Notes
preconsumpution: 2 Hammer gels, 2 Race Capsules
Well, this felt like a tough course i certain ways. i was feeling good starting off. i ran the first mile about 5:56. my garmin was a little bit off for the first mile, as it usually is. the plan was to run 6-6:05min pace for the first mile and then go right into race pace of 5:48. i didn't really come close to that most of the time. i kept telling myself to run based on feel but talking to Joel after the race, I need to make sure that i'm not racing in that mode. that's how i wanna train but i need to push it in a race. looking back i should've pushed it to see if i could run 5:48 pace and if i couldn't then back off and go back to what i was running. i need to make sure i make it habit in races to throw in surges which i never did. i did it in my last 10k and they worked really well b/c i just went with it and kept going that pace. that probably would've helped me do the same in this race. i don't wanna say coulda, woulda, shoulda's b/c what's done is done and i have to accept whatever the outcome was. however, i do need to learn from each race and my mistakes to make it better next time.
there were a couple of hills. mi 8 had a hill incline that took energy out of me and another shorter hill during mile 9. it was windy pretty much during the whole race. i tried to hide behind a person but it didn't work. on the last 3/4 of the race is when i felt the wind the strongest. it was tossing me around a lot so to me that was pretty strong. i thought maybe my size is an advantage in wind but really is a disadvantage b/c i'm so light and tiny so i'm more easier to be pushed around. so wind was a big challenge in the race. i would've ran faster if it wasn't so windy and if there wasn't any hills, but hey, i gotta learn that that's all part of racing. i have to learn how to handle all kinds of conditions, terrain and courses to be the best. that's what makes me stronger and separates the good runners from great runners.
as far as pain goes what stood out the most were shin splints on both sides during the first half of the race for sure. my left IT band started to hurt on the 2nd half of the course. i don't think it was slowing me down though. the shin splints bugged me more than the IT band. i don't think my glute was really hurting.
i took water and heed every other aid station, accept i took water instead of heed when i took my Hammer gel after mile 8. after taking my first water (Helen handed to me which was cool) i could hear it moving around in my tummy so i thought i was water logged and was nervous to keep taking in liquids. i took about 2 drinks each time there was an aid station (plan was to take liquid every 3mi like a marathon). i don't know if the course was set up this way but they were spread out pretty good.
i'm known for running pretty consistent but my splits were all over the place today. i need to remember everything i learned today. complacency might have crept in today since i was the first girl with a huge lead. i was running hard as best as i thought i could. i didn't have another girl to help push me so i need to learn to still go hard w/o anyone there. i don't know if i can really say that b/c i ran the Corvallis Fall Festival 10k with no girls around and ran a huge PR, real close to 1.5min PR. it might have been like Joel said that i just came off of running 2 100mi weeks back to back and might have ran my 6 x 1mi repeats too fast before a race.