Sunday, October 12, 2008

A few thoughts about running:

1. I could have run yesterday's race faster. I haven't run a 5k in SO LONG. I didn't realize it was such a short-feeling distance, considering that most of my training runs are 4-6 miles. Before I knew it I hit the mile 3 marker and started the .12 sprint, but I still finished feeling like I had a ton of energy left and missing my goal time (sub 27) by about a minute. :-/ meh. I still ran the race with negative splits the whole time, which was one of my goals, with the fastest being around a 9 minute mile. I'm also stoked that my "hill work" back and forth on the Severn River Bridge has been paying off. Yesterday's hills were no problem. :) The whole first mile of the race was largely up hill. After moving from pancake-flat Denmark and running a hilly 8k that I struggled with, I knew I needed to work on my hills. I still think I need a bit of work on letting off the breaks on my downhills, but I'm doing much better.

2. I've got another race coming up this weekend, the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure in Hunt Valley, Maryland. If anyone would like to donate for the cure, please click here. Thank you!

3. During much of my run yesterday I was running behind this girl in a green skirt. I used her as my pace marker for most of the race, then at the end I zipped past her. It was a great feeling. It's also an awesome feeling to pass men/boys. :)

4. I saw someone take a GU around mile 2 of the 5k I ran yesterday. Seriously, a GU. After about 18 minutes of running. Do you really need that? Also... those of you that were wearing fuel belts... seriously?

5. I hate when it is clearly stated in the race packet that headphones are not allowed and PEOPLE WEAR THEM ANYWAY. I LOVE running in headphones. I run all my training runs in headphones. I think I run faster with a good beat. But I respect race rules and run without them when they are prohibited. It sucks, but if I can do it, you can do it. Sing a song in your head, listen to the runners around you or supporters on the street, play a game (I like shoe counting - count 5 of one brand and move on to the next), check out people's outfits (my favorite yesterday was the guy in the white shirt with "Chuck Norris counted to infinity." written on it with a sharpie), do long division or solve a logical proof in your head (okay, am I the only dork that does this?). If I can do it, you can do it. I'm sure I'm not the only one hating on you for feeling like the rules don't apply for you. And if I "accidentally" nail you with my elbow as I run past in a narrow strip, I'll tell you I warned you I was passing, but unfortunately you just couldn't hear me. :-P

So Sarah Says, running amok and signing off!

3 comments:

Tanya said...

I, too have a thing about banned headphones at a race. If I can run a race without music, so can everyone else. And GU and fuel belts in a 5K? Wow. Those must be really serious runners!

Sarah said...

Haha, really serious runners or complete newbies that don't know what to expect during a 5k! I have no real beef with them (like I do with the headphone rule breakers)... just that they look goofy and are carrying around unnecessary stuff which is probably serving as more of a hindrance than an aid. I mean, why carry more than you have to?

Unknown said...

sarah, you really need to come cycling with me in california. we've got a hands free phone law that went into effect in july. this is a huge deal for cyclists, as the majority of close calls [no pun intended] are a result of motorists with reduced peripheral vision due to a cell phone plastered to their face.

i get SO pissed off when i see someone on their phone while they're driving and i'm on my bike. i just can't get over it. two of us, armed with gatorade filled bike bottles, could wage a war on these law breakers! haha