6.32? So did you turn around and run back over the start mat, or was the course long? Keep racing and your day will come.

 Well after I posted that, I discovered that I did get picked up by the starting mat.  6.32 is the distance picked up by my Garmin. Basically, I was frustrated (that 10k is a big local race) and was acting like baby.  It's been two days and I've managed to get over myself.

Thanks for the encouragement, Tony. Been a tad frustrated and concerned that I'm squandering good time and not making progress.  

Dude, i've totally had that happen before...it sucks. I was in the porta potty when the gun went off at a half marathon. I was literally the last person to cross the start mart. I finished third female but I had been out to PR that day. Instead of PRing I ran my PR on the freakin dot, down to the second. It was the hardest most painful race ever because I ran so hard in the beginning to catch up with the front when that really wasn't necessary. It felt like a 5k the first few miles.

 

That said, I would write it off as the situation causing the "bad" performance.

Heh, gladly. 

Yeah, I'm more concerned with my spazotistic tendencies on rocky terrain. Straight up ugly. 

Not every day is your day and not every failure is bad.

In 2009 I ran as hard as I could in April at a 1/2 marathon - Ran 1:24:04 - Thought I was going to run < 1:21

4 weeks later it was my day and ran 2:48:10 marathon

I never doubted that the 1/2 was just a pile-o-crap day, because I trusted my training and how the training runs were going.  Letting one data point overpower 20 other data points is silly. 

Have faith NADs 

 Well after I posted that, I discovered that I did get picked up by the starting mat.  6.32 is the distance picked up by my Garmin. Basically, I was frustrated (that 10k is a big local race) and was acting like baby.  It's been two days and I've managed to get over myself.

 

Thanks for the encouragement, Tony. Been a tad frustrated and concerned that I'm squandering good time and not making progress.  

I will be lining up for a 5k on Saturday. I really hope to set a personal best, but I have accepted that I am really training through these races. Through to what? I don't know. Just a time of discovery and pushing my body.  

 

Training through to what?

For me this is a very relavent thought.  I hate to taper - So I always tell myself that I will not taper and train through races.  I suppose when you are racing every weekend or at least 2x a month this makes sense.  When you race seldom like I do - Does it make sense?

I guess from a purely scientific point - If you have a goal race that superceded all others the answer would be what will you ge the best training stimulous from. 1)  By training through a race you get more training stimulous prior to the non-goal race, but trying to race all-out tired ... does this tear your body down more than the benefit received?  2)  A reasonable but short taper = Maybe making the week prior to race week a 70% max week and only doing some moderate distance workouts race week.  You lose out on some training stimulous during this time, but you hit the race fresh and may end up with even better training stimulous from the race or at least not as much tear down.

I do have to say training though all races until a goal is wears me down psycologically.

That being said - I ran a 90% week last week (133) and did not start a significant taper until Today for Saturday's 50 miler.   Because I am "Training Through" this race.

I wish I knew the best answer.

That sounds like a hot miserable time to do a 1/2M

5:43 - or better

don't let any chuncky girls beat you 

I agree with DB....yuck.

 

anyway....So im racing a mile tonight. AAHHHH.