Thursday, November 26, 2009

THANKSGIVING

Moorestown X/C Turkey Trot 5k with Roy. We have been planning a run together for a while, and the other day, my cousin Frannie mentioned a Turkey Trot to benefit the Moorestown XC team on her facebook, so I thought we'd give it a go. It was very wet and muddy, and thankfully I remembered to wear my old running shoes. I forgot to pass my revelation on to Roy, though, and his good shoes got pretty muddy. Sorry, Roy.

I'm so glad Roy was able to come with me. He's a much better runner than I am, but he vowed to stay with me and help me through. I think he could have done much better if I wasn't there pulling him back, but he was a trooper. I started out feeling pretty good, my heart rate elevated quickly, and then kind of evened out. When we hit the first mile at 8:45, I was pretty happy. My only goal for the day was to finish under 30:00, as many of my training runs are in the 10-11 minute/mile pace. I decided to push for time, just to see where I stand. Around midway through mile 2, I started to get tired. The trail was tight, and it was hard to pass anybody. I got "stuck" behind a guy, which gave me some time to ease off and get back into breathing right. I didn't have it in me to speed past him, but when it opened up again, we went past and got back on our pace. We hit the 2 mile mark at 18:00 on the dot. I tend to break things up in my mind, so immediately, I told myself I'm doing well, and that I'm 2/3 of the way done. We had to go "out" a little more, then made the turn and I could see where the finish was. I tried to keep things smooth and steady, and as we made our way onto the track, I was pretty happy to be near the finish. The clock on the scoreboard showed 27:30, so I knew we'd have to pick it up to get in under 28. We sped up, and hit the finish line just at 27:59. After exchanging a high-5, I gave myself a few minutes of deep breathing before we could talk. I thanked Roy for his help...and I continue to thank him even now.

27:59

Somehow lost my heart rate information, but I remember the mileage breakdown.

1- 8:45
2- 9:15
3- 9:30

Roy helped with pacing. I'm sure he could go faster, but today I'm thankful that he stuck by me and helped me through my first timed 5k in a LONG time.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

1 comment:

  1. dude, i appreciate the kind words, but you had it all under control. and just think - may have had a slightly better time if it wasnt for all that mud!
    -Roy
    (i was signed in under bobbie's email)

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