St. Patrick's Day 10K 2011

After not posting in all of February, I will finally write:

Enough, Winter, lay off and bring in Spring! Gawwwwwd!

It's been cold and rainy and snowy and miserable here, and I think everyone who's not an ardent skier will agree that it is time for nicer weather.

The contrast is apparent in photos of this year's race compared to last year. 2010's St. Patrick's Day race was, though overcast and slightly drizzly, verdant. This year's photos show snow, snow, slush, ice, and icy water. No green to be seen!

Having moved much further away than last year, I was a little worried about arrival, but I was able to arrive 30 minutes before race-time anyway. I had decided to do the 10k this year, because I knew I could do the distance, but it was still a challenge.

The race took us from Immaculata High School (who generously lent their gym) up Col. By Drive, up to around Carleton University and back. The first half had more uphill, and the only benefit of that was it meant more downhill on the way back. However, I can still remember after the half-way mark thinking, "What? This was uphill a few minutes ago! It's a physics impossibility to have this route be uphill both ways at the same time!"

I will admit, this race was a struggle. I had been sick two weeks prior, and my lungs felt like they couldn't get full. My legs and knees were wobbly by the end of it, and I took far too many walk-breaks (and one texting break).

I picked up my pace for the last kilometer, and made it in at 1:13, only 6 minutes longer than my first 10k. I was a bit disappointed because I'd really hoped to get under one hour, but I think if I hadn't been sick, my time would have been a lot better.

Post-run, I harassed a friend to wakefulness and dragged him out for brunch. I had a probably-very-unhealthy steak and eggs. Protein, baby!

Lessons learned from this race:
1. Eat something more than cereal before a race. A bowl of cheerios was not cutting it. And of course, experiment with what this meal will be before race day!

2. If you're going to get sick, try to do it after the race. If you can't put off being sick, try to take care of yourself as much as possible so you get healthy faster. This is a legitimate reason to take time off work, and your boss who is hopefully a runner will understand.

3. You still have something at the end! Swing the arms harder, know it's the end, and go for it! See the clock ticking up and tell yourself, "Not gonna finish 1:15 if I can help it!"

4. Don't mouth along to your music. Everyone will think you're strange, and it's very likely you're interrupting your breathing habits. The latter is more dire.