Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Rodes City Run 10K .. where Ricky is tired of Wicked, no rain, Kelly Clarkson was my lifeline & I felt like a ROCK STAR!



Onto the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown!!!
Rodes City Run 10K

This one has always been my favorite race - just because I think I really like a 10K distance. It's a good challenge, but not TOO far of a run.  & I've done this race now for the past 6 years & I always look forward to it.

The alarm went off at 6am & man, I woke up in TROUBLE!  I did something dumb - did a new workout on Thursday that had me do like 48 burpees in under 5 minutes.  I was so sore on Friday that I could hardly move - especially in my low back & my shoulders.  When I woke up on Saturday, it was even worse. I literally was moving like I had just got out of a car accident or something.  I tried to do some stretches & if someone could have seen me, they would have laughed.

This is so accurate, its scary

One the positive side, all week long, they were calling for rain to come in right around the same time everyone would be lining up at the start line.  Even the night before, they were calling for it.  I turned on the news while making a quick egg sandwich & they said the rain would probably hold off or just be spotty.


Some protein ate.
Drank a full tumbler of water.
Braids in.
Debated on what to wear ... I'm so bad at picking it out the night before...
It was time to go.

Start:
Right before I left the house
... & you can see Zoe in the background in her bed like,
"Can you go & turn off the light please?"
We get out in the car & Ricky has to run back in...

for his Starbucks cafe mocha that he got the night before & warmed up.

To him, these miles are nothing.  Remember, he's the guy who walked on average 15-17 miles A DAY... so while I'm prepping food & drinking water & really thinking about nutrition for these runs, he does it only drinking a cup of caffeine & chocolate.  #sonotfair

Ricky:

We take off.  & Wellll... I knew the day was coming... & this was the day...

I listen to a song before every race.  It's tradition. Plus, it just pumps me up... that song?
Defying Gravity from Wicked.


... poor Ricky endures it every race blaring out of the car speakers.  This ride?  He was like, "Really?  Every time?"  & he even went to put in his ear buds to his iPod so he didn't have to hear it, which only made me turn it up louder & SINGGGGG even LOUDDEEERRRRR...

Don't mess with my PUMP ME UP song!

We usually have issues getting parking at races & getting to the start line in time because we're running late.  This race was totally smooth sailing.  We found a parking lot right near the Start line, walked to it in less then 5 minute & waited for the guns to go off...

Start:

Fun fact on this race:  we know the awesome lady that sings the National Anthem on this one... we're always like, "We know her... we know her" while everyone is clapping at the end.

Next thing I know, everyone is scooting across the line. I totally didn't hear any sound to begin the race - but maybe because I was still singing Defying Gravity to myself.

Race:
I'm the one right there in black :)
I have to say, this is the first year I dont remember the sun being out - & I can know this because this race runs STRAIGHT into the rising sun & its BLINDING!  But it was totally over cast & it was nice to run with my head up because of the shade.

I didn't have a goal to run it straight through like the 5k but I did want to run as much as possible... & I was making fairly good time.

Saw a friend right past mile 1.
Had Ricky get me a cup of water from mile 2 so I didn't have to stop (he doesnt drink water either on the course... the man is a machine)
Enjoyed the big downhill stretch into mile 3.
HATE the road is so full of holes/pot holes & is slanted the entire way till mile 4....

... & that's when my knee was like. BAM! PANG! PAZZOWW!


Just like an old Batman series.

Pain.  Right in my stupid knee.  Right when I was looking at the Mile 4 flag.

I had run so much at this point & was 4 minutes ahead of what my goal time was.
So when this happened, I just wanted to kick something.

I slowed it down & walked a bit... & bless Ricky. He was like, 'you've done so good. Let's just walk the rest of the way. No problem!'
... & that's when an angel on my shoulder called Kelly Clarkson spoke up.

Well, not on my shoulder. More of, in my ear.  Because her song came on right then.  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!!! ... It totally bubbled up in me & I was like, "Nope, I'm running again" & got right back to it.


Mile 5 - a combo of walking & running with the knee, but we ran into the WORST STENCH EVER & that really had me pick up my pace
Mile 6 - of course you run to the finish line!

... & then I looked at my watch & saw I came in about 40 seconds faster then my goal I wanted for this distance.
I'll totally take it...

& then I looked again & knew my time from the year before... & was like, HOLD UP! I beat my time from last year by 6 minutes.

6 MINUTES!!!!

Finisj:

I can't even begin to tell you how excited that made me.

Now granted - its still 4 minutes SLOWER then my PR... but its still 6 minutes FASTER than last year.

That's progress baby!  BIG TIME PROGRESS!!!


