Youngstown Peace Race - 10k pr and my Garmin sucks

Goal: race ladies around me, somewhere under 39:00
Result: 9th female, 3rd Ohio female, 38:34 (6:13 average)

Results: 2015 Ohio Elite Results


     The week prior to this race I raced a badly paced 5k (19:06) at the Fight Cancer 5k that got me very worried that I would not be able to set a 10k pr at the Youngstown Peace Race. I only do this one 10k every year and I so badly wanted to better my time from 2014. I'm going out of 2015 without marathon and half marathon prs, so I at least wanted to go out with with 5k and 10k prs. Despite having a rough race at that 5k, I was very glad I did it. It was for a good cause and I was thankful to be part of the event.
     The drive out to Youngstown is one of my favorites. Such an easy, straight shot and it only takes me about an hour and 15 minutes. The race doesn't start until 11 a.m., so no early wake up. The parking is free for the event and by the time I'm getting back on the freeway, all the roads are clear and it's a fast drive home to my waiting kidlets.
     This is a point to point  course, so we take a bus from the finish to the start at an elementary school. I took the elite bus this year. It was slightly more intimidating to be on a bus with all those fasties, than it was being on the regular bus last year, that is for sure. At this point I guess I'm getting used to being surrounded by skinny, keyed up runners, so it's all good. When we got to the elementary school I used the potty and then went to the back of the school to find my secluded hallway. I sat in this hallway last year, soaking up the sun. It was overcast today, but I just chilled and looked up results for the PGH Pittsburgh 10 miler.
     I did a two mile warm up 45 minutes before the start. One last pee back at the school and then I stripped down to my Second Sole singlet and "fast" spandex shorts and went down to the start to do drills, strides and runouts. This final step is so, so important for me in shorter races. The 10k effort level is no joke and I have to be warmed up and ready to run. Not quite as important as before a mile or 5k. Right before the race I felt relaxed and happy to be there. I love it when I get this feeling before a race. It means I'm welcoming the pain that is to come and for me this is important.

The start! Lots of local and non-local fasties. Photo credit: Mike Capps

     I purposely lined up behind the elite women that I knew would be in the top 10. One of the local elite runners that I've seen pop up often in the running2win top 20 was there and I lined up next to her. She was just running the race as a workout though. It only took me a few seconds to get across the starting line and with that downhill I found myself right in the mix with those top 10 ladies. If the race had a perpetual downhill, I'm pretty sure I could hang with them. But it leveled off and they continued their 5:30 pace. I did not. I felt super smooth through that first mile. Much more in control than 2014. I reached the mile marker and my watch beeped. 6:20?! Okay, I didn't need to go out quite that slow! Major WTF moment here. I felt pretty good, but was in a panic. I was already 15 seconds behind on a downhill mile! Right at this time Meg from the Columbus Running Company caught me and my mind was preoccupied with racing her from here to the finish. No more stressing about pace, although I mentally noted the running clocks at each mile marker. When she passed me I made a very conscious decision to go with her. I've found that I have to make this decision to race. I don't naturally have competitive feelings welling up in me when someone passes me, but once I commit to it, I'm there.

My Peace Race homies! We paced together for 6 miles. Photo Credit: Emmett King Photography

