I Came, I Ran, I Conquered!

After reviewing the race results over and over and over, I have decided that the math is right. I actually did run 5 miles in 44:22, just less than 9 minutes/mile! I still can't believe it. That's by far the best I've ever done!

It was definitely fun running along downtown streets packed with 21,000 runners! In my event alone there were 5,000 runners who all started within about 5 minutes of each other. Talk about herding cattle! Our starting group (9-10 minute/mile pace) was so big that it got split up into two...right before Chris and I were about to go across the starting line! So we actually got to be at the front of the line for our group! Very first people to cross in our group! It was actually a big advantage because there were so many people on the road that you almost can't run. So we waited about 45 seconds for the group in front of us to leave, then we were cleared to start. And off we went! For that brief 3 minutes or so before we caught up with the back of the other group, we were alone on the road. It was great! Knowing that everyone was behind me and very few were keeping pace was invigorating! The only people in front of me were a couple of guys that were obviously in the wrong start group (they were booking!), and, of course, my husband.

Now, days before the race, Chris told me he wanted to run with me for a bit. He wanted to keep pace with me, and then finish the race as well as he could. So I left the starting line thinking we would be running together for at least a little while before he got antsy and left me. We didn't even get five feet past the start before he took off! Guess he forgot about me! It ened up working out, though, because I didn't have to worry about keeping up with him or slowing him down. I was able to concentrate on my own race.

So there I was, approaching the back of the adjacent start group, having fun! Then the game completely changed. From the minute I hit that wolfpack all the way to the end of the race, it was all I could do to just get around people! The streets were so packed with runners that people (including myself) were running up onto the sidewalks and curbs just to get around people. And it never let up. Just to pass someone, you would have to either swing way out to the side, or throw a few elbows. I did both. Nobody seemed to care, everyone understood that it was tough to pass.

There was loud music at the start, a band playing halfway (at Pioneer Square), and lots to stimulate your mind. As a result, I wasn't really thinking about running too much! I was watching other people, looking at their fun St. Patty's attire, thinking about passing them, attempting to pass them, being proud of myself for not being the guy on the side that has stopped running, listening to my music, watching all the cars piled up at the intersections and knowing they've probably been stuck for a while now (all our fault), and the list goes on and on. I wasn't even thinking about how I was running, or how fast my pace was. Then, around mile 3 or so, my left knee started to give me a bit of trouble. I started to hobble, but then remembered a quote I had read from someone's running blog the night before: "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." Reflecting on this, I decided it would be best to just listen to my music and run like normal, not with a wonky-leg. It didn't change the pain level much, so I figured it was all right. By mile four, though, I was in a considerable amount of pain. I couldn't help but hobble anymore. So I ducked my head down, knowing there was only one mile left, and sucked it up. I probably looked pretty funny out there, like one leg was longer than the other or something! Nevertheless, I finished the race as best I could! I was very proud of myself for finishing well.

STATS
Division: Female 20-24
Distance: 8k/5 miles
Net Time: 44:22 minutes
Pace: 8:54 min/mile
Standing in division: 76 out of 342
Standing in Female group, all ages: 547 out of 2,966
Standing in 8k race, all racers: 1569 out of 5,080
Standing in 8K female racers with the last name Baker: 1st place out of 6!

After the race I spent about half an hour looking for Chris, who told me he would meet me at the clothes check tent. So I limped down to the tent, and waited. And waited, and waaaaaiiiiitttteeeeddddd. Getting concerned, I limped back to the first-aid tent, wondering if something had happened to Chris. Nothing had happened, he just wanted to watch me finish, so he was standing in the huge mass of people at the finish line. Well apparently I was too fast for him, and I finished before he even got there to watch! Go me! So we both limped back to our car at Good Sam hospital (I have a parking pass there) and went home to lick our wounds.

Chris had an excellent run as well! He ran an average pace of 7:40 min/mile. He was very proud of himself, as was I, except he didn't feel that great afterwards. He was afraid of puking in the garbage can at the finish line where all the cameras and news crews were standing! But he held it back, and finished strong. Go Chris!

I have walked away from this race with a greatly improved sense of what type of runner I am, and how I compare to other people. My motivation has been refreshed, which was much needed. Noticed I haven't been blogging quite as much? There's a reason for that. It's called a 'lack of giving a crap about running.' I feel more excited about improving now.

The hardest parts of this race were the last mile, because my knee hurt quite a bit, and the second mile, because I always have trouble the second mile of a run, and because it was the hilliest.

I look forward to the 2011 Shamrock run! WOOOOOOOOOOO!