Well, I had what was simultaneously the most enjoyable and most frustrating Bloomsday run ever. For the first time I was in a foward starting group (yellow for fellow bloomies) and was very excited about the prospect of actually running for the first 2 miles. What usually happens when I've started further back is I run a little bit, then have to brake because of slower people, then I dodge around 4 people walking side by side, then zig-zag around some kids, and get bumped into by some guy who thinks he's actually going to win only to pass him up 2 minutes later on the hill.
This year the start was sooo nice, I got into a nice rhythm right away and didn't have to duck or dodge much at all. By the end of mile 3 I was feeling great and on pace for a personal best. Unfortunately, my calf was disinclined to fully participate and threw a hissy fit shortly thereafter around mile marker 4. I knew I was ahead of my previous times so I didn't mind taking a potty break and actually drinking a cup of water from the station as opposed to getting a few slurps and dribbling the rest all over yourself while running. When I tried to get going again, I managed a few yards and it was still too cramped up.
Sadly, for my time, I had to suck it up and take a few minutes to really stretch it back out and dig into it with my thumbs (ouch). I walked the next 1/2 to 3/4 mile to the bottom of Doomsday hill and was able to finally start running again. Going up hill was slow but it actually felt good on my calf, keeping it stretched out. By the top of the hill, it was sore but I was able to run pretty well so long as I kept my strides short and quick.
I was desperate to try and get back to my goal time of 1:15 or better but I had reached the 1 hour mark and the iPod lady said I was at 5.3 miles. That gave me a little over 2 miles to go. Now, 7:30 miles are far beyond my capabilities but I managed to push myself to the finish line at a respectable 8:40ish pace for 1:21:06 (iPod lady says I ran 7.9 miles total).
It was definitely not my best day. I knew I hadn't trained enough for it and promised myself this would be the last time I would participate in something like this without doing so. Still, it was wayyy better than last year when I couldn't run at all.
I would end by saying, "Eh, I'll do better next year." However, I'm afraid I'm going to lose my starting group and will get stuck back in with the masses. That means I'm going to have to find some races to participate in this year in order to prove that I belong there. So, "Eh, I'll do better all year."
