what a running weekend!

I had one of the best weekends for running in a long time. Started off on Friday morning with a good solid paced run with elizabeth in the morning. Woke up on Saturday morning - and felt just terrible. I don't know if it was nerves or what. I use to get really nervous before races - and lately I've learned just to go out there and whatever happens happens - you are going to have good days and you are going to have bad days. But now that I am seriously working towards getting fast enough to run boston in the next couple of years - i find myself faced with the old pre-race nerves again. I guess it's becuase I've put it out there for people to see - I WANT TO QUALIFY FOR BOSTON. there i've put it out there again.... so what happens if I go out there and run and i'm back to my old 10:30 pace again. What if one day I stop getting faster and just start getting slower again? Will i be the slow fool who thought she could ever be fastest enough for Boston? I know i have issues. Anywho - I got my nerves under control enough to stop my stomach from hurting and to stop gagging - and we set off to St. Malachi.

Steve and I started at the back of the pack - so fortunately I had my watch on - b/c we were about a minute behind gun time. I tried to take it easy on the first mile - didn't want to burn myself out like I usually do - but at the same time that race is so packed in those first couple of turns that I tried my best just to keep trying to get around people. Mile 1 7:33 - nice! especially since i felt like i had not gone out too hard. Mile 2 - just under an 8 minute mile - some where around there I saw Elizabeth while I trying to strip off a layer of clothing - that's what the picture is from. I always seem to over dress! Do you like the sweet all black spandex outfit I was wearing underneath? I need to learn to dress in layers that are more flattering when you lose the outer lays. Mile 3 was uphill - but i was watching all the faster runners fly down the hill in the opposite directions - so i knew if i could keep mile 3 under 8 minutes I would be good. I was starting to believe that i could make the goal i set at the turkey trot of breaking 40 on my next 5 mile race. Got to mile 3 23:48 or something like that - I was so excited to still be under 8 minute miles that I flew down the mile hill 4. Hit mile 4 somwhere around 30-31 something so i knew I really could break 40. I started to uphill finish and was pushing as hard as i could - almost threw up like i do every year on that hill - and i could see the clock about to hit 40. Fortunately i had my watch so I knew I was ok. Final chip time 39:16! 8th in my age group out of 93. I was so excited you would think i had just won the chicago marathon or something! Oh and steve also ran his best race ever - it was a good day all around!

So next day met with SERC to do 15 miles. There were six of us that ran the first 12 together. My goal was to keep my pace under 9 minutes the whole time. We ran the first 12 loop - and then four of us set out again to do another 6 miles. I felt really good til about mile 17 - at which point my feet and back were just done. but the good news - according to elizabeth - we ran at about an 8:50 pace overall!! whoo hoo!! What a great 18 mile run - now if i can just keep this up for the rest of my long runs - I'll be in great shape!!!