ATC Singleton Race Recap

So today was the Singleton with Atlanta Track Club.  We have a choice between 5 and 10 miles.  I probably should have done 10 since I just kicked off training for my Soldier's Half in November.   I was signed up for the 5 miler.  The race went pretty well.  We got there and Hubby has been fighting a bad foot injury all week so we decided we would run separately and we decided to forgo a warm up.  I could use the first mile since it is always hard to get out of the crowded field and he needed to reserve everything to make 5 miles.  Insert here that he is a bad ass because if my foot looked and felt like his I would have been sleeping in this AM.  Later in the post I will share how he failed to follow the careful plan we had outlined to try and prevent further damage to his foot.

For me, the race went pretty well.  It was incredibly humid and we were joined by a sparse light rain, what a refreshing change for the wettest year since record keeping began.  I had a very tough work week with long hours, late nights and lots of work.  I was looking forward to decompressing Friday, but you know what they say about best laid plans...Anyway little family car accident and resulting drama meant another late and frustrating night followed by what would surely be another frustrating day.  Did not really come to the starting line without baggage, though most of it mental.  Knock on wood I have been feeling really physically strong during my runs. 

I did take the first mile to warm up ending at around 9:30/mile.  After that I was nicely in negative splits in the 8/mile range.  As I saw mile 4, I was feeling everything, the rolling hills, the frustrating week, the fatigue of too many late work nights, and I had two thoughts. "Jeez I am glad I did not do the 10 and this is over in 8 minutes."  The last mile was a little hilly, I was a little mentally off.  I finished 2 seconds behind mile 4, which meant no negative split for the last mile.  Oh well, there are other runs. 

About hubby, I was supposed to wait at the finish.  He was going to stay at an easy 12 minute mile.  He finished right under 50 minutes, so for all those who have ever taken a math class you can tell he failed to stick with the plan.  I went out the last stretch when I saw him to run him in, knowing he had toughed out a hard run.  Of course running him in I had to point out that he was under 10 min/mile and I thought we talked about this.  Anyway, he says it helped his foot loosen up.  We'll see how it feels tomorrow, but no doubt, mental roadblocks don't get in his way like they do me. 

The Good of today:
Finished 43:12 - 8:40/mile.  This is almost 5 minutes faster than last year.
Placed second in my Age Group, must have a been a thin field for 5 milers
Overheard guy I had been trading off with all race as we came into the final stretch and I passed him:
Guys friends cheering "That girl is smoking you!  Move it!"
Guy: "I know, but I am dying and she isn't even breathing hard."

Also after the race while waiting for hubby, this girl stopped me and asked me if I had run a Spring has Sprung back in April.  I said yes and she said "I thought so.  Thanks for the push!"  That was pretty cool.  I am feeling strong going into my half marathon training. 

The bad:  Family is a challenge sometimes.  Sometimes things get in your head, that have nothing to do with running.  I have to say for over 20 years blasting this song in my car has always made me feel better. "Pushing the Needle Too Far" by the Indigo Girls.