some days you eat the hills ... and some days, the hills eat you.

Baltimore 10 Miler

I was on a roll this year. I paced my races well. I PR'd every distance I raced. I was kicking ass(phalt).

And I suppose that meant that it was time for a humbling race - something to bring my back down to earth. And perhaps I'm being melodramatic. (PERHAPS). I only missed a PR by 16 seconds. (but sometimes that's worse, you know? to come so close?).

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I woke up at 5:45, ate some Belvita breakfast cookies (AMAZING) and a banana. Drove to pick up a friend and her friend and made it to the start (parking was a btich) with about 15 minutes to spare.

I found the 1:20 pace group and planned to stick with them, and then pick it up if necessary to break 1:20. (HA). National Anthem, gun, then GO! The first 4-5 miles were great. Some hills, yes, but I was chugging up them, keeping a nice 8:00 pace. I hit mile 4 at just under 32 minutes, so I was on track to break 1:20. (my PR for this distance is 1:21:46). The mile markers seemed off after that (like .10 - .15 off) but the course is certified so I didn't worry about it. The problem, of course, is that I was focusing my pace on my pace per my Garmin, and not the actual mile markers. This fcuked me at the end.

My previous races this year ranged from HOLY CRAP IT'S REALLY COLD (high 20s at the Penguin Pace) to THIS IS PERFECT RUNNING WEATHER (low 50s at the Crab Run Half). Today was the first MOTHER FCUKER IT'S REALLY HOT race. It could have been (a lot) worse for a June race in Maryland. It was in the low 70s throughout, and while it wasn't killer heat, the sun bore down and I forgot how much it can wear me out. I was really thirsty, especially from mile 6 on. I couldn't get enough water. I had goosebumps, and if you ask Dr. Google about that, you'll find out its a sign/ symptom of heat exhaustion.

I caught back up to the 1:20 pace group around mile 6-7 and hung with them for a while. I was hurting, but it was an okay-kind-of-hurting. Then then I hit mile 8.

And WHO DECIDED A RACE SHOULD END UPHILL? (look at elevation map above. madness!)

I couldn't handle a hill of that length at the end of the race. I was thirsty and I was nauseous and I just wanted the race to end. I knew I wouldn't break 1:20 but I thought a PR was still within reach. And according to my watch time and my pace, it was. And that was wrong.

I couldn't/ didn't kick it in at the finish. I actually almost STOPPED about 100 yards out from the finish line because I felt so shitty. I didn't, though, and crossed with a chip time of 1:22:02 -- just missing breaking 1:21:46. Last year I finished in 1:25:16 so that's something.



I got this sweet race premium

[gave away my beer tickets (I wasn't feeling great)]

waited for my friend and her friend to finish, and then headed home.

I'm not happy with my race, and while I know why, I'm not quite sure what I could have done differently. It was hard to pace well, and while I didn't think I went out too fast - based on current race times - maybe I did. I remember the last 2-3 miles of the B&A Half and the Crab Run Half -- I picked up the pace, passed a bunch of people, and ran my fastest miles at the end. It hurt at the end but it wasn't an I-can't-do-this hurt... it was a oh-hell-yes-let's-kick-this-in hurt.

I want to find another 10 miler so I can PR it. Annapolis?

I passed 560 between mile 5 and the finish. nifty!

Overall: 543/ 4421
Women: 135/ 2406
AG: 32/ 460