2 mile clock: 11:58 and my watch splitted 6:02 sometime before it. Well, that doesn't add up. Don't worry about it...race the lady. Enjoy the downhill. Stay on your toes. Don't tense up. First hills began in the third mile and I found myself catching up to Meg on every uphill and passing her on the down. She would then proceed to blow by me on the flat sections. Let's just say it was a good thing for me that this is a hella hilly race.
3 mile clock: 18:10. I don't even remember where my watched beeped but it was nowhere near a mile marker and it told me 6:31. Nope, not possible. I'll spare you the details on what it told me the rest of the race as I'm sure it's all wrong. I'd like to think the race organizers have it together enough to put the clocks at the proper mile markers. Next year, no watch! I think the fourth mile is toughest and the slowest. Lots of up and down through the beautiful Mill Creek park. I was encouraged that I was staying with Meg and the fast masters runner that we were pacing with. I felt exactly as I should in a 10k. In pain, steadily approaching oxygen debt, but still a mile or two left in me.
4 mile clock: 24:15. I cannot do math in my head while I'm racing, but this split seemed pretty good to me. The fifth mile is not so bad. We come down out of the park and there are more flat stretches.
5 mile clock: 30:30. When I came into view of this clock I finally realized that we were on pace to run in the 38s. I got really excited and passed Meg, trying to do a far out kick. My legs didn't respond to this very well and I slowed up within a few strides. Just stay steady, I commanded myself. Meg went around me again and the guy we were running with commented that "This like the battle of the lady runners!" I just nodded my head. I couldn't talk at this point! Meg started to move ahead of me on the flat and I thought, "She wants it more than I do" and let her go. But there was the bridge looming up ahead. This bridge is evil. It is placed at the 5.75 mile point and believe me your legs do not appreciate hauling your lactic acid-filled body up it. I started tiptoeing up it as fast as I could and went to the arms, even though there's like half a mile left. By the time I reached the top, I had nearly caught Meg again. We took a sharp right and there was the finishing stretch with the 6 mile marker in sight. I looked down at my watch and saw that we had just hit 37:00. I was going to make it in! I started hauling ass and passed Meg for the final time right before the 6 mile. I put 7 seconds on her in that final 0.2. All I could think about was that clock and the fact that there was a 38 on it. The announcer stated that some women in the top 10 were coming in. I launched myself across the finish mat to make sure I got my time and then sat down on the pavement just past the finish line. I was so out of breath that I couldn't catch it for a few minutes. I like feeling like this after a race because it means I had a strong finish!
     Meg came in and I thanked her and the masters guy for all the pacing help. I checked around and went to talk to the other female finishers who were getting their stuff out of the bag check truck. After I'd chatted for a few minutes I got my stuff and headed out for a two mile cooldown. I decided to stick around until the awards happened because with where I had placed overall, there was a possibility I had placed in the Ohio money. Sure enough, I got third Ohian. If I want to place consistently in the top Ohio women at this race, I'm going to have to drop my 10k time. Last year the last money placing was in the mid 36s, though it's unlikely that they will draw that competitive a field outside of an anniversary year. The goal for next year will be to dip as far below this time as possible. The one thing I noticed was how important it is to know the course. With all the hills and the insanely fast start, it helps to know what you're facing.

The definition of hauling ass. Get across the mat! Photo credit: Mike Capps Photography

Towpath Half Marathon - Tired on the Towpath

Towpath Half Marathon

October 11, 2015

Goal: "A" 1:23 "B" 1:25 "C" 1:27

Result: 1:25:38, first female

Splits: 6:13, 6:26, 6:18, 6:25, 6:35, 6:43, 6:37, 6:33, 6:40, 6:50, 6:42, 6:48, 6:37

     Early October has come to mean "towpath time" for me in the past three years. I started back into racing "just for fun" in 2013 with the 10k. Last year I knew I could get a half marathon pr without trying and coughed up the $70 to enter last minute. I ran an almost perfect half that day and huge pr of 1:24:42. I received a free entry to run this year's race as part of my winnings. I wasn't sure if I would run it, as I was waiting to see if I'd gotten into the Columbus elite field for the half. I never heard back from Columbus, so when I got the call from the towpath organizers at the Canalway Partners, I gladly took the opportunity! It is a flat course, with few tangents to worry about and if you can hook up with someone running your pace, it is a perfect pr opportunity. The one downside was that I only had two weeks, 15 days to be exact, between Akron and this race. After Akron I refused to take a day off until the following Saturday, trying to get my legs back under me. On Tuesday, 10 days after Akron I did my first workout back. It actually went quite well and I had three miles at half pace sprinkled into a 6.3 mile run that averaged 6:41 pace. I say the workout went well, but then it took me three days to recover from it. I was still tired from Akron. Nevertheless, I planned on going for a 1:23 pr.

