Notes
I forgot how to race the mile.
I'm also terrible at planning. I was going to leave a little before 6pm to get at the parking at 6:15 and have an hour to warm-up and get ready, but I ended up leaving 6:15 or so and then the parking lots I was going to use were filled. So I drove a bit until I found a tow-free parking and parked the car. Set up my Maps to take me to the start, and made my way over. Took a break on a random street to pee behind a bush... I always wonder if that's the random spot someone has their camera set up. Anywho, paced along to the start, a lot faster than I'd normally do a warmup. Saw the empty road ready for the race and the holiday parade (great idea to use the road clearance for a race, btw). Got in a few dynamic stretches and strides and got in right up front with the cool kids. Saw a girl I hadn't seen since May, know she's fast, so it was good to line up with her. She was going for sub 5:30. And she got it! Fastie. I last-minute texted a few people I was going to meet up with, but the starting area was packed, and there was no moving. Stowed my phone in my pocket... I'd worn these shorts just for that purpose. The race MC called out 5 minutes, 4, minutes, 2 minutes to the start. My acquaintance and I tried to stay cool and we chatted a bit here and there. We moved up to the starting line, and were a few steps back from the very front. And then we were off!
The race itself was a blur. I had no strategy and no idea how to pace. I knew I started too fast when I was with the front pack at the beginning, but a few folks passed me and the gap between us grew larger and larger. I was leading the next pack, I guess. I'd started so fast I was ahead of my new friend and other friend, but first one reeled me in, then the next. I had barely enough air to say, "hey! Great job!" I was getting slower and slower, but managing to hold on. It was so cool to see the lights and the crowds and get the encouragement. I was very aware of the song "I am not throwing away my shot" stuck in my head... basically sang it the whole way through. Repeated a few stanzas. My new friend had told me about where the 1km mark was (a blinding stand light, right where the bleachers were), and all I could think when we got there is that .4 miles is still a heck of a long way to go. My right leg wasn't feeling very stable. There's definitely something wrong with that knee. But I was still going. I mean, who starts walking in a mile race? I knew it would be over soon.
And then I saw the finish, and I managed to pick it up a bit at the end, trying for a kick that actually kinda worked, which told me that I clearly should have run this race a whole lot smarter. But oh well. Went through the line, hated everything.
It's such a weird discomfort. I had felt it a little already after my test run on Sunday; my lungs to my throat were dying. My eyes were watering. My body didn't know how to get comfortable again. I was coughing like crazy, felt the urge to hurl a few times. The water did nothing to help. I tried to walk around a bit to prevent lactic acid doing its thing, but then I remembered this is not a marathon, so I found my friends and sat down. Still coughing. We hung out for a bit, sitting, standing, I walked around to find other friends. Hung around the finish for a good half hour. Then we started walking back towards the parade. All still coughing; it's brutal!
Finally I decided it was silly to keep walking and get cold, so I said goodbye and jogged back to my car. My knee really hurt... I definitely did a number on it, but I knew a cool-down and stretching before getting in the car to drive home would help. And it did. Hope it doesn't hurt tomorrow; hope it's good for Sunday.
Looking at the stats, I started off with an over-200 cadence, and that felt to the 170s by the last quarter. Boo. I really need to work on my cadence. I also now reeeeally want to go sub-6. The only times I remember from high school were a 5:57 in the mile and a 12:53 in the two mile, so wouldn't it be cool to beat my high school self?
I knew I'd be able to go faster than my test run on Sunday because it was a race (adrenaline), the weather was about 20 degrees colder, and I'd worn the super shoes. I don't know how much credit the shoes get, but I'm sure a good amount. Still, it felt good to get this measure of my ability!