Everyone Has a Bad Race Sometimes

Everyone has a bad race sometimes.... this is what I needed to learn this weekend. Since I started running this past summer, each 5K I have run has gotten progressively faster. The Snowball Run 5K was this past Saturday and I really thought about not doing it. It was snowing like crazy and I figured the roads we were running on would be snow covered. On top of that, my right foot has been bothering me again and I wasn't sure how it would go. But, when the time came to get dressed, I decided to soldier on. I probably should've stayed in bed. There were not a lot of people there, so naturally my fear of being DFL (dead f****** last) crept up. Looking around me, I felt like it would be close. The first quarter mile was ok, but then all of a sudden we turned into a nasty wind. I found myself inhaling snow. I tried putting my neckwarmer over my mouth, but then my sunglasses fogged up and I couldn't see. If I took off my sunglasses, I had snowflakes in my eyes. It was not good. We were running on side streets, which had not been plowed, so it was like running through quicksand (or what I imagine that to be like). My legs were burning pretty early on and it was just ugly. No matter what I did, I couldn't go any faster. I even tried "skating". At the halfway point, I knew it was just a matter of finishing. I saw my husband jogging towards me at the 2.5 mile point and I was ready to go right to the car, but he pushed me to finish. It was the worst race I have run since the summer. It was not as bad as my first couple, and as he pointed out, those were run in perfect conditions. So I suppose it is a testament to me getting stronger. It also helped to read someone else's blog who ran this race too, and she said it was the worst conditions she had raced in, so that makes me feel somewhat better too. Oh, and I wasn't last :) I may have been beaten by people I felt I should have been able to pass, but I wasn't last.  

On Sunday, I had a 6 miler scheduled. With it being so cold and miserable, I had no choice but to run inside. I thought about shortening my run, as I was feeling pretty dejected from the day before and my foot was pretty sore. I managed to do 3 on the treadmill while watching a movie on my phone. Once I decided I had enough of the treadmill, I went to the indoor track. I ended up running the remaining 3 miles. The last mile or so was pretty tough, as my foot was really hurting. I probably should have stopped but now I felt like I was on a mission to prove that I can run. I finished my 6 miles within 3 seconds of my goal pace, so I am pleased with that.

Unfortunately, my foot went from bad to worse. I'm not sure exactly what's going on- I suspect it's more overuse pain. I have been icing it and I am staying off of it for at least the next three days. I have three scheduled runs that I can get in even if I wait until Thursday. If need be, I will skip one. It isn't worth making my foot worse at this point. So I will get in some cross-training and keep the pressure off of my foot.