The Race is Run

First Race completed!  My Time wasn’t all that great.  46’12” for 7K (4.35 miles). That’s right there at 10 and ½ minute miles.  I was hoping for 10s but I was running shoulder to shoulder with people most of the race.  I started off slow.  My First mile I kept my HR in the 135 – 140 range (this is my goal HR for long days)  After mile run it started to creep up.  By the end of the Race I averaged 165 bpm.  With a MAX of 184, note this is the highest I have ever hit, must have been on an uphill.  I ran (jogged) every step of the race.  And I feel like I won the mental game, especially since I planned on running with someone and ended up running alone.  Luckily 3 lovely ladies in some amazing outfits planted themselves right in front on me and had the same pace as I did…  Weird...  After a few miles I passed them, the hills were easy gentle hills which was nice for passing people.  I learned a few things about me as a runner and that’s how I’ll organize this Blog:

 

·         I don’t like crowds – Although I’m not sure if it helped me or hurt me, I was dodging people the whole race but maybe that made it more like trail running. 

·         My bodies not built to be a runner – As I was passing mile marker 1 and saw the pack leaders pass by heading back to the start, None of them looked like me.  They didn’t look like marathon runners either.  More muscular…  I think that these short races the muscle is important for power.  These guys sprinted the whole race..   Anyway although I always have said I’m not built to run, I’m too big, too heavy, But I do it anyway as cross training.  I would love to do some Long trail runs in the 25 to 50 mile range maybe one day.  Whats funny is how strong my body is while Im running.  I mean, I was huffing and puffing, a good steady breathing pattern and My lungs were definitely my limitation, my body wanted to go faster (I usually fall somewhere between an 8 and 9 min pace).  When the end of the race came, While my lungs were ready for a rest, My body wanted to do it again.  Maybe 15K would be a better distance for me.

·         I’m not a road runner – I’ll take the trail over the road any day.  Much easier on your joints, much different workout and type of run.  Trail running is the future of my training.  Uli Steck runs something like 2-3 hours a day on uneven terrain with a Pack.  Although I am not fooling myself into thinking I can perform at his level, I can certainly take some tips from his training.  Let’s get crazy this summer.  I want to run some 14ers.    

·         I love what women wear to run in – I think having a properly dressed female running partner may be just about the best motivation you can have. 

·         Alcohol is not a proper recovery drink – Fish and chips and “Rocky Mountain Oyster Porter” are not ideal post workout meal.

·         Although I treated this as a workout, I could see myself doing more.  What a great excuse to go run the city.  I would be down for a short race like this anytime…

 

I’m hoping some snow melts for me this week (or it snows a bunch more for skiing).  I have a 4.4 mile run I do in Red Rocks Park (next to the concert venue).  This will be my Baseline test piece.  I will run my butt off to get the best time I can, track my HR and then get onto a regular outdoor running schedule.  I have some great stuff right near my work I can do before work.  I’m excited.  I’m excited to be back in the shape I was in before rainier.

 

I do feel I won this race mentally like my goal was.  I would have liked to be a little faster but really if I wasn’t dodging people the whole time and getting tripped and matching up with other peoples paces, I might have done better.  But I ran the whole thing. When the hills came and I was gassed I sped up.  When I got to the short down hills I maintained pace managing my heart rate.  I ran a good race.