Jingle All the Way 2010 10k PR - Scrappy

In 2008, Jingle All the Way was my first road race. I finished in 55:04, and that was the race that kicked off marathon training. So, it is a race very dear to me - I returned to it last year (46:01), and wanted to do it again this year.

Things that changed the game going into this year:

*I already met my 2010 goal of breaking 45 minutes (ran 44:57 at Race with Grace on Thanksgiving).

*I have just felt rundown with the end of the semester.

*Unsure if my knee is still bothering me. This week, I only ran 11 miles before today (5 Tuesday, 4 Wednesday, and a 2 mile shakeout yesterday).

On the other hand:

*I didn't want to back out of the race. I've done well on this course and I know it well. People in DC are fast, and they help push me to keep going. And then there's the other thing: every time I have raced, I have set a PR. And while I know I'm going to hit a point where that won't happen, I am enjoying this streak so far - it is a pretty cool feeling.

Last night, I decided to just relax. No point in getting worked up over today - perhaps I would just go for a course PR, or no matter what, get in a 6.2 mile run and have fun. My friend Amanda came over to hang out with me and my roommate Julie (we're all in the history grad program). So much fun! And got in a good conversation with Jenny too. Relax relax relax, laughed, and decided what the heck, 2 beers too. We had a blast, and even though I didn't get a ton of sleep (5 hours), the amount of fun I had was totally totally worth it.

It was cold and raining this morning. Just put on my headphones and listened to fun music on the way in - I am not going to sweat anything out. Picked up my bib number and only had a couple minutes before the start. This was ideal - no time to worry - chose to just smile instead. I'm not going to lie, I didn't warm up or stretch at all. I was just thinking "What the heck, we'll go out and see what happens." And then it was time to go!

Bells were ringing and I crossed through the first mile in 7:00. Too fast no matter what, but no pain. Mile 2: 14:30. Okay, we'll see what happens, maybe a PR, more likely a course PR. I got through the half in 22:48. If anything is going to happen, it is time to pick up the pace. It is really raining now, but I am happy with what I wore (Boston shirt and shorts). The turnaround is pretty cool, because you can watch the elite runners, and they are a nice distraction. So, I watch them, and then the other runners when I am on the other end of the turnaround. I start to pick it up, and then pick women to pass. Got through mile 4 at 29:08. Unsure what my time will be. I have decided in the past few races not to mark ideal splits on my hand, and just run by feel instead. No point in trying to do math in my head at this point, we'll just see. I keep going and going, and the pace feels fast, I am really hauling and I feel tired. Knee doesn't hurt that much, certainly not like it did during the week. Relief at mile 5 (can't remember my time), knowing there was less than 10 minutes to go. There was a pack of 3 girls, and I kept getting closer to them, and then passed them. Was wondering if acclerating at mile 4 was the right choice, but thought, I'll just be uncomfortable for a little while longer. But as I kept pushing, digging, and passing people, I started to think. This is what I do best, pull out all of the stops when the time comes. I am scrappy - I can fight and be aggressive in the end of a race and pass others assertively. So, go ahead, be scrappy. So, I just keep moving and moving - finding another layer to go faster as the rain comes down harder. Okay, I can see the finish at mile 6. Just go, go, keep going, only a few more moments of hauling in like this.

44:45

A 12 second PR for the 10k, over a minute PR for the course.

Overall women: 62/2535

Age Group: 11/383

I was just so happy and could not stop smiling. After picking up my bag, I walked to the nearest Dunkin Donuts (a must have), with music playing. I definitely had a bounce in my step, and even in the rain, I felt teriffic. Today I chose to be scrappy and happy. Carefree served me well - not only because I PRed, but had fun too. What a way to close out the 2010 racing season!