Notes
Small race of 78 people on a 3 loop track around the park. I took off from the start line strong and in 3rd place. The lead runners, a boy about 17 and a girl about 20 took of very fast ahead of me. I was still trying to be a little conservative and not launch out with them. After the first 500 feet I decided I'd better slow down if I hoped to finish the race. I could already hear my labored breath and fast heart beat. By this time they really opened up the gap between me and them and I was holding a good gap between me and the rest of the field.
Around the 3/4 mile mark I was feeling the lactic acid build up as my arms felt like lead and I was forced to back off. It was at this point that the number 4 running caught up to me and passed me. I had no choice but to let him go. I was hurting and the first mile wasn't even over yet.
I wasn't surprised by my mile split time of 6:50 and was mildly put at ease that it wasn't 6:12. Though i wish I could hold the 6:50 I should really be hovering around 7 flat. I really had to back it down in the second mile, as I usually do, and try to recover for a strong 3rd mile and strong 1/2 mile finish that I have been working on. That's when 5 runner overtook me and I had to let him go as well.
I only had a cup of coffee before leaving the campground and no other fuel. My stomach was starting to cramp early in the second mile and my quads were starting to hurt as if I was coming up on mile 15 of a long run. When split #2 was given to me I was disappointed. I knew that I had really slipped off my pace. This was the motivation I needed to kick it up. The beginning of the course is a short up hill followed by a decent downhill. I made up my mind to really pick it up for the downhill and recover at the bottom before starting the mild ascent back to the finish line. I was still out in the middle of no where with no one to help pace me at this point. I dug as deep and kept telling myself, my head is tired but my body's got this. It helped a little and I pushed hard in the last 1/2 mile. #4 finished a good 14 seconds in front of me and I nearly broke 22 min. If there was a big red clock I would have killed myself to get over that line under 22.
The race itself was a huge one for me personally, however, the course which was 3 x 1 mile loops around the park and not having a visual finishing time clock were disappointments. They did read mile splits which was good. They did large span age group awards which was also good. There will be no online posting of results. At least my watch time matched the time that was read when I crossed the finish line.
I won't call these mistakes, but rather learning moments. I really needed some kind of food before the race. I was really on the fence about even running it, I need to commit and have a plan in place for food and hydration. Secondly, did I go out too fast? The answer is yes, but would I of run as well if I didn't push myself like that out of the box. Perhaps it would have been better to leave some attainable rabbits to chase down instead of being chased down.