So the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler is two days away. I have trained myself silly with speedwork and long runs (peaking with a 13 miler two weeks ago). I ran that 8K three weeks ago to get a sense of my speed ability -- and was on track to run sub 1:20 for the 10 miler.
Now I have been sick all week -- as has Iz. (Abraham seems to have skipped the whole snotty nose, low-grade fever, coughing fit thing. No fair! He has no race to run!) I wasn't deathly ill or anything, and I am getting better and was hare-brained enough to wake up at 5:30 am to get a little 4 mile run in ("a little" 4 miles because I am supposed to be tapering, after all).
But there is no way I will be at peak strength on Sunday morning. And I am really disappointed. Maybe I am being silly -- I can run it just fine at a slower pace. Barring something extreme, I have no fears about not finishing. But I actually took my training seriously. I had aspirations! Sure, I'm no world-class runner. At my best, I am a front-of-the-middle of-the-pack runner. So why should I care? Ah, because I do.
Okay, the goal now is to enjoy the race, right? Just kick back... I can talk myself into this... maybe... After all, it's not a marathon (which is much more involved and daunting).
Actually, I did run fast last year, but I was tired and uncomfortable much of the time (I had gotten very little sleep, interrupted by 11-month-old Iz, who didn't sleep through the night until he was well over eighteen months old) -- I wanted to do the same speed, but have fun doing it...
2 comments:
Good luck on Sunday! At least the weather will cooperate this year. :-)
If it makes you feel any better, today was my first run in more than 8 days (I was on vacation in Paris until yesterday and the weather, wine, and child-free time all conspired to make me sleep in, despite my best intentions). This morning's run was awful, and I only hope it's not a sign of what's to come on Sunday.
Okay... I should not have been so worried, so disappointed. I had a fantastic run! My nose was a bit runny, and I must have strained my lungs a bit because I had a coughing fit for a few moments about fifteen minutes after I finished.
But I felt great the whole time. I felt like I was flying, light on my feet even, and had very few "am I nauseous yet?" moments (I have to check in with the nausea meter now and again when I am running all out -- and I have not thrown up yet, after 8 years of running races). I finished the 10 mile run in 1:17:43.
My dad, who has never seen me run a race, came down to watch. That meant a lot to me. (Little Iz and dear Abraham couldn't make it -- Iz has an ear infection and is miserable.)
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