10-10-10

woohoo!

Sunday I ran the cane 10 10K down in Tigard. It was a beautiful little run starting and ending at the Regal Cinema at Bridgeport Village (that shopping center with Crate & Barrel).

There weren't many runners there... maybe 250 or so, but this was the first annual cane 10 run. Sponsored by Split Dine and Drink (a restaurant and bar next to the cinema) and Cane 10 Rum, our registration fee included a free mojito, a free glass of Menage a Trois wine, and food. Good deal!

In preparation I was looking at the weather the night before... and it looked REMARKABLY similar to the Cinco de Mayo forecast (50's and sunny up to 60 by noon). I remember I was slightly overdressed for that run, so I decided to wear a running skort and a T and that was it (well, ok a jacket for before and after the run). I was dressed PERFECTLY for this run.

I didn't know where to park, but pulled in right behind 2 cars who really wanted to park in a garage that was kinda blocked off by traffic cones, but they went around those into the garage... so I followed them. Turns out, that was THE PERFECT place to park... I was like 1 block from the start and finish line. I was parked closer to the start line than the porta potties! heh.

It seems that several TNT peeps were there, it was good to see them!

Once checked in, with timing chip attached to shoe, they informed us that altho they originally meant for us to go counter clockwise around the route, they changed their mind. We were going clockwise instead. works for me.

The bullhorn blows, we start running. I'm happily running with Sheryl as always. Lori leaves us close to the start. We start on some city streets, over a bridge. Then we turn into a pretty meadow path. Really nice area!

There are like 2 water stations close to the start. The first one is water... but the second one the volunteers hand us some kind of electrolyte drink that taste like frosting. I throw the full cup down in horror, and exclaim to Sheryl that that WAS NOT COOL for them to hand us a cup without telling us it wasn't water. yuck... that was no good. Whats worse is there are no water stations after this at all. ugh.

The route winds into the south side of Cook's Park, through the park, and then uphill from there into a neighborhood. Once out of that neighborhood back on a busy city street we pass the 4 mile marker. I'm watching my garmin closely and notice it says we're at 44 minutes into the run... I'm a touch behind my time goal for this run. I've been trying to achieve a 10 minute mile for a couple months now, and I think it's within reach.

I admit to Sheryl that I was hoping to run a 10 minute mile (she's a little winded, and I'm clearly in a better place when I tell her this). She says "go for it!!" I say, "well, I'm going to have to make up 4 minutes... I don't know if I can do that... but I'll try!" so I take off and pull ahead.

At this point it's downhill, and I am FLYING past runners. One after another. It's brilliant. I'm glancing at my garmin and see it's having trouble fixing on my location but it's bouncing all over from 8 minute miles to 10 minute miles. Who knows how fast I'm going? I just know it was faster than the other people around me.

At some point I catch up to Lori... I smile and say hi to her as I pass her. That felt good!

At the 5 mile marker, I notice that I've made up 2 or so minutes... so I'm doing good... and then unexpectedly, the route turns uphill. crap. I pass another person or two at this point, and am behind 2 ladies who look like they're in really good shape and having an airy conversation as they run (i.e. they aren't out of breath)... and I just can't catch them. I'm kinda breathing hard at this point... and I start falling behind them a little.

Dangit.

We are still cruising along tho. Up through a business park neighborhood... I'm dragging a little more...
... and then we turn into Bridgeport Village. I'm maybe 40 feet behind the 2 ladies now. They seem to perk up from recognizing where they are and step it up a bit. I'm not ready to do that quite yet.

I turn into the parking lot entrance for Bridgeport Village and then decide to dig deep and step it up... I start running faster and faster... and when I make that final turn towards the Regal Cinemas I am FLYING. Heidi from TNT is already done and is cheering by the finish line. She sees me hauling BUTT as I come flying towards the finish at a full on sprint and cheers her head off. That felt pretty nice.

I ALMOST catch those ladies... I'm just a couple feet behind them when I cross the finish. I stop my garmin at 1:02:07. And bend over to try to catch my breath. Man I'm having trouble breathing!! whoo!

I hobble over to the chip clippers, and um... put the wrong foot on the crate. The poor guy points this out, and I try to chuckle between huffs, but really I think I just came across like a retard as I switch feet. I waddle out of the finish line area and can't find water. Where is the freakin water!?! Someone puts a bucket of iced water down right then and I gratefully waddle over there and crack one open. I'm feeling a little better. My breathing is slowing to a normal rate.

I wander to the finish line where I found Heidi and see Lori coming in, I cheer her on.

Then before long, here comes Sheryl!! Wooo!! She's smiling huge!

We mingle a bit with the other TNT runners. Heidi tells everyone how fast I was running when I finished. I beamed and told everyone that this run was a PR for me, and I get a round of congrats.

Lori tells me and Sheryl that when I passed her she attempted to keep up with me for a bit, and then had to give up. She wasn't able to match my pace! That was also nice to hear in a strange egotistic way. heh.

I joked about how I WAS NOT able to catch those ladies, and the funny noises I was making while attempting to breathe at the end of the run... oh well.

Sheryl and some others suggest that I go faster earlier in the race... that maybe I'd find that easier than pushing like crazy at the end. I shrugged and said it really helped me and my run to warm up slowly... I'm kinda a last minute push kinda person by nature. heh.

We decide to partake in our free food and libations together. The food is a banana, ceasar salad, and some kind of pita bread wrap around hummus and other veggies inside. It was REALLY GOOD... oh yeah and a wonderful frozen yogurt with popped rice on top. yum!

There was also a raffle with ALL SORTS of neat prizes... clearly donated from the various stores around the Bridgeport Village shopping center. Even tho they said 1 ticket per person you must be present to win... clearly people gave their ticket to their friends as they left, cause the same people kept going up to claim prizes... meanwhile people like ME got bupkis. I think repeat prize claimers should have been denied. That wasn't cool.

I go ahead and buy a $35 raffle ticket for a mini cooper drawing, simply cause I'm happy. Eh, it benefits the Children's Cancer Association or whatever. A good cause.

Anyway, Sheryl just wrote an email to me and Lori. It seems I ran a 10 minute mile average pace TO THE SECOND. I was the only one in that run to do that. Weird no?

Lori ended up running a 10:15 minute mile pace
Sheryl ended up running a 10:23 minute mile pace.

We were all pretty close to eachother!

Sheryl said we should work on a 10K under an hour now! I'm up for that!! heh.

So in conclusion: on Sunday I ran the cane 10 - 10K at a 10 minute mile average pace to the second.

10-10-10
awesome.