Race Report: Pasadena 10k race

Yesterday I ran my 3rd 10k race.  It was at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.  A double loop course around the Rose Bowl ground.  It was freezing cold for Southern California: -1 Celsius!  The grass was white when we got up and the mountains were covered in snow! At least it was not raining like it did the day before for my run with Dean Karnazes.  My kids were really upset that they missed that one so yesterday they braved the cold and they came to support their mom!  They were really impressed to see -1 on the thermometer in the car!!!

This was not a big race and some people did not show because of the cold! To me that is crazy! It was not THAT cold!  I would always take colder temperatures over the heat that we get for most of the year.  I wanted to do well for that 10k,  I had planned to rest the day before but when the opportunity to run with Dean K. came I could not pass on it and so I did not rest and instead of running 5k like we were supposed to we actually ran 8k because we took a wrong turn!!  Yesterday I started feeling a bit sick..sinus crap...so I was a little worried for my race.

I started faster then usual but I felt pretty good.  I had been running faster lately and I wanted to see how I could hold up in a race.  First 3 miles all went fine, I kept a faster pace then in my 2 previous 10k race.  Only problem was all the walkers who were walking 3 people wide talking and drinking coffee...the runners had to go off the path to pass them, that drove me nuts! I skipped the 2 water stations they had.  I saw the boys after the first loop, our car was parked right in front of the path so they were able to watch a movie in the car while I was going around! Tough life I tell you.

The Start:

 Mile 3:



At mile 4 my stomach decided that it did not like going at a faster pace and I started getting dry heaves.  AGAIN!  Yes BDD you read that correctly.  This is a real problem for me now.  They had a water station there and I took a couple sip and continued running...a little slower.  Mile 4 was my slowest split of the race.  For the last 2 miles I just picked people in front and focused on passing them and not think about my stomach and what would happen once I stop running!  I crossed the finish line and I had to delay the hugs from the kids ...went to hide from them, I don't want them to see me getting sick after a race and associate that with running!   Again dry heaves, it sucks and it hurts also. 

My first 10k was in November, one month later I ran my 2nd one and took 5 minutes off my time and yesterday I took 4 minutes off of that time.  So 9 minutes in 3 months! I am happy with this.  Progress is a good thing.  I wanted to run negative splits but I could not keep the pace I had for the first 3 miles.  I need to improve on that.

That is Will at the bottom right of the picture waving to me!

I saw myself on Regis and Kelly for a whole 2 seconds...only because I am really tall and I know where I was at the start!!!!