I totally teared up about it too...

Races, runs, finish lines all hold emotion for me.  Something I never thought I would do.  Something I still struggle with...

but I keep PRESSING ON!!!!!!

Us:


& now, I'm trying to decide about what to do about my knee this week.

I have a long run this week of 9 miles & then a 10 mile race the next week.

Do I rest it for a bit?  Keep strengthening it?  ... I'll figure it out.... because I ain't giving up just yet.

I've got gravity to defy! :)


Us:

______________________
Week 9 Half Marathon Training

Week 9  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.roidapp.photogrid  iPhone  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photo-grid-collage-maker/id543577420?mt=8:

Monday - Run 3.07
Tuesday - Upper Fix Extreme
Wednesday - Run 3.17
Thursday - Les Mills Combat HIIT
Saturday - Rodes City 10k



In the homestretch... these next 2 weeks are the pinnacle of long runs... & I'm getting nervous...

but I'm not giving up!



22 comments:

  1. You broke your time last year by 6 minutes and your knee was hurting you - way to go girl!! Congrats!! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh man I loved this race recap! That looks like a pretty large race too!
    I can't believe you even ran some more after the fiasco with your knee!!! You are a rockstar! Congrats on beating last year's time. My goal this year is to just improve my times from last year. I think it will be a while before I am back to my PR's, but improvement will be good with me too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is so awesome!! I would love to do a 10K - I'm still working on 5K's though :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yay yay yay!! Thank goodness for Kelly Clarkson. YOU GO GIRL! What a sweet husband for pushing you but also giving you some grace! I hope you find a solution for your knee this week!

    ReplyDelete
  5. and you did it!! yayyyyyyy!! that is amazing, awesome, and fabulous!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yay! A 6 minute improvement over last year is huge :) And I've totally got the same song I listen to at the start of every race too. Rituals are important!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Keep up the good work, but take care of that knee too!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. You go girl! You should be so proud of yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  9. No pre-race traditions for me. Because somehow every race is like my first. I think I should race more. I always panic. Forget what I need to run with (like I don't run all the time) & forget something. Rush out the door & then smack myself for forgetting something. Haha. One day I'll pull it together.

    Congrats on beating last years time!

    ReplyDelete
  10. You are a ROCK STAR! I love how you never give up and keep on truckin'! Giving you a cyber pat on the back for a job well done!

    ReplyDelete
  11. You beat last year's time? With a knee giving you fits? You rock! Way to go!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Woohooo!! Great job!! And boy-oh-boy do I know that stretch you're talking about with the stench. Everyone was looking around at each other like "how did you do that and still live?" I think it was by a farm feed factory but wowza, it was strong! Ice that knee this week and next -- you've got this!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Awesome! Congrats! Love that Kelly Clarkson helped you run a great race! I'd rest your knee--and stretch and foam roll!

    ReplyDelete
  14. You go girl!! Rockstar rocking on. Power through that race! And 6 minutes, that's a lot, that basically means you shaved off a minute for each mile!!!

    No pain, no gain! Although I hope you're feeling better today burpees hurt my knees.

    liz @ j for joiner

    ReplyDelete
  15. The title of this post is everything!!! Congrats on beating your time!!! That is awesome!!!! Knee pain is the worst but look at you pushing right through it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Kelly Clarkson is my homegirl. No really, but I like to pretend she is. So, I love that part of the story. Do they have an award for cutest couple at the race, because the two of you are winners in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  17. You are amazing. Awesome job. The burpees though haha!!! Bad idea ;)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Congratulations! Anyone who can run at all earns my eternal respect. I'm so impressed!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Please take care of your knees!! I ran track in high school (the 440), was in marching band, and hit my knees on the ice too many times while skating on the lake in the winter. My knees are a mess and I'm facing total replacement for both of them. Take care of your knees! Your 64 year old self will thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Whaaat!! That is incredible! Love that you've beaten your time in both of these races, from last year! I'm sure you'll do the same at the 10 miler. Ok, maybe I'm slow, but I never realized Ricky ran WITH you! Does he run the halfs too? That's so sweet!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Whoa 6 whole minutes, that quite a chunk right there! Awesome job RJ! And I know it meant so much to have Ricky right there!

    ReplyDelete

I am thankful for each comment & like to respond to every one of them....
If you noticed I do not respond to your comments, it is because you are a "no reply" blogger and I am unable too!
How to enable your e-mail: BLOGGER ACCOUNTS: To do this, click on your Dashboard, click on EDIT PROFILE and place a check mark next to SHOW MY EMAIL ADDRESS, and finally scroll to the bottom and click SAVE PROFILE.**

Social Media World

Come Follow Me