only a couple minutes behind schedule. As planned, I walked for the first couple minutes as we got through the sandy beach and onto the sidewalk. This helped let the runners and walkers get spread out a bit too. The 5k and 10k routes started together but split off shortly after we got onto the sidewalk, so that helped thin out the crowd too.
I kept an eye on my time as I went. I had a goal to finish between 1:30 and 1:40, based on my 5 mile times, so I knew I had to keep my mile times under 16 minutes, which is pretty manageable, even if I walked some. Everything was going well. I had a couple chiropractic adjustments, and those seemed to be helping with my rib issue (side pain, caused by an out of place rib). My breathing was good, and under control. I was comfortable temperature wise, not to warm, not too cold. I hit mile 2, and I had to go to the bathroom, though. Fortunately there was an aid station set up, and they had a port a potty. Good thing, because even though I was passing bathrooms all around the lake, they were locked up for the winter. Unfortunately my pit stop cost me a little time, but I never would have made it through the race if I hadn’t stopped.
The rest of the race went just as well. I was starting to get a little warm by mile 4, when I was looping back around to where I was hoping to see my family, but it turns out I was ahead of schedule at that point and they hadn’t gotten there. I was a little bummed because I wanted to take off my extra shirt layer and hand it off. I kept going and just pushed up my sleeves. Mile 5 merges back onto the 5k course, and was a little tough. It goes off onto a marshland trail and does a loop through dirt and grass. The trail was a little rough from getting muddy and having maintenance vehicles drive on it before it dried up again, so the footing was a bit uneven and awkward. Last year, it was icy, snowy, muddy, and slippery, so I really can’t complain too much. I was a little bummed that it slowed me down more than I expected, though. But I got through it, and back on the sidewalk where passed the last aid station and tried to pick up the pace to make up for my lost time. I was on track to finish in my goal time, though, so I was happy. I was getting a little tired, but not too bad.
I came around one last curve and I could see the finish line, and my family. As I merged in with the ½ marathon runners, I wanted to run all out, full speed the last little bit. I took a deep breath, extended my stride, and before I could pick up much speed, my calf cramped. It felt like it just twisted up in a big knot and I felt like I was running with a sever limp. Later on, Jerry said he didn’t notice anything wrong with my form, and certainly didn’t see a limp, but man did it hurt. I wasn’t going to let that cramp stop me from having a strong finish, though, so I pushed through it (good or bad, I don’t know) and crossed the finish line at 1:33:49. I may have even beat my goal time, had I not made that mile 2 pit stop, and cramped just before the finish. But, even with those setbacks, I finished within my goal time, and I felt great.
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