Then he broke his ankle while hiking! It's called an avulsion fracture. Basically the ligaments that hold the ankle bone pull the bone and break it. It wasn't a complete break but it was bad enough that he's in a cast for a while, then a boot, then a brace. Needless to say, he's not running.
Then just over 2 weeks ago I got sick. It turned out to (likely) be walking pneumonia! That caused my plan for Cotton Row to change once again to just finish.
And then something wonderful happen! A good friend of mine (she needs a blog name...) offered to run with me! She is "the girl with the broken foot", the one who ran the Grand Slam (3 50ks and a marathon) while pregnant...she's a multi-time IronMan finisher...you get the picture, she's a really good athlete. But... she had not run in like 6 (9?) months...and maybe only once in the last year. She was slightly concerned she wouldn't be able to keep up with me....but I was getting over walking pneumonia, and I haven't been able to run "well" in three years!! I never had one doubt that she'd be just fine doing the 10K with me.
But, really...who does that? Who has the ability to "just go run a 10K" having not run in like 6 (9?) months?! I think that's amazing. To me it highlights her athletic ability.
The race start moved this year due to construction and I LOVED the new start/finish. Thankfully it will be a permanent move. It's a Memorial Day race that now starts in our BEAUTIFUL downtown park. I think it's the perfect place for the event. We started with another friend who was telling us she had been dealing with an annoying cough for NINE MONTHS!! I have to say that freaked me out since I had been dealing with my cough for over 2 weeks. Our plan was to run 3 walk 1. I was concerned because the race now starts going up a little hill and I was struggling to complete that first 3 minute run. I was very glad for that first walk break! Our "coughing" friend said she didn't need to walk so she ran on.
We very quickly got to where the old Mile 1 used to be...and I just as quickly remembered it wasn't mile 1 on the new course! But then a couple more intervals and BAM...1 down, 5.2 to go. It was HOT. Really hot. But, I wasn't coughing NEARLY as much as I thought I would. In fact, I don't think I coughed much at all. The worst thing for me was that my saliva seemed THICK. I kept having to spit out yuck. Now, I usually spit a lot when I run but yesterday it was much worse than usual. I don't think it's sinus drainage...it's like gunk was bubbling up from my lungs! (I know...gross.) But given the fact that I had not even been able to WALK the dog without having to stop for a coughing fit, I was VERY pleased at the trade off of spitting out yuck for coughing up a lung! (I am always VERY careful to pay attention where I'm sending my saliva and VERY mindful of the people around me.)
We made the turn by the cemetery and the 3/1 intervals went out the window. I did feel bad about that because my friend is a spreadsheet kind of gal. She likes order. A chaotic interval is HARD for the body to manage because you never know what to expect. But I was walking more frequently than the interval called for so I didn't feel too horrible about it. We stopped and talked with a friend for minute and then before I knew it we were at "the hill".
You can see this course goes up about three miles and then basically down about three. The first downhill is just right in my opinion. It's not so steep that your knees take a beating. Then there's a little uphill bump and a second downhill section. That one feels a little steeper and a little longer. Usually it's okay but yesterday that one was harder because my legs weren't turning over quite fast enough to really take advantage of the elevation loss. I could tell I was losing steam.
We got to a new section of the course and it was weird to turn a different way! I had not been on any of the preview runs and I had not studied the map at all so it was all brand new. It was a little disconcerting! I have run this 10k race 9 times but I've run the course A LOT more than that. It's like a familiar friend that you don't have to WORK to be around. Someone with whom the conversation just flows. Someone you don't have to be on guard with. That course has always been comfortable to me. But this was new. Now it's not like there weren't hundreds of people around. It's not like it was at the Knoxville Marathon where I was all alone and had to pay attention to make sure I stayed on course. But it was new and different enough that it caused me to have to focus.
