Sunday, May 25, 2008

Run #59 Soldier Field 10-Mile Race Report

Subtitle: When the water hits it... (that's called foreshadowing)

Date/Time: May 24th at 7:30am
Place: Lakefront, actually ON Lake Shore Drive, the lakefront path, with a finish in "the bowels" of Soldier Field and out onto the field. (pretty awesome if you ask me)
Mileage: 10
Time It Took: 2:03:02 (official time)
Pace: 12:19
Miles this week: 20.09
Miles this month: 60.78
2008 Goal: 374.47/1000 miles

Thoughts/Comments: I think I might have hated every step of this run until the last half mile. I was dragging SERIOUSLY. At the beginning, I started out with Lou (running buddy from last year's training group) and her friend Angela, who I met for the first time today, but before today have known her as @. She and I have been reading each other's blogs. This was her first long distance run. At around 3.5 miles, I told them to go ahead, cuz I was tired and the pace was too much for me to keep up.

By around 5 miles at the turnaround point, I was spent. I was mad at running, wondering why the heck I thought I could be out there running. Maybe I'm trying to do too much after the marathon? Maybe I need a break? This is the most mileage I've done in a week for awhile, is THAT the problem? I peppered in a few walking breaks here and there and tried to keep as close a pace to 12:00 as possible.

By 8 miles I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to make up the time to meet even my simplest goal of 12:00 minute miles, I just had no energy level. At around 1:50 I looked at my watch...this was Lou and @'s goal time, I was sure they made it. When I got close to Soldier Field, which couldn't come soon enough, I saw a chic walking up ahead and someone telling her "Just a little bit further". Lo and behold, it was LOU! She was a sight for sore eyes. So we ran a bit, and she said she'd do one last walking stint before we reached the stadium. I wasn't the only one who had a tough run.

Once I hit the stadium, they were playing the Bears theme song. I ran in the concrete tunnels, wondering if this is where the Bears come out on the field (never been to a game). Then up ahead....I see the sunlight! I see green! As soon as I hit the grass, I ran as fast as I absolutely could, and passed a few people, which was cool. I looked back and saw Lou approaching the finish line, too. And the coolest surprise of all...we got medals! I wasn't even expecting a medal for this run, so that was cool.

I am somewhat disappointed about my time. But I didn't treat this run like I should have. I stayed up late, past 11:30...I ate crappy food for dinner last night (Chinese)...maybe I shouldn't have run 6 miles in that "semi-hilly" area of the path on Thursday (hilly in Chicago, not other places). I dunno...that sounds like a bunch of excuses, doesn't it? Maybe I just had a bad run...or at the very least, a not-so-good run.

And when I got home and hit the showers, ARGH!!!!!! CHAFING!!!!! Haven't had that in a long while. OUCH!!!!!!

1 comment:

Lou said...

Are you posting here again? Yay! This is so much easier for me (and really, you should make your blogging decisions based on me) because I can't comment on your other blog unless I'm at work, where the login is saved. Anyway...

This race sucked for me too, as you know. We all have bad races and honestly I think I just kind of gave up. You know what I'm saying? Maybe I am tired from all the training. Maybe I do need a break - you know, for about 5 minutes before marathon training starts.