Each Step is One in The Right Direction

Lesson's Learned- A 30k Around The Bay Race Report

I JUST finished running. (And driving home, and bathing) I need to analyze and report now, because if I don't I won't be able to stop thinking about it and fail my last psych test. Which, I will have you know, if I don't pass, then I won't pass my psych course, and if I don't pass my psych course, I won't have a high enough GPA to stay in my Kine major. Then I have to figure something else out, which sucks, cause I don't wanna have to do that.

Anyways...
Let's start at the beginning.

I woke up this morning, at about 5:10am. I pretty much had everything set out, knew what I was needing to do in the morning, so I was pretty comfortable with that. I got up, got dressed, fixed my bib. I had a banana, and glass of orange juice. We had Tim Hortons on the way because the house is pretty dry right now. So I got another half a bagel and container of Orange Juice into my body. I was treating it pretty good, you know.

We get to Hamilton just after 8am. I go the washroom twice, and find my parents seats really close to the Running Room meeting spot. I then make my way over to where I was to meet *D*, my race buddy, and we then went to meet up with the rest of our group. Said our "Good Lucks", tried to calm myself down, took my inhalers, and started to walk to the start line.
It was there that I was told several times to not go out too fast, and pace myself...
Found the 2:55 pace bunny (MY FIRST MISTAKE), and lined up with him.

The gun goes off at exactly 9:30, and we start. Cross the finish line about 4 or 5 minutes after that. I start my Garmin and start chasing this damn pace bunny. He was a psycho bunny, I'm telling you. He was weaving in and out of people, and damn was he hard to catch. I seriously felt like Alice from Alice in Wonderland.

Kept up with him for 3 walk breaks, and then I decided I had to slow down. I knew that if I kept this up I would not finish. I urged my buddy *D* to go ahead, because I didn't want her to go ahead. But she continued to Ooze positivity and tell me about her trip to New York. At about 11k, we said our goodbyes and she went on to the finish. I settled into my own pace.

I still think the pace was pretty strong, it was just mine. I ended up taking my puffers twice, once just after *D* and I split up (very heavy dust) and once near the steel mill where it was thick polluted air.

For the 10 in between, I was so out of it. I don't really remember much. I remember that I was fueling, and I remember that I kept my pace strong and consistant, but I don't remember looking around much. I was, however, pretty tempted to stop and get on one of the busses or just pick a plot at the funeral home and lie there for awhile
On the health front, I was only about 70%, and I did have a bit of trouble breathing, which may have been why I tired out so fast.

The last 10, I struggled-ish. I knew then that there was no way I was going not going to finish. I just had to get done. There was no way I was going to get any sort of a time that I had hoped for, but I was going to finish, I was going to get a medal, and I was going to be able to wear my shirt.

It was an on-off, run-walk thing. My whole mentality changed to 'just get this damn thing done'.
At every kilometer marker, there was a saying on it. There were a few that stuck out:

"It's the long run that puts the Tiger in the cat"
"Once I knew I was going to finish, the pain disappeared" (It doesn't, btw)
"Those who say I will lose will have to run me over with their car to beat me"

At about 25, when you high-five the midget, I could feel myself falling apart, mentally. I just wanted to cry! I don't know what came over me, because it was only 5k to go, and I had run 5k so many times before! There's no problem there. I held it together though, and walked up the hill. There was no way I was going to run up it, cause then I would have walked the rest of the way to the finish.

In the end, I wanted to finish strong. I didn't care if I had to walk the last 3k, and sprint the last kilometer, I would do it. Luckily I didn't have to. My run-walk was not a 10 and 1 thing though. About 600 meters from the finish, I saw *T* who said something (which I can't really remember) but I know that it really pushed me to the end! I was almost done!
Around the corner, down the ramp and sprint to the finish line.

I crossed the finish line, and I guess horomones were all out of whack, because I couldn't stop crying! (This is coming from the girl that doesn't ever cry).I hobbled and sobbed(for lack of a better word) to the place where they take your chips and got my medal. Got a bag filled up with food, and kept going. I was trying to compose myself, but it wasn't happening. Went to see my friends, and gave them hugs, and sat for a bit. Everyone looked happy to be done. Like I said, at this point, I wasn't even thinking, I think I was just so happy to be done. And I think what I accomplished was pretty great. So they were probably happy tears.

I'll have you know, however, that I have the best running friends, best blogger friends and best school friends anyone could ever ask for. I didn't want to come report that I didn't finish to you folks.

OH, and *D* went on to finish in 2:52! She did awesome. We walked back to get my stuff, and she was being all nice, telling my siblings that I was the youngest one in our group to have done it, and I did great! It was soo nice :o) She was oozing the positivity I didn't have in me. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't have trained like I did. Or run like I did.

So heres what you care about:

Chip Time: 3:17.

I guess I'm not (t00) disappointed. I think it's a pretty respectable time. And I was not 100%. Know what's cool? This race is older than Boston!! This year was the 114th anniversary! I was part of history. Haha (whatever works, right?)

LESSONS LEARNED

1) NUTRITION WORKS: Last year before Mississauga, I had Burger King the night before, and had a Gel for breakfast. And I didn't hydrate properly, and I didn't take a gel until 8km. Today I did them at 5k, ate breakfast and had a fabulous (home-made) pasta the night before. Mind you, the three days prior to that, my diet consisted of water, orange juice and chicken noodle soup.

2)GOALS: I shouldn't have had a goal other than to finish. I mean, I thought that I could go in not having a time goal, but I'm very goal oriented, and I like my goals to be pretty narrow. It's hard not to be super disappointed not meeting a goal, but like I said, I recognize that I wasn't 100%

3) Fueling/hydrating: I think I had the fueling down pretty much. Gels every half hour. I did not want to bonk, so I just kept the calories going in. Ended up taking 5 gels. Hydration I think I still need to work on. I was pretty dehydrated on Thursday/Friday, and drank a lot Saturday. I ended up with some kind of a salt imbalance that caused my calves to cramp. I'll figure it out with time, though.

LESSON'S TO BE LEARNED:

1) PACING: That's pretty much what Im thinking right now. There's gotta be a trick to it. I mean, like is it adrenaline? I don't really know what it is but its something that I definately need to work on.

So, I think I've kept this report pretty positive. Because I'm pretty happy. I mean, its a PB no matter which way you look at it, right? I'm young, and I have got lots of time to learn all this, and I will, almost undoubtedly make the same mistakes again.

Thanks for reading guys! I've got some serious studying to do this week, but I'll be back soon to read all the race reports I've missed.

Leave me some love,
TiGrr

P.S. I got a sunburn:)

posted by AddictedToEndorphins @ 1:40 PM