Kingston Shamrock Run Recap

I can’t say enough how much I loved the Kingston Shamrock 2 mile race, which I ran thanks to a sponsorship from The Runner’s Cookie.  The entire experience, from pre-race entertainment to the beer and bagel filled after party was a blast. I really loved Kingston and hope to visit again someday soon to delve into the history of the city.  [Kingston is the former capital of New York state!]

Going into the race, I didn’t set any time goals. My ankle is still not 100% and I haven’t been running very much this winter, so I know my fitness and endurance levels are not where they were last fall. The handful of runs I’ve done the last few weeks have been intervals of 3-6 minutes of running, and 30-60 seconds of walking.

Last Wednesday, I had an unpleasant training experience and I became really frustrated with my running.  I had been fine during the 2.5 miles around my neighborhood, but when I finished and looked at my watch, I had been going a lot slower than I thought I should have at this point in my running timeline.  Thankfully, Jen responded to my panicked self-deprecating message assuring me that I was not any one of the adjectives I used to describe myself, with instructions to stop being silly and remember that I ran – something I wouldn’t have been doing at any pace just a few short years ago.

I knew she was right, as after a much better run on Friday, I decided that this race was going to be STRICKLY for fun.

When we were lining up at the starting line, I started to get a little anxious.  I was having such a good time, but I found myself silently measuring myself next to Jen, her friends Brendan and Laura and Laura’s Dad and sister.

Jen is a lot faster than I am, thanks to her dedication to training and even racing throughout the winter. Not to mention Jen’s training for a half currently, and knocking out 8 mile runs like it’s no big deal.  The longest run I’ve done since New Years Day was just under 3 miles.

Once I realized that Laura and Brendan would be running around the same pace as Jen, I started losing my confidence at a fast pace.  I imagined myself crossing the finish line 10 minutes after they did, and being the annoying girl they had to wait for her to finish and I started to feel ashamed before the gun was even fired.  I know this was stupid. I know that  waiting for someone at the finish line isn’t really something people despise.  I know that I should be proud that I am running at all, at whatever pace I was able.  I know that comparing myself to other runners is just plain ridiculous.  Reasoning was fleeting however, as my insecurities grew stronger.  I told Jen, “I feel two 14 minute miles coming on,” trying to make myself feel better about being slower than my friends.

There were so many people running this race, that when the gun went off, there was no running to be had.  I started my watch as we walked over the start line, and didn’t even begin jogging until my watch passed 4:45.  We were probably a third of the way done with the first mile when I started to jog, staying close to Jen and Laura for the next several minutes.  At this point, we had lost Brendan and Laura’s family, but a few minutes later we found them again and let out a little cheer of being reunited.

The entire race we were dodging people who had started to walk, or even stop, in the middle of the course.  This was expected, and I was not at all annoyed.  At one point after the first mile, I got separated from the group, as a large group of walkers seemed to span the road completely from left to right.  I took advantage of a 40 second walking break, and then finally found my way through their chain, jogging steadily for the remainder of the race, until the last quarter of a mile or so, when I really picked up the pace and sprinted across the finish line.  [did I mention that the race seemed 90% downhill? LOVE.]

I was thrilled when I looked to my right and saw myself cross the finish line along with Laura’s Dad and sister.  I really didn’t expect that to happen and was very pleased to see myself finish near the group.  Jen found me just a few seconds after I stopped my watch at 22:06, and told me that they finished at 20:40.

Wait a second – let me get this straight…I finished less than a 90 seconds after my speedy friend Jen?

When I looked at her splits Monday morning, I was even more surprised.  I stayed with Jen for the entire first mile, which her Garmin clocked at 12:09 – meaning my second mile was just under a 10 minute mile – a pace I haven’t seen since pre-injury.

This race time revelation leaves me feeling so proud of my results! [Also, the fact that I learned that my favorite running pants are now too-big to run in without falling down may have made me feel pretty accomplished as well. Booyah weight loss efforts!]

Regardless of the downhill filled race, I feel like I proved to myself that I can do MORE than I have been.  The truth is, I do compare myself to other runners – especially to those in the blog world, which often leaves me feel defeated before I even start.  This rolls into my giving up too easily and too early – especially during training.  This race experience has left me with a new stance on my running, and on my comparing myself to other runners too.

It’s so refreshing to have a renewed look at my training plan; I want to become a stronger, faster runner.  I’ve relocated that desire within me to do something about it.  The year ahead is filled with new distances, fresh courses, and even a race in another state (did you know I plan to run a race in all 50 states in my lifetime?)

This weekend reminded me that I can and will reach the goals ahead of me, and that pushing myself outside of my comfort zone is necessary to improvement.  One of my favorite former healthy happy living bloggers, Heather, formerly of Hangry Pants, once blogged that “running is supposed to be hard work and hard work is good for you.”

How quickly had I forgotten this truth?  Improvement in anything is not going to come easily – it’s supposed to be tough, at times.  That’s what makes achievement, achievement!