Victory: My 10K Update...

I know you are all just dying to know how my 10K went last Saturday- okay maybe not. Perhaps you didn't even know I ran a 10K last Saturday. Well, I did. And it was a triumphant success! My finishing time was 49:32, which is a 7.98min/mile pace- and that, for me, is very, very good! Have I mentioned on here before that I am not a fast runner? Really, just because I am tall and my legs are long does not mean I am fast. Or that I play basketball, but that is another story. Well, for some reason I decided to really push myself with this race- I trained really hard with my friend and we were both hoping to run it in under 53 minutes, so I met and exceeded my goal(as did Amanda- she did awesome as well, though that didn't surprise me!) And after my last two races (which in my mind were complete and utter failures due to bad training and injuries) that felt SO GOOD! To be honest I am not sure that has ever happened to me before- actually meeting and exceeding a goal! It almost made me want to make goals in other areas of my life. Hmmm... I'll have to think about that some more, especially given my tendency to burn myself out. I wish that I'd had Tim bring the camera and take photos of the race, just for memory's sake, but my D70 is busted and I didn't want to bring the D300 since there was a chance of rain. And there are 30,000 runners there (plus all the spectators) to steal my source of livelihood. Can you believe that- the number of people I mean? Apparently the Monument Ave. 10K is the 4th largest 10K race in the nation- last year they had 31,000 runners. The coarse just goes up and back a historic street in Richmond, VA but it is totally flat, which worked to my advantage since I trained on hills- lots and lots of hills. So here is the play by play as I ran the 6.2 miles:

Starting line- "Wow, look at all these people! There has got to be at least 2,000 people between me and Amanda- I will never catch up to her! And look at all these iPods- I am sure glad I brought mine! This will be fun!" Our wave moves closer to the starting line. "Crap, I need to stretch!" I attempt to stretch in the crowd of people but almost fall over and decide that my falling over while trying to stretch in a confined space might cause a domino effect of 25,000 people crashing down, so I better stop. We move forward again. "Almost time to go! I'm nervous! All this music is really loud- maybe I won't use my iPod after all."

Start- "Yeah, Baby! Let's do this!" I start my stopwatch and start running, but am quickly distracted by my ear buds hanging out of my shirt flopping all over the place, repeatedly whacking me in the face. So I stick them in my ears, even though I am not listening to music. "Dang iPod- I probably just lost about three seconds!" Then I look over enviously at the woman with the hot pink Fanny Pack circa 1985 and wish I had something to put my ipod in. The crowd is slowing me down so I do some zigging and zagging to get ahead of the crowd.

Mile 1- time: 8:07. "Good time, Mandy! Lets shoot for 16:15 for mile 2!" I pass a local middle school cheerleader group. I give them a courtesy smile- but wonder how on earth they got wrangled into cheering at a race. I see Tim and my boys- awwwwww! More zigging and zagging to get around people.

Mile 2- time: 16:15. "Woohoo! Keep it up, Mand!" See, I don't need cheerleaders- I am my own cheerleader. More zigging and zagging as well as being zigged and zagged by other fast runners or not-very-smart-runners-that-I-will-probably-see-walking-by-mile-3. A reminder: "Pace yourself, Mand!"

Mile 3- time: 24:05. "yEEESSSS! Ooooh look- a water stop!" I grab some water and try to drink while running but it didn't work too well- I probably only got an ounce before it spilled all down the front of me. So I keep going, trying not to trip on all the discarded cups on the ground. I pass a Christian band singing about praising the Lord. I feel very inspired. Halfway there! Hey, there is Amanda, making the big half-way turn. She sure looks fast- and very far ahead of me! Zig-zag, zig-zag!

Mile 4- time: 32:15. "Dang, I am tired! I need some lively music to pump me up!" Well, what do you know? The next corner I pass a local band playing Billy Idol's "White Wedding." Once again, I feel inspired. Nothing like back to back gospel and Billy Idol to keep you going! I take an ounce of Powerade at the next pit stop- but I accidentally throw my still-full cup all over one of the volunteers. Ooops! Reminder to self: running+drinking+me=bad idea.

Mile 5- time: 40:10. "I am getting tired! My feet hurt- these dang brick streets that I thought were so pretty at mile 1 are now killing my feet!" I feel myself slowing down, and notice that now I am the one being zig-zagged! Crap! But suddenly something strange happens- I start to get the goose bumps- I start feeling strangely proud of myself and how hard I was running. Then I feel myself choking up- "What the heck has come over me?", I thought. It was like a real Chariots of Fire moment! Then I notice a group of beautiful Asian-American dancers to my left, dancing to some dramatic orchestra music from some movie soundtrack, like Anna and the King or Legends of the Fall. It was that dang music! Making me into a sappy fool! So I fought back the ridiculous tears, scolded myself for being such a moron and continued on my race, picking up my pace. Ziggity-zig, zaggity-zag!

Mile 6- time: 47:55. I laugh at the Chariots of Fire moment from mile 5. Then I see Tim and my boys again and get some high fives. Yea! What a boost! Then the REAL chariots of fire music starts playing in my head as I see the finish line- (que Chariots of Fire music that you probably already turned off.) "Dang! That finish line looks so far away! That can't be .2 miles!" I glance at the ground- then back at the finish line- then back at the ground- then... "Stop looking at it, you dummy, and run!! RUN, FOREST! RUUUUUN!" Check time- dang, I am not going to make it! I better pick up my pace! Z-to-the-ziggy, Z-to-the-zaggy!

6.2 miles- A tall girl with a silent iPod crosses the finish line, pumping her arms enthusiastically into the air, breaking the ribbon with her chest as tears roll down her cheeks and she shouts to the heavens in a cry filled with agony and joy. (Que- Chariots of Fire music slowly fades). No, I am kidding. That would've been great though, wouldn't it? I think you have to run the race in like a 5min pace to have the honor of breaking the ribbon. But maybe next year...

Really though, this was a great race! I had so much fun and am now hoping that Tim will not want to run it next year so I can run it again. And whether I win or not, I will pump my arms into the air and cry. But only if the dramatic orchestra music is back. And next time I will not even bring my iPod because I heard that next year White Wedding will be sung by the real Billy Idol. Imagine that!...