     I slept badly the night before the race. Not from stressing over my race, but from stressing over the upcoming conference meet for Buckeye high school. I never thought I would be this caught up in the season and so emotionally involved in how well my athletes do. They want it so bad, and I want it for them. Once I woke up, I got into race mode and pushed these thoughts aside for at least a few hours. I got to Brandywine Ski Resort super early to avoid the traffic nightmare of last year. I sat in my car and willed my stomach to settle down. Calista had a stomach bug earlier in the week and I think I mostly resisted it, but got a touch of it. It didn't bother me during the race. I didn't have to stand in line at the porta potties at all. Not that I would have. There are woods everywhere! Forty five minutes before the 8 a.m. start I headed down the path to my favorite warm up area for this race. It is secluded and there are beautiful ponds with lots of wildlife milling around. It was chilly, but not as cold as last year. I felt a bit tired after my warmup and drills, but I told myself not to worry, doesn't mean anything for the race. I headed back up to the start area and saw Randy, Lisa, Dave and Debbie up by the starting line. Debbie was racing the half and she had run Akron as well. 

Starting line pic. Photo credit: Ohio & Erie Canalway Partners

     

Debbie and I! Akron/Towpath warriors. Photo credit: Lisa Eliason

     I lined up at the front and after the national anthem, the half starters coordinated with the full starters and we were off with those loud cowbells. I started a little quick and led the race for about 400 meters. Mind you, it wasn't that quick, maybe 5:45 pace. The guys that ended up finishing top overall were not planning on running much under 6:00 for their race and finished in around 1:17. We swooped down the driveway and down that beautiful hill and immediately turned right, onto the towpath. This is different from previous years, where you didn't get onto the towpath until about mile four. The front four guys quickly faded away into the mist.

Miles 1 and 2: 6:13, 6:26. This split worried me. It was under pace, but really with that sharp downhill it was not actually much faster than goal pace and could even be slower. Sure enough, I hit 6:26 for mile 2. The average that I needed to get in the 1:23s was 6:22. That seemed tough at this point. You never want to have an "uh-oh" moment at mile 2 in a half marathon. 

Miles 2 and 3: 6:18, 6:25. A guy caught up to me in the second mile and I ran mile three with him. He asked me what my goal was and I told him I wasn't sure, that I'd like to pr but didn't think it was possible today. Yup. I had already give up on 1:23. He told me he'd like to go 1:23 and that would be a two minute pr. I told myself to stay with him until the three mile marker and see what happens. The 6:18 was a bit quick and I felt like I was working too hard. I let him go after we reached the mile marker. The next mile felt pretty good, but then once again, I was off pace. At this point I let myself give in to just trying to win the race. I made a pact that I had to stay with any man that passed me until the next mile marker and if a woman caught up, I had to race for my life. 

Miles 4 and 5: 6:35, 6:43. I still felt fine in mile four but started feeling exhausted in mile five. All of the sudden I wanted to lay down on the side of the road and take a nap. I almost took my Gu Roctane early to get rid of this lethargic feeling, but decided to wait until the turn around.

Miles 6 and 7: We got close to the turnaround, which was farther up the path than last year. The lead guys passed me coming back. I accidentally passed the cone that was meant for the turnaround and ran towards the people that were standing by the porta potty. They waved me back. "Turn around at the cone!" I turned around, got down my Gu and drank a full cup of water. And then, coming at me there were two women, running together about 30 seconds back. I might have to run for my life after all.

Miles 8 and 9: 6:37, 6:33. The backtracking traffic started and got pretty heavy before it let up. A poor man had to pass me during this. Time to follow in his wake. I got a fast couple miles from dragging along behind him. I was feeling pretty rough, but I tried to smile and stay positive for all the awesome people who cheered for me at the aid stations and along the course. I did not take any water during this race, except for what I took with my Gu.

