Bloomsday 2012

Yesterday I ran Bloomsday for the third time.  As always, it was a good experience - challenging, rewarding, beautiful... the list goes on.

This year I didn't train for the race, so admittedly I was a little nervous.  My first Bloomsday I ran a 1:26:06, and my second I ran a 1:24:25.  The River Run last weekend put my expectations in check (to not expect the same time when I don't train for events), but I know myself and my desire for improvement and PRs, so I guess I didn't know what to expect from myself this year.

The morning was absolutely gorgeous.  The sun was shining, and 47,000+ people from all over the country (and some elites from outside the country) filled the streets of Spokane.  Just like I remembered, the energy and volume was amped up, and everyone was excited to run, roll, walk, or jog that 7.46-mile course.

A few minutes before my corral (the green group) started, I threw my long-sleeved second layer up on the stop light (which is tradition at Bloomsday), snapped a few photos, double-checked my laces, and said a little prayer.

My shirt is the light blue wad below the green light.

Lots of people under a blue sky.

I started the race feeling good.  My first couple of miles were relatively easy, and I had a great time listening to "Billie Jean" (and quietly singing along) on my first descent.  For a few minutes there, I thought I might surprise myself and others.

But that hope passed relatively quickly as Doomsday Hill came into view.  Of course, I knew that it was coming and I knew how long and steep it was, but that made no difference as I came around the corner and felt all the wind get sucked from my sails.  I breifly attempted to run the hill as I had only one year before, but I slowed to a walk after a few steps, and I didn't really start running again until I hit the sign for Mile 5. 

Mile 6 wasn't easy.  I was tired, and I knew my overall pace had slowed quite a bit.  I jogged when I could, but miles 5 and 6 averaged to a 13-minute pace.  My self-talk was pretty negative too, which is never a good sign.  "It seems like I have been running forever!  This course is long, and I haven't even made it through the neighborhoods yet."  And I found myself annoyed at - not motivated or entertained by - the bands/singers. "She sucks!  I should be over there singing, and SHE should be running this race," I thought to myself.

I don't know what happened to me, but I transformed into a different runner in the last 1.5 miles.  I sped up and ran all the way to the finish with a half-grin on my face.  I felt my overall pace improving, and I enjoyed the sun on my shoulders, the funny messages on the shirts of other runners, and I started to feel proud of myself for running a longer distance than I have in a while.  I'm not really sure what happened; I guess I just hit a temporary low point mid-race.

I crossed the finish line in 1:32:34, which is a 12:24 pace overall.  It isn't fast or impressive or a PR, but I gave everything I had on the course, and it is representative of what I can do and who I am as a runner right now.  I'm more than okay with that.

Remembering previous Bloomsdays; happy finisher this year.

Pretty day to hang out by the fountain post-race.

 
<3

P.S. I am working on a creative piece about Bloomsday that I wrote in my head as I was running...

Seaport River Run

Last weekend I was talked into running the 2.9-mile course of the Seaport River Run.  Last year I ran the 10k option to train for Bloomsday, but this year I was more interested in jogging along the river, seeing my friends and fellow Palouse Falls Beer Chasers at the finish, enjoying a "free" Coors light, and riding the jet boat back to the parking lot.


The race was pretty good.  It was definitely pretty, and I ran all 2.9 miles except for the super-steep incline up to the bridge (less than a quarter of a mile into the course).  I settled into a rhythm after I got past the bridge, the folks with strollers, and dog owners (don't even get me started about one clueless lady and her chihuahua!), and I felt about as good as I expected to.

I didn't wear a Garmin but figured that I was going at about a 10-minute pace.  My "A Goal," in fact, was to run the race in under 29 minutes.  My "B Goal" was to finish in under a half-hour (my long-standing goal for a 5k), which I thought might be achievable since it was .2 miles short of a 5k.  And my "C Goal" was to finish with a sub 11-minute/mile pace.

I ran the best that I could and met my C-goal.  Because the race directors don't post the race times (and because the race wasn't chip-timed and everyone crosses the starting line at different times), I don't know my exact time; however, I think that it was around a 31:30.

Truth be told, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed; I would have liked to run the race in under 30 minutes.  But I have to be realistic with myself, I guess; I simply haven't been running as much lately, and I can't expect the same outcomes when I don't train.

The beer was good, the company was amazing, and the boat ride was fun, too.  Overall it was a good day.

<3

Flying Nun Run 5K

When I was in St. Louis for a professional conference last month, I decided I would get another state crossed off of my race list. I signed up for a 5K - the Flying Nun Run - at Tower Grove Park. It was a race supporting a local Catholic school, the St. Frances Cabrini Academy.

I wish that I had taken pictures of the park to post here. It was very nice, even in March. Some of flowering trees had already started to bloom pink buds, and there were paved paths winding around and through the green grasses. As I walked the ground before the race, I imagined couples getting married there in the summer.

The race started at 9, and I got off to a good start. I felt like I was running at about a 10-minute pace, and I wondered (for a brief moment) if I might get a PR. Soon, though, I realized that was not going to happen. After only a few turns on the course, I was quickly covered in sweat (from the humidity and from drinking for three consecutive nights with colleagues at the conference); I wasn't feeling my best.

After running for about 15 minutes, I felt discouraged; I had not come upon the first mile marker yet. "Am I running slower than I thought? Is my jogging speed slower than a 15-minute pace?" I haven't been running as much lately, and my motivation for running has been waning. Perhaps I was more out of shape than I thought.

When I knew that I had been running for at least 20 minutes, I decided that there were either no mile markers (which was a relief in a way) or that I had been running in the wrong direction. Truth be told, there weren't really any signs pointing us in the right direction, and I was just following other racers and trusting that they knew where we were supposed to go. "Oh well," I thought. "I guess I'll just keep moving."

My sports bra damp with sweat and my lower back drenched, I kept jogging toward the area where the race started. I figured that I had been running for nearly a half-hour, and I was tired as heck. My race had to be about over.

As I rounded a bend in the path, a lady passed me, saying something kind and encouraging. I should have been appreciative of her encouragement, but instead I felt a little devious (ironic given the race's sponsor), and kicked it up a bit. I passed her up about a tenth of a mile before the finish and ran it in. I saw that the clock said 33 minutes and a few seconds. No PR for me but a time I was happy with - a 10:30-ish/mile pace.

I stayed around after the race to eat a piece of coffee cake and cheer for the award winners. After all, I wasn't planning on attending any conference sessions on Saturday, and my flight back to Washington wasn't until 6 PM.

To my surprise, MY name was called for 3rd place in my age group! I smiled really big and went in front of everyone to accept my trophy. Very cool and unexpected. Granted, I may have been one of only three racers in my age group, but it was neat nonetheless.


I called the Academy a few days later, and my official time was 33:25.

Plans for future races?

Well, I don't have any major running goals right now even though I am registered for Bloomsday again and a 12-hour endurance race in August. I know that I have to get in better shape by August so that I don't die out on the course, but I am unsure of where running fits into my life otherwise - my identity, my daily routine, my fitness/health goals, my friendships... all of it really. I'm not in a race to figure it out either. :) This is just part of my journey.

<3