Here is what I learned today...........Never do strength training 2 days before a race, Never eat like complete crap the day before a race, Never assume you are going to PR just because of a good race 2 weeks prior and NEVER Quit mentally. I failed in all departments today. I was a little frustrated that this race started 30 minutes late as it was VERY HOT when it started (I am a severe fair weathered runner). However, that is the life of running, you can never control what the weather is going to do. I am more mad at myself that I have not trained harder and not trained more in heat. I really really wanted to PR today and given how well I felt 2 weeks ago at Provo and the mental thinking I had told myself (that Hobble Creek is a faster course) I really thought I would. Looks like I needed to be a bit more humble today. I started out feeling pretty good, felt really good until mile 4-5, then started talking to a fellow runner and didn't focus on my breathing so I started to get tired. I took a gu at 6.5 hoping it would kick in but it never did. By mile 8, I was tired, hot and to be honest, I really wanted to stop. I kept thinking how disappointed I would be with myself and how disappointed Tyler would be with me if I stopped, so I hung in there but by mile 10, my body and mind were both done. I felt like I was pulling 300 pounds behind me. My dear friend JaNae found me at this point and ran with me for a minute. She was like a little guardian angel at that time and if she hadn't of been there, I am almost sure I would have stopped. This is the first time that I have literally felt my body crash the way it did today and I didn't like it. By mile 11 1/2 I just told myself "Deal with it Kellie, you aren't going to PR but you have to finish" (also saw my good friend Heidi at this point who was on mile 18ish of her 20 miler today so that helped). So, I nipped it in the but and set my sights on finishing knowing that a PR today would not be possible. I think I pretty much Zoned out at mile 12.75ish and by the time I ran into the park to cross the finish line, I was literally seeing stars. I had a bit of tunnel vision and was very unstable. I need to apologize to my friend Lisa who saw me at the finish line as I could barely hold myself up. Not my best moment. All in all, I am upset with my time and how lousy I felt, but happy that I knocked off 5 minutes from last year's time and finished in the top 100 women. Today was a harsh realization that I need to train harder and take running more serious if I ever want to improve. I shouldn't have assumed that I would feel as good as I did at Provo 2 weeks ago, that was my biggest mistake!! Bad Kellie, Bad Kellie. In closing, might I add that whoever thought of the ice cold Diet Pepsi on tap at the finish line is my new Hero!! I formally want to thank that person some day!! Splits: 7:13, 7:10, 7:13, 6:59, 7:22, 7:09, (brace yourselves, this is where the crashing began) 7:32, 7:28, 7:38, 7:57, 7:55, 8:03 (yup, I am done), 7:47. Avg: 7:29 PS. On a more positive note, I want to mention how much fun I had before the race started!! It was so nice chatting with Leandra, meeting up with Teena, Michelle, Julie (Julie's identical twin sister :),Walter, Josse, Mac, Susan, etc before the race started! Thanks Teena for being so stinking nice to me and so excited that I was running!! It's always fun seeing everyone!!! You are all a great group of people and I am grateful that I have gotten to know you!! OH, and a big SHOUT OUT for my Twin Sista Kelli who drove all the way down from Riverton to rally us all in!! THANKS KELLI!!! You are really the only reason I finished you know?!? I was looking forward to seeing your face at the finish and so, you carried me in!! Thanks Darlin!~ You're the best!
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