Miles 10 and 11: 6:50, 6:42. I didn't see the 6:50 split and I'm glad that I didn't. I jogged through one of the Gatorade stations during this mile and got down about half a cup. Anything to get rid of this lethargic, sleepy feeling. I felt like I was running through a dream of exhaustion. Nothing hurt too badly and my breathing was fine, but I was just so tired! I told myself to get going a little after the 10 mile. Almost done! 

Miles 12 and 13: 6:48, 6:37. I was staying as positive as possible and trying to enjoy how pretty the towpath was at this time of the morning. The sun had risen and the views along the canal were stunning. After I hit 12 miles I started to really hurt. No strong finish today. A guy passed me in the 13th mile and I struggled to go with him. I only stayed with him for 400 meters or so before dropping off. I still worked harder this mile as a matter of principle. I saw Todd, Rachel and their son walking the opposite direction, down to their aid station and Todd gave me a high five. Before I knew it, I was running up the mini hill to the finish at Boston Store. I wasn't as happy this year and I was in 2014 and no big smile for the crowd. There was no pr waiting for me at the finish line and I was dead tired. 

     After I finished, I waited for the next two ladies to come in and congratulated them. I was familiar with the third place lady, but not with the girl that placed second. I found Cynthia, Dave and Lisa at the finish and talked with them a bit. They had run the 10k and were waiting for Debbie and Christy to come in for the half. 

We get bananas? This is new! Photo Credit: Ohio & Erie Canalway Partners

     I cheered in Debbie in the half before starting my cooldown run back up to the car. It ended up being about three miles at 8:30 pace and I thought I would die of starvation before I reached my car. I immediately gulped down all my water and ate two of the nutrition bars that came in the goodie bag. I drove back down to Boston Store for the awards and also to wait and cheer in a few marathoners. One of my new running buddies, Amanda, placed 6th female in the full marathon in 3:30! I got another $100 gift certificate to Microsoft for winning. I now have $250 in Microsoft gift certificates that I should really use on something. Also, I'll be back to defend my half title next year! 

Awards pic. Photo credit: Ohio & Erie Canalway Partners

Akron Marathon - Another positive split marathon

Akron Marathon on September 26, 2015
Goal: "A" 2:55-2:59 "B" 3:02-3:05 "C" any pr
Result: 3:08:46, 9th female

Mile splits: 6:20 6:41 6:34 6:52 6:33 6:46 7:01 6:33 6:36 7:03 6:56 6:57 7:01 7:33 7:15 7:31 6:59 7:16 7:20 7:49 7:31 8:15 8:03 8:10 6:51 7:22

     I really hoped to go out of 2015 with a marathon pr. It didn't seem to be too much to ask of my body when I was able to run 3:07 in my first real marathon off of 50 miles a week. I approached training with a mix of enthusiasm and dread. I was very excited and thankful to be part of the elite athlete program for the race and I knew I was fast enough to go after a sub 3:00. I was dreading the long track workouts and tempo runs that seem to be a requirement of marathon training. I had been joining a couple running buddies at the track to do short, fun track workouts that were more oriented to 5k training and below than the marathon. I ended up forgoing marathon track workouts all together and only had one real marathon-themed interval workout. I'm sure this is part of what went wrong with my race. I'm missing the speed endurance that I need to hammer for hours. I did stay very faithful with long runs and tempo runs thanks to my new running buddy, Todd. We met nearly every week to get a tempo in and I did two high quality 20 milers with him at about 7:30 and 7:15 pace respectively.

