Thanks.
I can't sleep, for some reason.
I had a pretty cool day leading up to this.
Posted the following to the Runner's World forums a little while ago:
http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/runner-communities/beginners/first-5k-rr-long-ramblingToday, I ran my first 5k. It was the Mind Over Matter Race for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. http://www.mindovermatterrace.org/Home_Page.html
It's a cause that is important to me because one of the reasons I run is to help me continue surviving recurrent bouts of serious depression. I put off running, or any exercise, really, for years, because I was a self-injurer for a long time and was ashamed of my scars. This race was important to me.
However, I've been plagued by ITBS [APS non-runners: that's an overuse syndrome of the knees] ever since I seriously overworked/overstressed myself right before my first half marathon this past February. I had planned my first half-marathon for the weekend after sitting for the bar exam, and although I was defnitely ready for the race, those last few weeks of near-constant physical and mental stress, and poor nutrition, lack of sleep, etc, as I focused almost everything I had on the bar exam, and gave what was left to my kids, really took a toll. I made it through the race ok, but started having ITB pain late in that race, whcih got steadily worse through March, and I've been in PT throughout April.
I've abandoned plans for two other races, because of the ITBS, and then this past Monday I re-injured my shoulder--I had a s.l.a.p. lesion repaired two years ago. It's been a painful week, and discouraging.
I don't even remember what reminded me that months ago I had made plans to run the 5k today, but yesterday afternoon I started making plans, even as I had my arm in a sling and was on narcotics+ibuprofen for pain. I just needed to do it.
Last week, I was supposed to run the Trail Half-Marathon, but working mileage back up from ITBS, I was restricted to about 5-6 miles for a while and couldn't train. I switched my registration to the five-mile race that is part of the same event, but then my babysitter didn't show up. I just needed to get out and do something.
Woke up this morning to rain. Thunderstorms predicted. I switched from bright and cheery yellow tank top to a fiery orange lightweight wool ss shirt. I have found that if the air temp is over thirty, I can run in wool in the rain without getting chilled, no matter how nasty the rain gets. Still sad I didn't get to wear my tank top though. Wearing skimpier clothing is one thing that was a major emotional struggle for me, for years. In any case, I hadn't registered, so I had to get there early. Did not want to miss it.
My in-laws live near the race, which was an hour+ away from home, and they agreed to watch my two kids, so there was an early-morning logistical challenge. Mild panic when the pre-schooler announced that she had to pee, about fifteen away. Did NOT want to deal with an accident and an upset three-year-old. Thank God for good friends. Woke up a friend (at 8.00 on a Saturday morning) who was closer, and begged for the use of her bathroom. The deviation only cost me ten minutes.
Light rain when I got there, an hour early. Everyone was hoping for it to clear up. I was hoping it wouldn't, because I like to run in the rain, and because in my wool shirt, I knew I'd be too hot if the rain stopped and it got humid.
At about five minutes to nine, too late to go change clothes, the rain stopped and the humidity and temperature started rising.
My only other race was the RnR NOLA, so this was a much more subdued start. I had a hard time figuring out where to position myself. Didn't want to be obnoxiously close to the front, but I was hoping for a sub-30 minute time, so I definitely wanted to be ahead of the walkers/strollers/dog-walkers, etc, I also had no idea how the shoulder injury/pain would affect my racing. I only did one other run since re-injuring it, and it was on the treadmill, and before it got as painful as it has on the past couple of days. They were not doing chip timing, so I also wanted to be close to the front for a fairly accurate time. I hadn't wanted the distraction of my HRM/sports watch, which has too many functions for me. If I had had more than a day to plan, I would have, but I figured I ought to keep it simple.
I ended up about twenty feet back of the start line. A couple obviously fast people right up front. I was right near the front of the less-obviously-fast crowd.
Within ten steps of the start, my shoulder started aching, that deep nasty pain that kinda' makes you want to throw up--well, makes me want to throw up, anyway. I broke stride for about two seconds, realized I had started a bit fast, reassured myself that my shoulder is screwed up, but 5k is not likely to make it that much worse, and that I've had two kids, I can handle 5k with a bum shoulder. Resumed a steady pace, only slightly slower than way too first. Got through the first mile in about eight minutes, which is very fast for me.
By then the excitement and probably endorphins and such had kicked in and my shoulder no longer hurt, I was getting into a steady breathing pace, but it was humid and I was HOT in my wool shirt. Started running through puddles, and trying to breathe deeper and slower. I sometimes have trouble breathing in humid mornings (asthma) and between the shoulder injury and the humidity, I was just not feeling very confident in my body. The 8 minute mile was a good reassurance though, so I just jumped in every puddle I could find and found my steadier pace.
I turned the last corner and it was at the bottom of a hill. A lot of people struggled with that hill, including me, but I refused to break pace--until I realized that it wasn't the last turn, there was one more. And another hill. At that point, I decided that I was all in and sprinted up the hill, something I had earlier decided I wouldn't be able to do after spending too much energy on my first, very fast mile. When I saw the clock approaching, someone was standing in front of it, so only saw a 2, and what I assumed was part of a nine. I assumed it was 29:xx, but didn't want to give up on keeping it under thirty minutes.
It was actually 28. I came in at 28:40.
And then tonight I came home to an envelope from the state bar. I passed the bar exam.
Nice when things come full circle like that.
