Not the PR I was hoping for, but a great run nonetheless

I ran in the Woodsmen's 10K in Boonville, NY last night.  When I signed up for it earlier this week, everyone I mentioned it to said, "Oh, that's a challenging course."  Hrumph.  I wasn't worried.  I train in hills even when I don't intend to (there's really no flat place to run around here besides a track) and I've actually been incorporating hills on purpose. 

Somehow, my husband and children drove up there with me.  Hubs is not known for going to my races.  As a matter of fact, before this one, he's been to one.  And that's because his best friend also ran it and it was St. Patty's race and we were going out afterwards.  So beer and his best friend get him to races, not his wife.  After last night, I'm not sure I want him at my races anyway.  He was miserable when he realized we were early.  (This from the man who complains I'm always late)  Also, he was pissed I had mentioned a kids' run to my kids.  They have been pestering me for ever to do a kids run, and usually I can't bring them since I don't have anyone to watch them.  So I figured it was a win win here.  Not so much.  Hubs had been planning on going to the Woodsmen's field days while I ran and checking out chain saws and other manly back-woods things.  The kids run put a damper on that...and he didn't realize I WANTED my boys to cheer for me at the finish and see me cross the line.  Since I don't normally have a cheering section, I was psyched for this part.  He didn't get it.  Sigh.  All in all he was just a crab-ass.  The kids watched me take off.  They did the kids run (success!  They each got a ribbon, a water bottle and a sticker.  T ran the track an extra loop and a half just for fun.  That's my boy!)  They saw me finish.  And Hubs was cranky that I didn't want to go change right away when finished.  He was cranky that it would be almost 40$ to get us all in the field days (say what?  I figured it would be free...but some how it was my fault for not knowing this.  He's the one who wanted to go IN to the field days) Probably he was just hungry.  He gets super cranky when he's hungry.  A lot like that snicker's commercial.  Finally we ended up eating dinner the next town over, but at after 8.  Then we drove home an hour.  I need to recruit a new pit crew I guess.

Anyway, I had a great run. The course was....well....challenging.  Even though I expressly told Hubs that if one more person said that to me I would scream.  There's not really another way to explain it.  There are lots of long low hills...then a lot of short steep hills...and not too many downhills.  Which is weird if you ask me...how do you go up and up and up and hardly go down?  Anyway, I even had the wherewithall to hit the split button on my watch so here goes:

Mile 1:  Around the field days, lots of people out and clapping, small up hills and some down through town.  I noticed there were a lot more people running than I had thought in the beginning. I had to remind myself to run my own race, as I noticed how many people were ahead of me.  9:16

Mile 2:  Heading out of town, nice breeze, cool temps, I got this! Walk the water station (plastic cups...I suck at running and drinking out of plastic.  Paper, I can do.)  9:39 

Mile 3:  Oh my hill.  The whole mile.  and then some.  Oh look here's the turn!  Wrong!  Keep running to the cone, then around THEN around the corner.  Walk the water station.  10:23

Mile 4:  Farm land...little hills here and there, breeze across the road instead of in my face...small improvement.  Picking of people ahead of me one by one (that's kind of fun.  I'm hardly ever the passer!)  9:44

Mile 5:  Um...I zoned out here.  I can't remember mile 5 very well.  There were some cheering folk set up here and there.  I ran past a house where the kids had side-walk chalked the entire road.  That was cool!  Oh yeah, and this is where I had to start chanting something in my head to get through it.  I believe it was "I eat hills for breakfast, Oh I eat hills for breakfast, chomp chomp chomp" to the tune of Little Boy Blue.  Weirdo.  9:40

Mile 6:  Holy hell.  The hills here!  And the short steep ones.  At one point I imagined I would run faster if I put my hands down and took it on all fours.  I had a girl in a pink shirt in my sights ahead of me.  I vowed I would do everything I could to pass her.  She did not walk the hill.  I did not get water at any other stations.  A guy at the top of the worst hill offered me a beer out of his cooler.  The guy ahead of me took him up on the offer.  I passed him.  The football team lined up on both sides of the road, offered to spray me with a hose (it's 65 degrees dude...no thanks) I was too winded to request they cheer me instead of handing me water.  Oh well.  9:25

The last .2:  I passed the girl in pink only to realize that she was not in my age group (I had imagined how pissed I'd be if she placed and I didn't and I didn't try my damndest to smoke her).  I gave it all I had to the finish.  A mega-phone guy yelled "Looking good Jessica!"  Great boost!  I didn't know him, but they were reading names from the list according to bib number.  Nice touch!  Totally appreciated. 

I finished in 1 hour and 14 seconds.  14 freaking seconds.  I should not have walked those two water stations!!!  I had hopes of breaking an hour.  My previous 10K time (on decidedly flatter terrain) was 1:01 and some change so it's a new PR for me, but secretly my gaol was to break an hour.  Also, I had checked last years' times and I thought if I broke an hour I might even get the podium.  I got 6th in my age group (the girl I passed finished 30 seconds behind me and was in the 20 year age group.  That felt kind of good!) but I don't know how many other runners were in my group.  I don't care though.  I ran my absolute best, and knowing how, well, CHALLENGING the course was, I am super pleased with my time.  Also, my boys running to me at the end and hugging me and telling me " Great Race Mama!  You did a great job!" Was so worth it!  They have never been to one of my races.  I love that they were there.  The Hubs even commented, "Wow, you did great!" since I told him to expect to see me cross the line after an hour.  I think he was thinking 1:15 or something. 

All in all, a success.  I don't know if I will run that one again next year.  I sort of want to.  We'll see.  It would be tougher to run those hills knowing what was in store for me.  A mental game for sure. 

Friday:  6.2 PR baby!
Week: 22.1
August:  44.1