Example of track workout: 3 x (600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100) 2:12s, 1:48s, 80s, 58, 33s, 15s

Example of tempo: 5 miles @ 6:28

     My fueling plan was to use the four bottles that I received at the expo and fill the first three with a mix of 10 ounces of Gatorade and ten ounces of water. The final bottle had water and a Gu Roctane Cherry Lime taped to it. Fueling seemed to work well, but I was mildly nauseous for most of the race. It could be from the Gatorade. I don't think it actually effected my race at all. I ate two bowls of cheerios and a whole cup of coffee early in the morning. Drank more coffee and ate half a Honey Stinger peanut butter pro bar an hour before the start.
     I car-pooled to the race with running buddy extraordinaire, Evan, who was running the relay. We were there very early since the parking garage that we were using would be closed before 6 a.m. We hung out in the elite athlete area in one of the university buildings for a while before Evan needed to go meet his relay team. I tried to stay relaxed and stretch, watch the athletes around me to stay distracted. I was very nervous and feeling insufficient. Every time I find myself among these fast runners I have to remind myself that I do belong there. I've earned my way to being a fast local runner and it's crazy that I have all these doubts, but I definitely do before every race.
     I warmed up in the parking garage right next to the starting line and did a few light drills and strides. Nothing too crazy. I had a long day ahead of me. Brian Polen, the Akron race director, wished me good luck right before we were called down to the exit to be introduced. I had been pretty withdrawn for about an hour at this point and his well-wishes gave my spirits a boost! Once we went out to the starting line, we had a straightaway to do strides down and our own portapotties for last minute pees. I saw that Beth Woodward and Teresa Ferguson were in the marathon field. I wanted to race with them since I knew they would be strong on this course, but I knew I had to do my own thing. The countdown to the start was very cool and I'm looking forward to it for the 2016 race already. I started controlled and literally hundreds of people who were not in the elite field moved past me in the first 400 meters.
Mile 1: 6:20. This is not a true 6:20. Lots of downhill in this mile and I felt very controlled. I did not go with Beth Woodward or Shanna who were moving ahead at a frightening rate. I was in 8th place in the race from mile 1 to mile 14.
Mile 2: 6:41. Jeff passed me in this mile. I asked him what the heck he was doing?! "I"m running 6:00 min pace!" he says. "Well, I'm not!" I yelled back. "I was just warming up," he says. LOL I love that guy and his relaxed approach to his training races. He cruised to a 1:21 half! I kept looking for Evan, who said he might not run his leg faster than 40 minutes but I couldn't see him anywhere. Turns out he ran 5:48 pace for his 6 mile leg.
Miles 3 and 4: 6:34, 6:52. Lots of downhill again in the third mile, then an uphill section in mile 4. I wasn't too concerned when a few marathon guys passed me. No women were anywhere in sight at this point. Not even relay runners. They had either moved ahead or were behind me and the top half marathon women were waaaaaay ahead.
Mile 5: 6:33. More downhill and my first fuel bottle. I did not want all my Gatorade but I forced down as much as I could. It was starting to get light out and I was enjoying all the crowds. I noticed that my feet didn't feel all that comfortable around this time. I was getting some burning on my forefeet that was bothersome.
Miles 6 and 7: 6:46 and 7:01. I was feeling really smooth in these miles and it felt like the perfect pace. Not stressing at all about relay people passing me. I actually enjoyed the company. Most of this race would have been a lonely desert if weren't for the relay.
Miles 8 and 9: 6:33 and 6:36 I honestly don't know why I went this fast in these miles. Perhaps there was some downhill, but probably not enough to justify this pace. I'll be more aware next time!
Mile 10: 7:03. I got my second bottle and had a hard time getting half of it down. I let myself slow down some to get it digested and that is mostly why this mile is slow. I wasn't feeling terribly tired, but I also wasn't on top of the world.
