RVM 8K

I have been laid up with a bad cold all week and had done no activity since the back to back long runs of last weekend. Saturday I decided to do an easy 5km just to see how everything felt. Breathing was very laboured and difficult, and there were a couple sore spots in my calf and my right IT band that I am glad I found out about so I was able to work them out a bit.

Up at 6:05am Sunday morning and had half an English muffin and a banana. Race start was 7:15am and we left my mom’s just after 6:30 to drive downtown. Graeme dropped me off and went to find parking while I headed to the start line. I made a quick stop in a portapotty (thankfully I didn’t wait in line at the first set of portapottys once I heard there were more near the start line), did a short warm up and made my way into the 8K crowd. I moved up as much as I could, but was still stuck behind quite a few people talking about hoping for a 10mm pace.

It was a cool, clear morning but I thought that my long sleeve shirt and knickers might actually be too much clothing based on all of the shorts and t-shirts around me. Waiting for the start surrounded by people it was actually pretty warm, but once the gun went off and we headed out to Dallas Rd, it was quite a bit cooler and I was glad with my clothing choice.

Sunrise was about 7:30am and we got to see the lovely pink sky out above the ocean on the way out. First couple miles were ok, but when my garmin beeped, I could see I was not on pace for a sub 40 min time. I pushed the pace a bit, but could feel that my breakfast was not digested and my stomach was not all that thrilled and I had to rein it in a bit. Around 3 miles my shoelace came undone and I had to stop for that. I decided to just push the last 2 miles as much as I could although my left IT band was now starting to hurt.

The last 2 miles were a bit faster and my final time was 40:13 which was good for 8/146 in my AG. Of course most of the fast people raced the half or full marathon! So a 5 min PR over the only other 8K I have done right after I started running.

Not quite the sub-40min time I had hoped for, but with the cold I will take it. And it is proof things are going in the right direction, if not quite as fast as I’d like!