I guess we've all been there at some point. This morning my demons returned and now I have less than a week to vanquish them.
What happened this morning was the Electric City Gobbler 5K. Gerri and I ran it last year and enjoyed running on Thanksgiving morning enough that we signed up again this year. This is a pretty casual race with a nice turnout. The morning was sunny and crisp, with temps in the low 30s when the race started around 8:30.
Gerri has been pointing to this race to get her sub 30 minute 5K, so she was pretty excited. I've been battling a head and chest cold and debated internally if I even wanted to run. I decided it was a race time decision, because I really needed to get back on the road to get some miles. I made the decision to run, but take it easy.
It was a bad decision. Things started out well as I allowed the group to pull away which most would have any way. I decided a 30 or 31 minute 5K would be okay and even given my health issues shouldn't be a problem. I'm not fast, with a PR of about 27 minutes, but 30 minute 5K are not usually a problem.
First mile was about 10:15 pace and felt okay and then suddenly, Houston we have a problem. And not the problem I expected. First my right shin started hurting and then my left shin started bothering me too. What the hell, I haven't had shin pain in a long time and it certainly isn't an overuse injury with my mileage. Within a few minutes time, my pace had slowed as I felt like a Clydesdale clomping down the street. I had no choice, I had to stop and walk.
This is a 5K and I'm walking? After a minute, the pain let up and I started "jogging" again. Around mile 2 I had to walk again due to the pain. Now I'm being passed by little kids, overweight adults and a senior citizen using a walker. Okay that might be an exageration, but you get the idea.
Not only was the last mile slow, painful and filled with walk breaks, but my mind was swimming. How am I going to run a Half Marathon at Kiawah next weekend when I can barely finish a 5K? Can I even finish this 5K? A back entrance to the mall appears and I briefly consider taking this short cut and calling it a day. No, I have finished every race I have started and I'm not quiting.
The end is finally in sight. My shins are killing me. My head is spinning. A combination of not being able to breath due to the chest cold and not being able to think with so many thoughts running through my head. I see Gerri and Robby near the finish. I'm hoping she did well (she did with a new PR), and trying not to fall over in front of the group as I cross the finish line. I'm hoping that no pictures were taken because I'm sure I have a painful, dazed look on my face.
The time was ugly, 35:22. I'm embarrassed to even post that information, but it is a fact of life. I need to deal with it and put it behind me. This week I need to face my demons. Get a few short, easy runs done and see what the body and shins feel like. I know I can complete the Half Marathon, and I'm going to spend every remaining day focusing on shedding those nasty demons.
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