Miles 11 and 12: 6:56, 6:57. I was consciously slowing these miles down a bit. I was a little concerned that I didn't feel great and kept telling myself "Run within yourself" to keep the pace smooth. A relay guy asked to run with me at one point and I was a little grouchy with him (for me) because he asked me what pace I was planning to run. "Probably just under 7:00," I answered. He kept trying to talk and I wasn't too interested. I told him he would probably move ahead on a hill because I was trying to keep my effort under control. I did tell him good luck as he moved ahead on a hill. This interaction warned me that I wasn't in a good mood.
Mile 13: 7:01. About the same pace but I could feel the effort went up. I hit half in 1:29:20 and with a sinking feeling I realized I would need another 1:29 half to go under 3:00. I was hoping to feel better with that task looming ahead of me, but I didn't. And up ahead was a massive hill.
Mile 14: 7:33. I was actually surprised that I pulled off a mid 7:00 for this mile. Teresa passed me and I couldn't even think about going with her. My legs started feeling like lead and there were these never-ending hills. It was around this time that I told myself to not strain on the hills. Run them easy and work up to pace again when I crested them.
Miles 15 and 16: 7:15, 7:31. More hills and my third fuel bottle. I didn't get much of it down. Things started to unravel at this point, but all I wanted was to stay in the mid 7s. I could do that right?
Mile 17: 6:59. I felt pretty good in this mile and there was some downhill. I wasn't paying any attention to the scenery at this point but I appreciated all of the cheers from spectators.
Miles 18 through 21: 7:16, 7:20, 7:49, 7:31 Just keep it in the 7s, just keep in the 7s. Don't throw up your Gu please.
Mile 22: 8:15. 3:05 pace group passed me. Fuck it. I'm walking through this aid station. I did drink some water and Gatorade. This was the worst mile by far. It is absolutely cruel how far 4 miles feels when everything from the roots of your hair, down to your toe nails hurts.
Miles 23, 24: 8:03, 8:10. I was actually a bit encouraged that I was staying close to 8:00 min pace with how I was feeling. I made a pact with myself that I would only walk through aid stations. I think there was two miles between them and that is quite a ways to keep going when you just want to drop out.
Mile 25: 6:51. Someone told my I was in the top 10. Thank you kind volunteer. This guilted me into getting moving. I also looked at my watch and realized I was still running a marathon somewhere in the 3:07-3:10 range. "Get it together Renee," I basically shouted to myself. There is also a beautiful downhill in this stretch. I started smiling at the volunteers and the 6 hour marathoners on the other side of the street. I was almost done and there was so much beautiful downhill! I might even pr!
Mile 26: My watch splitted a 7:22 after a couple of baby hills, but this wasn't what upset me. I saw the mile 26 clock and there was a 3:06 on it. No way I was getting .2 miles done in the next  minute so I wasn't going to pr. I stopped right there and started walking. I'm not proud of that moment. A man behind me started shouting at me. "No you don't little girl! Come on baby, you're almost done!" I didn't want him to catch up to me and keep talking to me, so I started running again. I came down into the stadium and there was Evan and Jeff cheering me in. A whole group of MCRR people were there as well, screaming and cheering as I finished. I tried to kick it into the finish but there wasn't much left in me. I staggered across the finish line and just like at Cleveland, the volunteers were very concerned about my lack of focus. I assured them I was fine. Got a hug from Brian, which was awesome. I talked to Beth and Teresa and they both did such an amazing job on that course. I got my bag from the dugout area where the elite athletes go after they finish and headed out to meet Evan and Jeff. It took me a long time to get my focus back after I finished this race. I tried to eat a burger and fries at Five Guys but no way it was going down without coming back up in an embarrassing manner.

