Whew! What a week last week. Before I get to my recap of my first race post injury, I’ll quickly give you the run down of last week and a surprise!
Monday: 30 minutes on the bike and the usual planks and bridges
Tuesday: Got in some good miles–5 at 8:30/mile. Felt good the entire way and was continuing to be surprised at how good being in the 8s felt. I was working, but not pushing too hard. Planks later.
Wednesday: Rest day
Thursday: 5 easy miles at 9:50/mile as I knew I had a race on Saturday. Planks later.
Friday: I was planning on doing a little shakeout run anyway but then it for sure happened so that I could test out THIS!!!
Garmin Fenix 3–Squeeee!!!
It’s so beautiful and I’ll talk more about it later 🙂
Saturday: Race Day!
Sunday: Rest day
FroYo 10k Recap
My game plan for the race was to try and maintain 8:30 miles for the first 3 and then progressively speed up for the last 3. And then gun it for the last .2.
But this is how it went.
The race was in Tempe Town Lake, a pretty area that I was familiar with. I arrived early to pick up my bib and meet up with some friends and we talked about how cold it was (for Arizona) but we knew it would quickly warm up (which it did, to like 80). I also planned on taking a pre-race pick with my Moms Run This Town group ❤
The 10k would start first at 7:45. There were no corrals but volunteers holding pace signs. I went to the front where the 8:00-9 sign was and adjusted my ear phones. Yes, I actually ran with music! Well, kinda. More on this later.
Soon enough, it was go time.
I started running and just ran. I always try to only look at my watch when the mile beeps and adjust accordingly so when the first mile beeped and I saw 8:08 I panicked a little. Too fast and not what I planned. I kept going and that’s when my earphones began to fall out. Plus, I had the I-pod in a pocket on the back of my shorts and when I ran, the volume would decrease and increase. I was reminded why I don’t like running with music. Too many unimportant/unnecessary things to worry about. I ran with one ear phone in and left the I-pod alone as I didn’t want to be struggling with trying to fix it. Some parts of the race I had music, most of it I didn’t, lol!! Mile 2, 8:12 and I felt a little better as that wasn’t as fast as the first mile had been and closer to what I had planned.
Mile 3 was the last of the loop (we’d do it again for the 10k) and it was a tough mile because there were little climbs throughout, tight turns, and changes of terrain–concrete, asphalt, and dirt. But I kept pushing through.
a fellow MRTT friend snagged this race pic — having fun doing what I love 🙂
There was a girl in front of me who looked really strong. I kept admiring her calves and her arm muscles and for a while, I was distracted. Do you do that sometimes? Stare at runners while you’re running? After a while, I was pretty close to her and I wondered if she was slowing down. I began to pass her and then wondered if I was going too fast. Isn’t it funny how we do that? Doubt ourselves and let ourselves be intimidated by runners we feel ‘look’ faster than us?
Not too long after, mile 3 chimed in at 8:04. Panic set in again as I began to feel like maybe I wasn’t focusing on my pacing. I worried about getting tired and not being able to finish strong.
But then I remembered I had done 4 miles at an 8 minute pace not too long ago and told myself, heck, I could do it if I concentrated and pushed myself. I’d already blown my plan of doing the first 3 at 8:30 so new plan it is!
Mile 4, 8:06
Mile 5, 8:04
Mile 6, 7:54
I freakin’ did it!!! And you know how I said I wanted to “gun it” the last .2?? I freakin’ did that too!!!
6 minute pace for one minute!!!
I ran through the finish line fists in the air and with a huge smile. An over 3 minute PR at 49:29!! NEVER did I think I would get a sub 50 time.
I met up with some other friends and we quickly got in line to get our celebratory yogurt.
I was on cloud nine on my drive home and was so excited to see my husband. I had texted him my race results and I knew he would be as thrilled about it as me. He was ❤
On Facebook a while later, a friend posted her official time which prompted me to check out mine. Except I couldn’t find it!! I looked and looked and rechecked my bib number but I was nowhere to be found. When I compared my time to the overall, gender, and age group I saw that I had finished 20/361, 7th female, and 3rd in my age group! I had placed!
Except it wasn’t official 😦
I immediately e-mailed the race people, and Facebooked them for good measure, but have yet to hear back. The age group placement doesn’t concern me; I’m glad I placed and all, but I just really want my time to be listed and official official, you know? I mean, it’s gotta be on my Athlinks! LOL
Overall, I just can’t believe how well I ran. That I maintained a sub 8:15 pace for 6.2 miles is just dumbfounding. It’s a huge confidence booster going into the 1/2 marathon I’m running in two weeks. I hope to PR there (sub 1:55) but really, I’m just so so glad to be running again ❤
–Do you get intimidated by the way other runners look?
–When is the last time you surprised yourself at a race??
Wow! Great time! A 3 minute PR for a 10k is amazing. I too would have panicked having splits that much faster than my goal, but you were able to maintain the pace. I think sometimes we get too hung up on what our watches say. Our bodies seem to know better what we’re capable of on a given day. Lesson learned 😉
EXACTLY. You (I) really just need to trust it. So hard.
My last surprise at a race was the 2014 Toronto Yonge Street 10K. I had taken about 12 weeks off – the first 10 to deal with Achilles Tendonitis and the other two weeks helping my grandfather in palliative care. I managed to run the 10K and got a one minute PR (and is still my PR)…still blows my mind.
Congrats on your PR and I hope you get your race results figured out!
Sometimes I think we just need a break you know? Rest time.
Good job Helly!!!!!!!! That is so awesome!! Now don’t stop until you get them to list it as official. I don’t understand why it wasn’t listed??
