As long as December and January felt, February (and now
March?!) has flown by! I even wrote a
something a few weeks ago but never got around to posting it, and it already
feels so out of date.
So, what’s been up?
Honestly, not a lot.
I mean, just swim-bike-run and work but nothing incredibly
noteworthy. Just back to the grind and time
is starting to move so fast!
Raced the Kirkland Shamrock 5k last weekend.. I woke up
Friday with a sore throat, took it easy, then Saturday morning woke up very
much sick. But I needed to race! So, I slept in as long as possible (thank
goodness it was close, and started at 9am!), took some DayQuil, and dragged
myself to the start line.
I had been nervous for this race. Which was funny, considering it’s just a 5k…
but I have only done a couple 5ks, and I had done this one last year so I knew
what to expect (ALL UPHILL) and also felt the pressure to compare it to last
year! In my mind, I should be
faster! But of course, feeling so sick I
started letting go of that idea. Hey, at
least I had an excuse?
Lined up near the front.
Started…and, wouldn’t you know it, started running hard. Funny how slapping a timing chip on me and
throwing me over the line magically makes me forget everything else.
IT WAS HARD. The
first half mile was probably the hardest—a very gradual uphill, running hard,
trying to find a rhythm and I could NOT for the life of me figure out how to
breathe and run at the same time! I was
acutely aware of how stuffy I was, and my patterns were all off. I was moving, but I just didn’t feel
good! I finally did settle into it more,
but I definitely felt “off” the whole time—my dad took a video at the finish
which kinda confirmed how I felt. My
feet and timing are just..off.
Clunky. OH well.
Anyway, back to the beginning as I was dying and seriously
trying to figure out how to run like this.
Of course, THIS is where allllll the photographers were stationed! I vaguely noticed one and hoped I looked ok,
but as I saw more and the road kept with its slight incline and I really just
wanted to blow my nose.. I stopped caring.
I ran on the outside edge hoping they just wouldn’t see me, haha!
Up the rest of the first hill, and a sharp down. Pitching back to a sharp up. Around the corner, and the long slog up
various degrees of hilliness, through the neighborhoods of Kirkland. A few people passed me, I let it happen. I was running as hard as I could, trying
desperately to elongate my stride, knowing I was not running very efficiently
but just could not do it! I kept expecting
Kyle to pass me, but held him off up those hills.
Finally, down the neighborhood hills (how was the downhill
only one block, when we had been running uphill for the last 0.8 mile?!), up a
bit, then turned off into some other neighborhoods… but at least we were getting
closer. Things were spread out; after the
first main hill, the lead pack pulled just ahead of me, and I pulled away from the
following pack behind me… so I was running in relative solitude most of the
way. But, with flatter terrain now, I could
hear feet approaching. I knew that this would
be where Kyle could run fast, faster than me.
I tried to kick it up, and give up as little time as possible ;)
Some turns. A VERY
STEEP downhill (again, what’s with the long slow uphill slog, followed by one
block of super steep downhill??), with a very off-camber corner?! Coupled with the rain, it had the potential to be very bad news, but I was pleasantly surprised at the traction on
the race flats I was wearing—I think they were grippier than the hokas I wore
last year, surprisingly!!
Another long stretch before hitting the main road, which would
take us to the finish. Counting down the
seconds, because now breathing was seriously hard, I was slowing down, and I wasn’t
sure how much longer I could take this!
Heard feet, and someone pass me.
Whew, not Kyle. Heard feet again,
and breathing, and—yes, no question about it, that was Kyle and he was RIGHT on top of me. I’ve run with him enough to recognize his
footsteps and breathing pattern. But I didn’t
want to turn, and kept trying to keep my pace up. The wind picked up along this stretch by the
water, OF COURSE it was a headwind, and the road tipped very, very slightly up
again. I ran hard, and heard Kyle’s
footsteps grow quieter.
Rounded the last corner, and it was a downhill sweeping arch
to the finish!
OPEN YOUR STRIDE, KELLEY!
I tried so hard to run as FAST as I could. Quick feet, open hips…yeah, later video
proved I failed miserably at that but so what, I MADE IT to the finish!!
I forgot to stop my garmin right away, so wasn’t really sure
of my time. Finished 7 seconds ahead of Kyle, and turns out I finished a whole
8 seconds faster than last year! Hah! But considering how awful I felt, it’s still
a win. I need to run a flatter 5k, preferably
while healthy, to really know where I stand.
21:21 and I was 2nd female overall! Super happy, and goes to show just how hilly
and tough that course is, haha!
Anyway, wow, only I could write so much about a 5k. As expected, I was pretty wiped
afterwards. Coupled with a fun visit to the
zoo and a super fun birthday dinner, I was sick as a dog the next day and basically
dead to the world! Cut all my workouts,
took a couple days off.. Started feeling better but had customer meetings etc
all week so workouts have been light.
And food has been mostly of the “fancy catered food and eating out”
variety.
Thankfully, I finally had a solid day yesterday (65 minutes
of varying intervals on the treadmill..finished the last 3x0:30 at 5:27, 5:24
and 5:18…should have done them all faster!
Then an easy 90 minute spin on the bike) felt AMAZING!!! Was feeling so BLEH that was seriously sooo
good to hit the workout and feel good throughout!
Today is a tempo run and long bike; tomorrow is just a quick
swim; and Sunday is another 10k race!!
EEK! I thought it was flatter but
just looked at the profile and, nope, some big hills. This is gonna hurt, too. But hey, as long as I’m not sick! ;)
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