The big 2007 10K!

Well I finally did a race today! It was just a 10K, but that's big-time for me this year :-) The race was in Buena Vista, Colorado. One thing I learned about Buena Vista - the locals actually pronounce it BUNA (U is like YU) Vista - I still am not quite sure why!

The run was the 'Autumn Color Run' and I did it with Michelle. To start out, the website for the race wasn't very clear, I also didn't take a ton of time to try and figure out the details before race day. Turns out there are actually 4 different races that all start at the same time, but at different places - and they all have the same finish line: 1/2 marathon, 10K, 5K and a 1 mile fun run. The website talks up the 'race' saying it's a one-way, downhill course, people generally have their 'best times'....I assumed the 10K fell into that nice description...boy was I wrong! The website was speaking specifically on the 1/2 - whoops! The 10K was uphill for the first 3 miles...then rollers for about 1 mile....and the last 2 miles were relatively flat...oh and this is all at 8,000 feet!! It was rough - I'm trained for a 10k, but I hadn't really done much elevation training! Michelle was also having a hard time, especially during the first 3 miles. I got ahead of her during that time and we ran our own races the rest of the time. I am very happy and proud to say however - we both finished! and we were just 5 mins apart...my time was 64, hers was 69. And the best part - we weren't last! :-)

I've realized today no matter how big or small the race, there are 2 things I ALWAYS run through my head as I run, swim, bike, walk, etc: 1 - at some point in the race I will wonder if I can finish - will I bonk, will I be able to sustain the pace, will I meet my goal...I question if I can really do it. I have done a ton of races, and I'm happy to say I've never once quit! Still the question always pops into my head - and it's usually during the first 20% of the race. Then without a doubt -thought number 2 - there is a point (always after I've finished a big portion of the race) that I realize, I am actually going to finish this thing! Today, thought #1 came at about mile 2.5....thought #2 was just after mile 5. And of course, as I sit at home the night of the race - I am always sooooooooooo glad I did it !

The biggest race I've ever done was exactly one year ago this weekend - the Harvest Moon Half Ironman. I think back to that day, and I clearly remember the turnaround of the run - I realized my thought #2 exactly at that point...even if I crawled to that finish line, I was going to make it! I cannot believe that was 1 year ago - this year has flown by. A co-worker told me last week that time starts going faster as you get older - I AM almost 30 you know!

OK this old chick has to go to bed!