Finishing up that blue line! Photo Credit: Maureen Oblander

     All in all, my recovery went pretty well that day and I ended up making peace with my positive split. I got it together and finished stronger than I ever have before, but I can't help but be disappointed with the time. My body is definitely missing something in those mid and late miles. I don't feel strong or fast, just beat down and tired. I've decided to give the marathon another shot at the Cleveland full next spring. I like that I'll know the course ahead of time. I won't be aiming for a sub 3:00. My goal will be 3:03-3:05 and I will stick to a 7:04 pace. I've learned the hard way that I can't take my half marathon or shorter distance times to predict my full time. If it were accurate for me, I'd have run a 2:50 marathon by now. I think that I may be able to run that in the future, but my speed endurance needs a lot of work. And I loved, loved, loved my first taste of the Akron Marathon course! I honestly can't wait to give this race another try and get a better time and place.

Classic at Mastick 5k - Return to Cross Country (ish)

Classic at Mastick 5k on August 12, 2015
Goal: just race
Result: 19:15 for second female                                                                

     I'm writing this post months after racing, so I'm hoping that I remember all details correctly. I've been working on staying aware during races and I'm much better than I used to be, but pain still fogs things up in my brain. I did this race as a way to bond and hang out with my Buckeye cross country girls. I didn't taper at all and just replaced my tempo run with this. This race was run during a 78 mile week in the midst of Akron marathon training. I was leary about returning to cross country. My last cross race was at GLIAC in October of 2004. It was a mud hole mess on the course and I ran somewhere in the low 25s for 6k. Yeah. Really slow. My fastest 5k that season was a low 20 for 11th in the open race at the All-Ohio Championships at Ohio Wesleyan. My cross country pr is 19:20 (I think) on the Wisconsin-Parkside course from 2001. It is so hard not to recall these dreadful experiences when I go back to a similar racing surface. I have to remind myself that I am nowhere near the same runner that I was back then. No matter the racing surface.

And we're off! Photo credit: Randy Porter

     I got terribly lost getting up to the racing site and was almost not there in time to watch the boys race. I had time to warm up with Holly, one of the Buckeye girls, and then we headed to the line. I was as nervous as usual and not able to go into coach-mode at all. I was just one of the girls and a bundle of race nerves. My run outs felt really sharp though and I was feeling fast in my endorphin racers. I made the decision to go out with the fast-starting teenagers, no matter what kind of pace they threw down. YouTube Video of start and finish  I wasn't wearing a watch but I'd estimate that we did about a 75 second quarter to get out. It didn't slow down that much for about another quarter, then comparatively things came to a screeching halt. Shannon from Keystone was the only girl left to catch and as we swung back up to the spectator area I drew up on her shoulder. "Just stay right here," I commanded myself and settled into her rhythm. We passed all the spectators and I heard a lot of "Go coach Renee!"

Pacing with Shannon in the first mile. Photo credit: Randy Porter

     As we dropped into the woods I started feeling a little breathless and tight. I decided to let Shannon move ahead and I slowed off the pace. I wish that I hadn't because I think that was what kept me from breaking 19:00 in this race. We went past a group of the Buckeye boys and one of them shouted "Don't beat my time!" Ha, I totally did. The mile was 5:58-6:00 and I was a little surprised because it felt way faster than that. This is really only because of that fast first half. Drains the legs! In the second mile we had to go through a narrow, dark section of the woods and through a sharp left turn. I could hear someone creeping up behind me and I figured that it was Sara, a local fast runner that I've raced in a half marathon before. I didn't look behind to check. We started back tracking through the woods and began passing a bunch of runners coming the other direction. A few of the girls cheered for me but I was in full-on pain face mode and didn't respond for the most part. I was gaining on Shannon with every stride at this point and Sara was right behind me. As we came out of the woods, one of the boys shouted, "Don't let her catch you!" but I was fully focused on Shannon and catching her, not caring about the woman behind me. We ran up the hill, onto the grass and I tried to move. The grass was pretty long and I felt like I was moving through quicksand. I needed spikes! I was sure I could catch Shannon and tried so hard to kick up to her. At one point, I was so close I could have touched her, but she knew I was there and started her own kick. I've watched her run a 5:09 1600 all alone and I know how fast she is. I tried to go with her, but I was out of gears and she was not. She ended up winning in 19:11 and I trailed in at 19:15. It was still a good effort for me and an official cross country 5k pr. As soon as I finished, Sara sprinted in behind me in 19:16.

Kicking for home. Photo credit: Randy Porter

     I ran back to the woods area to cheer in all the girls and ran all the way back to one of the junior high girls and jogged with her. I was so glad I raced with the girls, but I definitely prefer to just coach at meets. At our icebreaker meet I was very glad that I was cheering and writing down splits, not racing!
Another cool video of the race by BumbleMedia