Well it was a loop course and we had to do two. They stressed at the start that the 10kers had to go around the starting line through a little chute so that’s exactly what I did. I saw some people going through the start and saw some people doing what I did, going through the chute like they said. I’m wondering if that had something to do with it? I usually don’t mind loop course but those technicalities stress me out, lol! Oh and after I posted they finally contacted me, jaja!!
Yay! Yay! Yay!
You had an AMAZING race! See, just a few weeks ago you were feeling a little down about not being as fast. The speed is in you, chica!
I honestly feel writing that post really helped me. Like I just put my feelings out there and out of my brain–because now, I’m feeling a lot more confident. I NEVER thought I’d be able to run as fast as I did on Saturday. Thank you for being such a great friend–you’ve been on this ride with me for a long time! ❤
Woo hoo!! Congrats on your awesome new PR! And to PR fresh off an injury in amazing!! You are a really strong runner. I hope they get the race results figured out for you.
Thank you!! Soon after I posted they contacted me, lol! They’ll be getting it fixed soon 🙂
KILLED IT DEAD! I’m so proud of you!!! ❤
Thank you!! I miss your face. ❤
HELLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYY! You badassmotherfuckerrrrr YEAHHHHHH! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! I saw your pics on IG and FB and I was so excited for you. But I didn’t know just HOW fast you ran that thing. You’re amazing. Coming off an injury like that and nailing a race?!?!? WOW. Just wow. I’m smiling so huge right now.
Thank you, Suzy!!!! I don’t know what the hell got in me but I figured, I ran this far this fast might as well keep it going, lol!! ❤
Congrats on he new 10k PR. Your legs must’ve healed pretty darn well 😉
Lol!! They’re def sore after the race but I’m making myself take it easy the next few days and continue to respect the recovery 🙂
Ahhhhh this is so awesome!!!! Congrats on a huge PR! This gives me post-injury hope that I’ll come out of this faster and stronger than ever. And I hope you can get that time made official – it’s so cool you were 3rd in your age group!
Thank you! Yes, I wasn’t sure how I’d be coming back but I’ve been trying really hard to be patient and respect the recovery. It’s paying off so far 🙂
So apparently there was just something wrong with your legs all along! WhAT ELSE ARE YOU CAPABLE OF?? Congrats!
Thanks, Suz! I def think I needed to take a time-out, lol!! I’m still taking it easy though and trying to be as smart as I can coming back 🙂
So dang proud of you!
Thank you my friend! You continuously inspire me ❤
That is so cool, congratulations…what a great week, a 3 minute PR for the 10K is crushing it and a sub-8 split, awesome. Not to mention a brand new watch, that Fenix looks like a great device, gotta admit a bit envious of that but I swore no more GPS watches after last year (I said that after the last one too, but still). Last time I surprised myself at a race, I think was probably my last 10K as well in November where like your experience, everything just fell into place and I ran about a 3 minute PR. Then again I was pretty surprised at how freakin’ difficult the course was at the Maui Oceanfront Marathon last month, but that was more of a nasty surprise 🙂
LOL, yeah the nasty surprises are no fun!! I felt a tinsy bad getting this watch because my “old” watch was barely a year old. But this one I use as my everyday watch and that was a way I justified it, lol!
Awesome, hey, my current watch is almost a year old, hmmmm!!
The fenix is pricey, but so far I love it!!! 🙂
Congrats on the PR! They are some awesome splits – especially after coming back from your stress fracture. I am pretty impressed and hoping that I can follow your lead. And that watch – so much bling envy right now. I have a 10K in three weeks so we’ll see…..
Oooh, i’m so excited for your 10k!! I think you’ll surprise yourself too!!!
Congratulations!! That’s an awesome PR! I always get nervous at races, I look at everyone and see them as the real runners and I am just the fraud. Even after all these years. I am so envious of that watch. 🙂
Why do we do that? I do the same thing 😦
Congrats, Helly! That’s such an amazing time! Bummer about the results though. I hope you hear back from them and they correct it.
I did hear back from them thankfully but will have to wait a while for them to fix it. Oh well, as long as it gets done 🙂
When I saw your PR picture on Instagram I was on cloud nine for you!! What an awesome achievement! You rock … and that gorgeous watch rocks too! 🙂
Thank you so much Kristina!! xoxo
Yay!!! I’m SO happy for you and so inspired!! Fantastic job! I hope things get straightened out with the official results. The same thing happened when I ran a 5K PR last year so I know exactly how you feel. When you run a PR you want it to be official and permanent and there for all the world to see! (Or at least for anyone who checks your Athlinks stats to see.😉)
Right!?! I know it’s so vain of me but I need it to be out there, LOL!!!
WOW that Fenix is soon beautiful!!! Did it bring you good luck?!
I always scope out other runners during races. I especially look at calves because mine are thin but have no definition haha.
Congrats on a fantastic race. Holy crap, you’re fast! And so soon after injury!! I hope to be running in the 8s someday! Maybe this year will be the year for me!
I think sometimes we just need a break–it’s so hard to do though, lol! So I think injuries are the only wait we’ll let it happen, jaja!!! I’ve also been cross training a lot more than I used to really working on my core strength.
Amazing job! And I don’t blame you! I would want it official too!! And I’m totally drooling over your Fenix. I have serious watch envy. I would LOVE to upgrade to that!
It’s totally worth it. I use it as my everyday watch (that was my biggest selling point to my husband, lol!)
Congrats! Fast legs!!!!
Love the spoon medal 🙂
It’s super cool!! 🙂