Forbes and I ran for the second year in a row the Mooresville Pumpkin Run 8k. Leading up to this race I couldn't be more excited. A 5-mile run was exactly what I needed on my calendar. Short enough to not wig-out over, long enough to make worth-while. I could challenge myself with speed and distance.
Last year was a wonderful event! Forbes and I ran it together and it was his Personal Distance Record at that time! I knew it was hard for him, but he finished strong and even placed in his age group! This year was a bit different. Since last year's race, Forbes has finished two half marathons and has stepped up his game, shall we say. He is so much faster than I am now and I knew it would be him pushing me to the finish line this year!
We set a goal of 9:30 minute/miles. An average pace for Forbes but a very challenging goal for me. I really wanted to see what I had in me, despite my lack of motivation lately. This morning was rough when we woke up to cold and rain. We considered bailing on the race. If it started any earlier, I am afraid we might have! Instead, we snuggled on the couch with breakfast and hot water until the very last minute. At 8:35am we finally charged upstairs, donned our running gear and headed out for the 9am start time.
| Representing in my Cards shirt! World Series Champs! |
The first and second miles were the longest. I kept thinking there was no way I could keep up the speed for 5 whole miles! I seriously lack confidence when it comes to speed. Around mile two I grabbed a cup of water and swallowed just a sip to motivate me to keep going.
Around that same time the sun peaked out of the gloomy sky and we began to see streaks of bright blue behind the clouds. All of a sudden I remembered why I love this Fall race so much! The bright hues on the changing leaves and breeze blowing motivated me through mile three. We worked up quite the sweat and left our gloves and hats on the side of the road (at a friend's house) and pushed through mile four.
The Mooresville Pumpkin Run is one of the hilliest courses out there, but it winds through a beautiful neighborhood and downtown. I curse the hills and the turns, but in a way they motivate me to charge forward. This morning I found myself literally sprinting to the top of the hills, counting them down as we went.
Finally, we were in the last mile and I really felt I had given this race all I had. I couldn't believe the crazy-fast times we were running and I really wanted to quit. It was hard to continue to press on even when my legs were screaming, STOP! We began to pick out competitors in front of us and pick them off one-by-one. We took off up the last hill, rounded the corner to the finish and blew past the line at 45:30!
Forbes was wearing the Garmin watch so I had no clue how quick we were running! I knew it was definitely under a 9:30 pace, and for this 10:30-averager, it was the hardest race I have run to-date. I kept telling myself toward the end, Pain is Temporary-Victory is Forever!
(for the record...last year's race was completed in 52:33!)
We dawdled at the finish, chatting it up with friends and acquaintances. We checked the finishers results and found out, for the second year in a row, Forbes placed in his age group! Congrats Forbes!
We grabbed his medal before the awards however. I had a coffee date I needed to get ready for!
I met my dear friends Shannon, Elizabeth and Kelly at Starbucks for a latte. I also ate a mini-cupcake that I grabbed from the race. I'm 100% sure that cupcake was all vegan (NOT)!
Not long after, I satisfied my sweet tooth again with lunch at TCBY. I have stopped all TCBY photography because I already have one too many photos of fro-yo! But yes, I did go back to the sorbet. No more dairy for this girl. The pumpkin flavor isn't really that great anyhow! I did also sneak in some veggies in salad form from Field of Greens.
The rest of the day post race has been a mix of running errands and cooking up a storm in the kitchen. All of it spent with Forbes. The perfect day in my opinion.
| New running store in Mooresville--Grand Opening we checked out today! |
| Charlotte Running Company |
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So just where has my fitness levels been over the last two weeks leading up to this race? It has been a while since I did a week recap of Fitness, Faith, and Food. Here's a quick look over the last couple weeks!
Fitness
Saturday- Triple Lakes Trail Race (8 miles)
Sunday- bailed on the half-marathon, day of Rest
Monday- lots of walking on the seashore
Tuesday- Rest
Wednesday- Rest
Thursday-went to the beach...lots of Rest!
Friday- Rest
Saturday- Rest
Sunday- Rest
Monday- finally got back out there! 3.5 mile run
Tuesday- lost my mojo again...
Wednesday-
Thursday- Track workout with Forbes- sprints and stadiums
Friday- too cold...Rest
Saturday- Mooresville Pumpkin Run 8k
It really does make it sound better when you say Rest vs. Lazy! Honestly, I have lost my stride and am hoping to find it once again. I want to get back to a balance of 4 to 5 strong workouts a week, with 2 or 3 active rest days in between. I have felt so good over the last few months on this schedule and am hoping to get back there this week! I'm hoping the run today will inspire me!
Tomorrow we will catch up with Faith and Food! Have a great weekend!
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