“Disappointment is a sort of bankruptcy - the bankruptcy of a soul that expends too much in hope and expectation.” - Eric Hoffer
Let me start with today's 10K race for which I may have expended too much hope and expectation. As you all know, I've been training harder lately. Granted, I'm training for a half-marathon, not a 10K, but I've been running a lot and generally feeling good about my running. I dared to hope, and maybe even to expect (a little), that today would be the day that I finally run a sub-one hour 10K. I was excited that my daughter would be running with me the same 10K as me :) ...the weather was cold and windy, not ideal, and we quickly noted that there was a major hill that we would have to climb twice as it was two loops. However, there was also the downhill which would hopefully even things out. My niece was also running with us and since the race starts with the major hill, I knew it was best that I let the two young'uns run together and I stepped back a bit (they were too close to the front for my pace).
Before the race with my niece, myself and my daughter.
As I was stepping back, I notice these two young men that just looked fast behind me, so I stepped behind them too. There was an older man behind them and he said, "There's some room here" and I said, "Thanks, I just thought they looked fast, so I decided to come back here" and he replies, "Yeah, myself I usually take about 50 minutes." So I smiled and slowly backed away some more :) This happens to be a very competitive race with lots of groups from different clubs, so there are many very fast runners of different ages.
We take off and as expected that first hill is tough...and people are passing me on both sides. Even with the downhills, I never really felt comfortable and on the second climb of the major hill at the 6th K I know I really slowed down. However, I was really proud that I never once walked and we're talking over 1km of climbing after 5K of running. Yay me! I then noticed that the second bow on my shoelaces had become undone (this has never happened to me before, even in training), I felt it hitting my other shoe, but I kept hoping it wouldn't come completely untied. No such luck, my shoelace comes completely undone and I have to step to the side, remove my gloves, retie my shoe and then put my gloves back on as I start running again. I'm sure it only took like 10 seconds, but really?! Now?!
I manage to really sprint in the last Km as it was the downhill part of that crazy hill! Oh well, I guess I'll still be chasing that sub-one hour 10K...my time 1h01m06! Yup...not today.
Yes, I'm disappointed...but, although it seems counter-intuitive, I still feel proud of myself. I think my disappointment was partly due to the fact that I feel like I'm working so hard and now I'm a little worried that I still might not reach my half-marathon goal. Regardless, the plan is to just keep doing what the program says and hope that it all works out. If not, well I guess I'll just have to try again.
BTW, the three young pups who were with me (my daughter's bf did the 5K) all PR'd and my niece won the silver medal for her age group (she's 16). My daughter ran her 10K in 54m39s, my niece in 53m54s and my daughter's bf ran his 5K in 22m20s! That speedy crew was all waiting to cheer me in at the finish line :)
As for the caution part, I felt really tired this week and although last week was a recovery week, I decided to skip one of my runs this week. Plus, today I had 26K on the program, but after this morning's 10K I decided to leave it at that. I don't want to end up over-training, especially since my body is really not used to doing so much. Taking it just a bit easier this week felt right and hopefully, I'll be feeling stronger next week. I know that since I'm now past the mid-point of my training schedule that it's normal for me to feel tired, but I don't want to blow all this hard work by overdoing it.
Have a great week everyone! Cheers!
6 comments:
Sounds like you gave it your best and today, on this course it wasn't quite enough to reach your own perceived goal. But maybe the journey and even the disappointment have conquered a goal of greater good in you not so easily seen. There will be another time, and I would bet big money if I had it, that you will reach it. You are an asthmatic who runs...you are already tough enough.
I've got a 5k pr attempt coming in April, and while I may get my PR, my goal time is most likely doomed by the hilly course I'll be running. You've got the right attitude, though maybe I just think that bc I share it: striving for big goals and falling short beats always sticking with what you know you can do. Where's the adventure in the known, right?
You're getting so close to that sub 60. It would have been interesting to see what your time would have been had the race been flat.
Sorry Anne. You are so close-you'll do it! That race helped you get closer. You'll get there! :)
Darn 10K....
Je continue d'essayer de passer en dessous d'une heure...depuis la desecente royale a Quebec...1:00:01..c le plus proche d'une heure..mais depuis je reste a 1:02:xx at best...
it will come!!!! for both of us!
Good job not walking. In my experience uphills and downhills don't even out! Seems like they should to be fair. What fun to race with your daughter and niece. I hope you get that less than 1 hour 10K soon!
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