I Didn't PR.

I didn't PR. I think I could have, but I didn't. I finished eight seconds off my personal best, two seconds a mile slower than in 2019. I got to run, though!

The Build-Up

Despite the fact that Pat's Run is 4.2 miles, I trained like I was training for a 5K. This time, I used Run for Good's 8 Week 5K Intermediate Schedule. This had me running four days a week, with one easy run, two speed intervals workouts (sprints, hills, or pyramid), and a longer weekend run (6 miles most week). The plan assigned two cross training days, so I did some bodyweight strength training and walking then. I worked on some balance exercises, but that only after I tripped and fell on one of the seven mile runs early in the plan. Thankfully I didn't get injured too badly, but it was not pleasant, and I would like to avoid falls in the future. I did have some travel during the plan, which meant running at altitude and in the cold, but I got all the miles in. Overall, it wasn't a bad build. 

The Race

The race officially started at 7:05 am Saturday, 4/23/2022. I got in my corral, corral number three, at 6:30 am. It was packed, but not too bad. I got over the start line at 7:07 am. The start line and the hairpin turn at the beginning of the course got a little bottlenecked, but I was able to weave through the crowd. Overall, pretty smooth sailing.

I ran with my phone in a belt bag this time and tried to use my watch for pacing. That didn't go so well. When I looked down to see my pace, I was anywhere from under 8:00 minutes/ mile to around 10 minutes/ mile. The mileage was also off. Not super helpful.

The weather was cool, and the skies were clear. It felt less hot than three years ago, maybe because it was, or maybe because I have acclimated now that we live in the valley.

I felt like I was running a good pace, not too hard, but not easy, either. There were the few small hills, but nothing major. Runkeeper tells me that I went up and down about 207 feet total. I didn't feel tired, but my legs didn't seem to be moving that quickly. I told myself to push it my last mile, and especially the 0.2 miles into the stadium, and I did, but it wasn't enough to PR. Finishing was a little different, as they gave out medals near the stadium exit, versus at the finish. No big deal. They still had hydration drinks, water, and fruit at the exit. Yeah!

Finding my husband after the race was a little difficult. Spectators are not generally allowed in the stadium, and there was supposed to be a reunion square, but we did not find it. Rather, I walked back near the start line, as we both knew where that was. I am directionally challenged, and after running, my brain works even more slowly, so that was the easiest solution. It gave my muscles a chance to cool down, so that was probably a good thing, too.

I really like the race shirts this year. We got a lot of swag. The medals are pretty. Overall, it was a good race, even if I did not PR.

Final Thoughts

I didn't stare at my phone this time (mostly for vanity reasons, because I didn't like seeing my phone in my 10K pictures). I also want to learn to run by effort, so I can learn what I am truly capable of. This time just didn't do it for me.

I didn't get optimum sleep the week of the race. I got the minimum, but could I have done better with more? Maybe. My stomach did not feel the greatest the morning of. I ate my half banana and drank half a bottle of water, but the time between the fuel and running was about two hours, so maybe I needed more? I still have a lot to learn about running nutrition.

My stride rate was 158 steps/minute, which confirms that my legs were indeed a little heavy. My stride rate was 177 steps per minute for my February 2022 10K. The ideal is 180 steps per minute. More work on cadence and speed might help me in the future.

I got a little cold waiting in the corral. I stood there for 30 minutes, and I tried to keep moving, but it may have been enough to negate some of my warm-up. Nothing really I could do about that.

I hit 8:19/mile for my 3.4 mile temp run the week of the race, so I believe I can run faster than I did on Saturday. If I could hold that for 4.2, it would be a PR by about 11 seconds. Lord willing that I can keep training, I plan to go back next year to see!