Spring in my step - Cville 10 Miler Race report

I should get that freaked out more often. I had an amazing race. I did not quite meet my "stretch" goal of 2 hours, but I came very close, and more than surpassed my "real" goal of finishing the race without causing permanent or egregious harm to myself.

The wind woke me at 4:30. I had barely gotten back to sleep when the alarm went off just after 5:30. The wind was still howling, and thumping the glider on the front porch. I wasn't sure how the day would shake out weather-wise, so I started the morning in tights and a long sleeved shirt over a short sleeved shirt, then put my fleece and windbreaker on over top of the whole shebang. I pumped, ate a little, and was out the door by 6:20.

Like every year, I arrived way too early. I think there were about eight other cars in the parking lot when I got there. I spent a good long while rocking out to my iPod in the car. I got pumped by Ryan Adams' "Magick," and Ellis Paul's "Because It's There" helped me to be a brave sailor. And Lily Allen made me Smile. I finally decided to run inside to use the bathroom before the crowds descended, and spent some time stretching and fussing about my layers. The wind was already dying down, but it was still chilly, so I reluctantly ditched my fleece, windbreaker, and long sleeved shirt. I took a couple drags off my inhaler, and waited for the race to start.

I started way back in the back, and took my time moseying up the long hill that makes up a good part of the first mile. I stuck to a strict run 8 min, walk 2 min plan, even when I felt fantastic enough to keep going. The only exception I made to that was I ran through my walk break to take advantage of the screaming downhill from Grady all the way down Preston to McIntire. And then, of course, I took more walk breaks in the brutal hills of the second half of the race.

At the halfway point, I was at just 58 minutes, more than two minutes faster than I thought I'd be in my wildest dreams. I knew I'd lose most or all of that in the second half, and sure enough I finished in about 2:02:30.

Even though I felt my fair share of the pain, especially when my right hip flexor curled into a ball and refused to do any more work in the last mile, I was smiling nearly the whole way. I felt lighter and faster than I have in ages. The wind died down and the sun came out, and it was simply gorgeous running weather. I had my thoughts to myself, and I left a lot of the stress of the week out there on the race course.

By the time I crossed the finish, I felt new. The relief and elation I felt crossing the finish sucker-punched me, and for a few moments, I thought I might burst into tears. But then I found myself in line for a head of lettuce and couldn't do anything but laugh and drink in the miraculous morning.


i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

-e.e. cummings