...the brain is interesting. Most people don't even realize when their brain isn't functioning the way it should. Because of what I've been through with my brain the last three years, I'm more aware sometimes than I probably need to be. Everyone has had the experience of walking into a familiar place but it looks different so it causes you to stop a bit and look around. Maybe a room was redecorated or something that should be there has moved. You know that momentary "wait a minute...this isn't right" kind of feeling you get? That's what was happening with me. I mean...this was a new course. OF COURSE it's different. But it was weird because my brain was much more confused than it should have been. Looking back I know what was going on.
The frontal lobe is a very energy hungry part of the brain. That's the decision making and willpower part of the brain. I was struggling from the start with simple math on the intervals. (I should have just used the lap button on my watch but I wanted to keep up with mile splits so I didn't want to hit the lap button...I figured it was going to be easy to keep up with 3/1 intervals but I was struggling from the 2nd interval.) By that point in the race (mile 5) I was having to keep bringing my brain back. It's hard to explain. It's like herding kittens.
It wasn't BAD. I think it was a mostly just normal end of race low glycogen thing that I was hyper aware of because of what I've been through.
My friend is a lot like me in that she's competitive. Even being at the back of the pack in a "race" we were never intending to "race" we were both looking for people we wanted to get in front of. She pointed someone out and said let's just make sure we are in front of that person at the finish. It's not really a matter of "I want to beat that person" as much as it is a technique to push through. It's much like "run to the next mailbox"...it gives you something to focus on other than what's going on inside your body. And it's a moving target when it's a person. I do it EVERY. SINGLE. RACE. No matter if I'm "racing" or "completing". EVERY TIME. I think almost everyone does it but maybe I'm wrong.
We quickly got in front of that person. As we rounded the last corner we had the realization that we had an uphill blip before a little downhill finish. I spotted another moving target to try to get in front of. Then my friend saw the time clock said 1:24:45 and she said something like "let's get in before it hits 25"...so I kicked.
I usually have a very fast finish line kick. For a long while it's been a toss up if it will be there or not. I didn't think it would show up given how slowly my legs were turning over in that earlier downhill section. But, when I pushed the "kick" button, it was ALL THE WAY there! I LOVE THAT!! I love crossing a finish line not being able to talk! I love that feeling so very much!! Even in a crazy slow "race" I was walk/running with the goal to "complete".
It was NOT my slowest finish (YAY). It WAS one of the (if not THE) most fun Cotton Row 10Ks I've done. I've never been much of a "running with friends" kind of runner. I ran with Daisy A LOT for a long time but we didn't do races together. (I don't ever remember doing a race with her in fact...that's kind of strange given how much we ran together.) I think that's more logistics than anything else. I run from home as soon as I wake up. I don't make plans to meet up with other people to run. I actually like running alone. But the last two running with friends experiences (this one and Bridgestreet Half) have been REALLY REALLY good.
But I think more than running with friends I like to push my body.
I've decided that my goal for this next year is to get back to a sub 60:00 CR10K. I've only done it once. I'm confident I can do it again. Right now that's my A goal for next year. That means more running and SERIOUS hill training. That fits in with my B goal...better time at Knoxville Marathon. I think that goal will be "easy" with proper marathon training and hill work. I won't run 2 other marathons leading up to that race so a "better time" really should just happen as a product of planning. All the marathon training miles and hill work will flow right into working on speed for CR10K.
The fact that I'm even ABLE to plan this stuff out is such a GREAT THING!!! If you've ever pulled a muscle you have an understanding of what it's like to get to a point where you are using that muscle without pain. Imagine if that injury were to your brain.... I know I talk about it a lot but it's something so crazy... you just can't even imagine what's it's like to have your brain not fully functioning. I'm just so glad I'm not at that place in life anymore!
Thanks for stopping in and sticking around.
I'm so glad to hear you're on the mend! Elevation charts almost always lie haha! loving the kittens!!! :-) I think you are awesome and no doubt you'll crack 60 minutes or better!
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