the last of the 30’s…

Last weekend I went into the Big Peach running store and in my excitement about all things running, I signed up for a race today; The Buckhead Sizzler 10k. I signed up for a few reasons. 1) cuz i like to support Big Peach & local races 2) i thought it would be good to mix in a race before the 40 miler on 9/25. 3) to get in one more 10k before turning 40 years old.

So, this morning, alarm clock went off at 6am and i had to hope outta bed or else I would have just kept sleeping. I had my customary coffee, clif bar & water & sat on my carpet, in quiet, while watching the darkness outside in the distance. There is something so serene & calming about just sitting in the morning darkness, looking out, while most others are sleeping. A comforting quiet. As I sat there, I started to become a little emotional…just thinking of the passage of time and the all races I have done, all the preparation, and of course, this upcoming adventure next Saturday.

My calmness quickly turned to a little chaos as i realized i was running behind in actually getting to the race start. I put on my running clothes and hit the door. I arrived at the race start with about 1.5 minutes to spare. I had to um…go to the bathroom, but i had to forego that and get going.

I started at the back and made my way along passing people here and there but I definitely did not want to “race” or push as hard as I could. I knew the course very well. It basically is all on Peachtree Rd (from Chamblee Marta to Buckhead) on a stretch that I run on quite a bit because it’s a great flat stretch (which is unheard of in Atlanta.)

At mile 2, I checked my watch and was on 9 min/mile pace. all good. Grabbed some water at about mile 2.5. Now, I get really thirsty while running…probably much more than the average runner, so by mile 4, I was looking for more water. None. I started feeling not so great by mile 4.5, was dehydrated and some minor stomach issues. Still no other water stop in sight. Finally, as we are approaching just past mile 5 (outside my office in buckhead) i see water stop. Hallelujiah! By this time my pace had slowed to about 9:15 min/mile – which is faster than all my long run paces. It was good to move my legs faster, but I could definitely feel the difference as I approached the 6 mile marker. I rounded the last corner and went through the finish line. My final 10k of being in my 30’s. 57:33/9:16 pace per mile. I can’t focus on that result cuz it was more of a training run. (for reference, I ran this race in 2005 and finished in 52:41/8:30 pace per mile.)

I grabbed my new technical Saucony shirt, a banana & some water and stretched a bit. This was a point to point race so I had to take the Marta train back to Chamblee station where I parked. However, instead of getting on at the nearest station, I walked about 1.5 miles to the Brookhaven station. Honestly, I just wanted more time on my feet and more time just outside moving! The great part about my walk was that I got to see those people who were coming in at the very end and i got to cheer them on. About 15 people passed me and I cheered on every one of them and they all smiled and thanked me. We all need cheering. Whether you are first, middle, or last. We are all out there doing our best on any given day and I cheer for that, for the effort. It is not always easy to get out the door, but once you do, it feels freaking GREAT!