Running...a humbling experience.

January 21st, the first race of 2012!! Whoo hoo! Nothing too crazy, a 10k (or about 6.2 miles). No big deal right? WRONG!!! By my account, this run was significantly more difficult than my half marathon. First of all, I hadn't been training nearly as seriously as I should have been. After my half-marathon I sorta kinda totally stopped running for a month and a half....(oops) And didn't even really start to re-visit running again until 3 days before this race. I know, I shouldn't be shocked by my performance, and I'm not.

My thought process during this run was one of self-loathing and name calling (things like "lazy", "couch-potato", "psycho", etc....) Somewhere toward the end of the run, near mile 5, I had a revelation and it was as follows:

"I hate running. This sucks. Its raining I'm cold. I hurt...I'm at the end of the running pack. I think I might even be last. ***turn my head to look behind me*** Okay, nope, not last....yet. Just that girl and Old Man Jeeves back there. (Those of you who have read prior blogs know Old Man Jeeves, his doppleganger was at this race too, I think it might be a requirement that there be one at every race...we will pursue this theory later) So long as I keep running I should be able to stay ahead of them. ***At about this thought my lungs threaten to explode*** Nope can't run, must walk. ***start walking, get passed by both girl and Old Man Jeeves*** Its official. I'm in last place. I guess this isn't all bad. People only care about who comes in first and who comes in last right? So really this is some sort of backwards honor...? It still sucks. But really I just ran 5 miles WITHOUT WALKING and had only run twice in the two months prior to this race. AND had an improved pace from 13:00 min/mile to 11:30 min/mile! Thats pretty freaking awesome! Lets start running again, I can do this!!"

So I continue running and actually caught up to the girl ahead of me and started running with her. We started chatting a little and I thought that theres might be a little more comradaree with the back of the pack vs. the front of the pack. At the back, we're all just trying to survive, not out-do each other. So "Back-of-the-Pack Lacey", here's my nod to you. We even made a pact that we'd cross the finish line together so neither one of us would have to come in dead last. The pact was cleanly broken once we caught sight of the finish line. She left me behind. So "Back-of-the-Pack Lacey", here's where I say UNCOOL!!!

I did cross the finish line with a new race pace personal best for me. The previously mentioned 11 min 30 sec mile. But I also did come in last. Which no matter how you talk to yourself and try to cheer yourself up, SUCKS. It is a good motivator to not do it again though. So with new resolve I will be running more so I won't be dead last again.

I'm still here, and I'm still running.