I've had very few real posts this month, so there is a lot to catch up on and a lot to say about what happened last Saturday night (or Sunday morning by the time I finished).
First, let's get the weight out of the way....
As of this morning... 306.0!!!! That's 44 pounds in just over 3 months and just 2 pounds from my lowest point in Dec 2007. And, I have yet to have a non-losing week in the 14 weeks since "the comeback". Below is an updated Geek Chart...
Tower of Terror 13k
I think I'm still riding the high from the race last Saturday. I had a goal of averaging 16:00/mi, which is the WDW 1/2 Marathon pace requirement. The equates to finishing the 13k in 2:09:14. I finished in 2:06:07! As I got close to the end I tried to push to get under 2:06, but I was a little late in starting the push and fell just short.
As for the race itself... Thankfully, there was a group from WDW Radio (Lori, Deanna, Steve, Ashley and couple other I can't remember at the moment) doing the 13k, so I was not completely alone for the trip and the race. The 5k race was scheduled to start first at 10:15 then the 13k at 10:30. The 5k started almost right on time.
The start chute was marked off according to expected pace in 2 minute increments with the first being under 7:00. After the 13:01-15:00 crowd were the walkers. The first 1/2 mile and the last 2.5 miles of the 5k course were the same as the 13k. So, it didn't take long for the 5k runners to make it to the turn around and come back by the start line. In some ways it was nice to cheer on the 5k runners before we started.
Only 3 minutes late, it was time to start the countdown for the 13k. I started at the front of the walker group as my goal pace would be in the 15s. I was a little worried about staying to my run/walk intervals in a race crowd. But, it was less crowded back where I was and the course opened up nicely after the first 100 feet or so. My worries were quickly gone as I was able to settle into the intervals. My only other issue about the intervals would be the constant start/stop and getting in the way of other people. I had my head on a swivel the first couple of miles, but then got to a point without many people right around me.
I completed the first mile in 15:10. This was a little faster than I wanted so from that point on I took the liberty of skipping some of the run intervals. Turns out this may have hurt me more than if I didn't skip. Right after the first mile I started to feel a pain/discomfort in my right foot in way I had never felt before. I have had an occasional hot spot on my right foot in my last long run, but it never progressed to a blister. But, the pain I was feeling was not the hot spot. It was on my the bottom of my big toe along the first joint from the base of my toe. I still today don't know what caused it. The discomfort gradually got a little worse until about mile 4. Right after the mile 4 marker I stopped to take a quick look and make sure it wasn't a bunched sock or something else. As I said...I found nothing. So, I laced back up and off I went.
The hardest parts of the 13k course for me were the last half of mile 2 and the last 2 miles. The last 1/2 half mile before the 3 mile marker were on a gravel/sand road that cut through the woods from Osceola to Wide World of Sports. I skipped several of my run intervals through here just to be safe. By mile 6 I was starting to feel fatigued through my hips. But, it's at this point where you head into the park. There is good and bad about the race from this point. The bad...it's all on concrete and is extremely curvy. The good...you're in the park and there are finally people to cheer you on. Plus, you know the end is near.
As I made my way out of the Lights, Motors, Action arena, there was a sharp right hand turn and the 7 mile marker. It was at this point that the reality of what I was doing was starting to hit home. On a loop back I saw Lori in front of me. That was the first huge lift. Then for some reason, out of nowhere, the words "Never Say You Can't" popped into my head. I don't know where they came from. I wasn't thinking anything specific at that point and that's not something I've said before. I was nearly overcome with emotion at this point. Yes, I still had about a mile to go, but I knew I was going to finish...and finish under my goal time. Thoughts of the 2009 1/2 came to mind. The pain of not finishing. The pain of getting swept. The pain I felt in my feet from the blisters when I was swept. This time I felt none of those..not even close. I was about to complete a race the same distance as where I got swept in the 1/2. Never Say You Can't!
Thankfully this was all happening in a dark back stage area and was able to "get it together" before I made it to Sunset Blvd. There's a short run down Sunset then a hard left back onto Hollywood toward the front of the park. As you get near the gate you make another hard left before you go back stage on last time. It's at this point were the worst part rears it's ugly head. But, thankfully I had done the 6.5k back in 2007 and knew what was ahead. There was one small incline, about 5 feet across 40 then a nice down hill curve. It's not till you get to the bottom of that hill and around the curve that you hear the finish line. But, there is one last nasty surprise at the same time...about a 15 foot rise across about 60 feet. As I headed up I shorted my stride. Then my calves gave me one little twinge like they were about to cramp. "Oh no you won't!! I've got to finish." At the top of this hill you can see the finish. Back down the hill you just went up then about 150 yards to the finish.
As I crossed the finish line, so many things were going through my mind. But, hearing someone yell my name cut those thoughts short. Thank you April for being there at the finish, for staying to see me finish. Thank you Lori for the hug, even though you were busy trying to recover your iPod (long story...but funny).
I did it! I finished an 8+ mile race! I beat my goal time by over 3 minutes! I am ready for January! (After some more training and long runs...of course!)
13k mile splits
15:07
15:29
15:36
15:32
15:40
15:50
15:36
15:22
Since the race
It took a couple days for my legs to lose the jello feeling, so first post race run was on Wednesday. I had decided before the 13k that I would stick with the 25/35 run/walk intervals through the race then progress to 30/30. As I had already done several 14+ miles I started thinking about what it would take to do a sub 45:00 5k. A 14:28 pace is what it would take. So, I used my 30 min run on Wednesday to see if that pace was possible for more than a mile.
3.16 in 50:00 including warm/cool
30 min - 2.13mi
Splits
14:22
13:55
WHAT?! A sub 14 mile?! DUDE!!!! A sub 45 5k IS possible.
Just so happens there is a 5k tomorrow. If the weather holds (no lightning)....game on!
Till Next Time...NEVER SAY YOU CAN'T
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