Running Code 3

I love this little race.  It’s a 5 or 10K run, or walk held in downtown Stockton.  The first time I ran this race was last year, so I thought I’d run it again since 1) It’s a good training run; 2) I’d run off any excess Thanksgiving meal that I happen to eat; 3) It’s for a great cause … I, myself, don’t like being hungry, so I cannot leave others to be hungry.

Today’s race was to be treated as a training run, but, of course, you know that a PR is always at the back of my mind.  I was just going to run … throw some intervals in there as I had done in a few past running drills.  However, I had spoken to my Coach, @speedysasquatch, earlier in the week and he put me back on a plan and gave me some guidelines.  One mile warm up, pick it up progressively, then run it in.  Okay.  I could do that.

I was thankful that I was able to convince my husband to tag along with me.  He is my biggest supporter, and I love having him there.  I felt kind of bad for him though because he had worked a half of a shift that night, and because it was 37 degrees that morning!

I met my friend Cory and her son, Ryan, that morning.  Mac lives in Sac, and as this was just a little race, she would not be ruuning this one with me.  Cory and I had fun cheezin’ for pre-race pictures.  I was able to meet Cory’s friend, Leah, who is actually Cory’s neighbor and running buddy.  We looked for other friends, but it was just to be us.  It was really cold, so we tried to stand in the sun and just keep movin’.

Promptly at 0830, the gun goes off and we all take off in a mass of people.  I was thankful that even though the crowd was large, I was never stuck in a pack of people.  I lost Cory and Ryan in the first mile though.  =(  I was on my own, but that was okay.

I had made a new playlist for my run the night before so I was good to go …. Appropriately named “Row’s 10K PR Playlist,” it had 17 songs, and would play for no longer than 58 minutes.

1. Just a Dream by Nelly
2. G.R.I.N.D. (Get Ready It’s a New Day) by Asher Roth
3. Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars
4. Firework by Katy Perry
5. The Time (Dirty Bit) by The Black Eyed Peas
6. Raise Your Glass by Pink
7. We R Who We R by Kesha
8. Magic by B.o.B. (feat. Rivers Cuomo)
9. Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) by My Chemical Romance
10. Please Don’t Go by Mike Posner
11. We No Speak Americano by Yolanda Be Cool & DCup
12. Forget You (Glee Cast Version) (feat. Gwennyth Paltrow)
13. The Rockfeller Skank by Fatboy Slim
14. The Middle by Jimmy Eat World
15. (If You’re Wondering If I Want You) I Do by Wheezer
16. Like a G6 by Far East Movement

I knew what I needed to do.  I knew that once I heardRockafeller Skank that that was my cue …

I cruised the run, and was doing well hitting sub 10 min miles … 9:30, 9:15 … whatever.  I had my Roxanne (Garmin) on, but I forgot to hit “start” right at the beginning so it was a tad off, and I wasn’t really paying any attention to it.  I was just cruisin’ along.

I wasn’t really waiting for anything.  I just knew my cue.  So when Fatboy Slim started blarring out of my earbuds, right before mile 5, I was gone.  It was fitting that the first words are, “Right about now … ” It was also fitting that I was following someone at a “safe” distance that I did not want to beat me.  I took off and passed this individual right then and right there.  I did not worry that they would catch me because I would not allow it.  I am thankful that Rockafeller Skank is a song  just about 7 minutes long.  I promised myself that I would run hard while it played … It worked.  I ran my fastest mile at sub 9!  =)

I finished that 10K in 55 minutes!  =)  Yeeeee Haaaawww!  I was happy that I did so well.  The number in my head was 54, but I was very happy with my 6 minute PR.

Ryan and Cory finished in respectable times as well, at about 60 minutes!  We met up at the end for more postrace cheezin’.  We were able to find our beautiful friend, Mel.  I looked for my friend, Christina, who Chris says finished in 48 minutes.  We had fun.

All in all, it was a great way to start Thanksgiving.  I am proud of myself, finishing in a very respectable time, improving!  I felt a little bad that I picked the person off at mile 5 and didn’t say a word.  Why?  Because I always encourage people.  I don’t care if I know you, or whatever, I will encourage you to come with me so that I can tag along with them.  But there was something, I don’t know what to call it, in me, that got a little peeved at this individual and I was done.  I felt no remorse about taking off.  To be honest, it felt really good.  I know that sounds callous and catty, but … I don’t care.  I did it.  In my head it was a challenge to this person to come with me … Eh, I was right, they didn’t.  And knowing the little bit that I know about this individual, I know it made them mad that I zoomed passed without warning!

Awesome.  I am thankful to have such great running friends in real life, and in my virtual circle.  I am thankful to have a supportive family, especially my husband who is my greatest supporter.  I am thankful for my Coach, Josh, who has more confidence in my potential, and helps me to expose it!

On a side note, I was reading a blog written by my Twitter friend, @RTDanielle09, and she had on there a small piece on how she and some friends, have others write words of inspiration on the soles of their feet. (Read that blog here.)  The words are not read until after the race is run.  I thought that that was such a great idea, so prior to putting on my shoes and socks this morning, I had asked my hubby to write something on the sole of my foot.  I actually forgot all about it until just about stepping in the shower.  I had him snap a photo of it for posterity.  I believe that this is a new tradition that I will continue.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010, everyone.  Hope you are all as thankful and as blessed as I am …