Running in Beauty

Desert Classic 30k race report--kinda

Today signaled a big milestone in my running.

I ran 18.6 miles--officially the longest distance I have run ever in my life. Though that will change next week when I do my last long run (20-22 miles), I have to recognize today.

I wish I could give a thorough race report mile-by-mile but I can't. Truthfully, I don't remember specifics of each mile. As mile by mile went by, I was running in the moment and tried to concentrate really hard on maintaining my pace.

I set out with a goal of keeping an 11-min mile pace. I finished the 30k in 3:25:08 chip-time according to the official results on the Arizona Road Racers site. That indicates a pace of 11:01, close to my goal! While my overall goal was to finish under 3:30, it was more important that I finish the second half of the race strong. I did just that and I'm mighty proud of myself.

Today, I finally realized that it was true what experienced runners reiterate time and time again--running is 90% mental and 10% physical. It really is. At certain points, I had to concentrate hard on the thoughts I was thinking about at the moment rather than the throbbing/stinging sensation that was biting at the area just under the side of both of my arches. I thought I was in trouble early on in the race when my left arch had already begun to chafe even though I had affixed a heavy duty, duct-tape like bandaid under each arch. I worried about whether I would have bloody feet at the finish line.

Ultimately, I had to put the pain out of my mind and believe me, it was a battle. Pretty soon, the pain went away. Maybe it was still there but I think I did a pretty good job of thinking about other things and not focusing on the pain.

At the same time, I made certain that I would appreciate the beauty of the desert scenery. This morning was simple gorgeous. Overcast, yes. Nonetheless, it was still beautiful. What an experience and it made it all the more worthwhile that not many people get to have this same type of experience. I felt very lucky. At certain points along the route, I couldn't see any one in front of me except for an open stretch of road, the desert scrub, the White Tank Mountains, and endless distance of blue sky. I totally felt like Forrest Gump--running, running, running. It reminded me of that part in the movie where he was running alongside that giant lake that reflected the sky.

I didn't think I was capable of achieving a negative split. I thought about how awesome it would be to do that and I did!!

I began to feel the burn of fatigue over the last couple of miles. What really helped me to finish strong was seeing fellow blogger, Phil, at the top of the hill that signaled .2-.3 miles left til the finish. He ran with me, we chatted, and he let me pull away to capture all the personal glory at the finish line where Hubster was waiting. It was a big deal, Thanks Phil. :) And congrats to placing 2nd in your age category!!

There are not too many times that I give myself enough credit for the things I achieve. But by golly, today was my day. It's not everyday that just anyone can say that they ran 18+ miles. I remember passing mile 16 or 17 and wondering what the hell I was thinking--forcing my body to undergo such extreme exertion. I chuckle but I serious said out loud to myself, "You're crazy woman! What the heck were you thinking? What the hell are you doing to your body!"

At the end of my 26.2 in January, I'll be able to look back on days like this and smile because this is all worth it.

Lap times:
mile 1- 10:33
mile2- 11:22
mile 3- 11:31
mile 4- 11:05
mile 5- 11:37
mile 6- 10:54
mile 7- 11:29
mile 8- 10:56
mile 9- 11:06
mile 10- 11:00
mile 11- 10:45
mile 12- 10:21
mile 13- 10:56
mile14- 10:32
mile 15- 10:59
mile 16- 10:38
mile 17- 11:13
mile 18- 11:02
finish 18.6- 7:18

I don't know if you can tell from the times but I was taking 20-30 sec walking breaks every 2 miles either to drink gatorade or down some gu gel packets. I went through 5 packets. hehe

etched in stone by carmen @ 9:40 PM