I don't have to do it again- ATB 2011

My goal for this race has always been a silver metal or sub 2:30 time..... and third times a charm! Honestly I really do not like it. The hard pavement, the crazy unknown of the weather, I find the course boring, having to pay $20 to park. etc etc. Anyways based on how cold the weather network was saying it was going to be I didn't even want to do it this year if not for the race/ hotel already paid for. I have been so cold this year, and so done dealing with it have never spent so much time on the treadmill.
Going out I was thinking 49, 49, 50 for 10k splits leaving a two minute buffer. Accounting for I would have make up a start line deficit along the way as well. However my mantra this week was you don't know how the day will feel until you get there, you don't how the race will feel until you start and you don't know the finish line will look like until you are there so be prepared. I magically ended up seeding myself well due to a back alley and was off and I wasn't feeling the joy. I just wasn't happy to be there. I was dressed ok. Threw away my sweatshirt at 3k, and held on to my hat and mitts from 5k to the finish. For some reason I thought I might get cold if I slowed down and I actually really liked the hat I was intending to throw away. Again back to the joy, I was feeling no pain so it was a real effort to be in the joy place so I worked on the stress place. I focused on how absolutely devastated I would be if I didn't meet on my goal and how Luke would be disappointed and think I didn't work hard enough. So basically I ran scared for 30k. Scared I would get to the finish line and they would be putting away the silver metals and I wouldn't get one.

Back to pacing. I have never looked at my garmin so much. My thoughts were just keep it under 5min/k and not faster than 4:30......but when I did look down and see faster times I just thought it was banked time. The only pain I felt was my hip flexors, and mental boredom from road racing. Only walked at the water station. Ran abeit slowly up the big hill, but managed to catch up with people I was running with quickly. Did a fair bit of random singing of two to three words. The last four k's I found to be challenging due to the stress of thinking they were putting away my silver metal. Focused on a skinny guys bum encased in back tights. ...even told him to speed up. He got a hug in the end. Sprinted the finish line shoot and got my silver metal..... and kissed the lady who gave it to me.... and now I do not have to do that race again....until next year when I am trying to convince my husband that 2 person really would be fun. He is not a runner.

Once at the finished and a permismile on my face, and having met up with my husband we headed back out so I could run the last 1k in with my friends who have to put up with me endlessly running loops around them.

2009-2:31:27
2010-2:37:04
2011- 2:25:20