Run For Roses 5K: I'm an untamable force when I'm mad

Before the Run For Roses 5K, I was just plain mad.  Mad that I totally died and gave up on myself at the Capital Crescent 5K.  Mad that I let Ken pass me in the last 0.25 miles without a fight at all.  Mad that people keep telling me a Boston Qualifying time this fall is an unreachable, impossible goal.  I hate when people tell what I can't do, especially when I think I'm setting reasonable (albeit lofty) goals.   I'm the only one who should be able to tell me what I can't do!  So I went into this race mad as hell.  I wanted revenge for the Capital Crescent 5K, and I wanted to prove to myself that I'm Boston material.

The pre-race atmosphere was light-hearted, and whoever the announcer was, she cracked me up.  My favorite lines of the morning were "This is a race to celebrate women.  And to celebrate men ... men volunteering!" hahaha  We need this woman at every one of our club races.   She's hilarious.  I chatted with Mary Ewell pre-race, and honestly, I didn't recognize her at first. Mary, the longer hair is really very glamorous and makes you look like a totally different person! :)  I also chatted with Sarah, my coachee (Army-10 miler in training!) and gave her a bit of a pre-race pep-talk.

I trot up to the front of the pack right before the race is about to start.  We start, and I only see maybe 2 dozen people dart off in front of me.  We loop around the parking lot, and I see Ken. I shout to him "I'm not dying today!", half-believing it, half not.  I'm breathing hard already.  At mile 1, my watch reads 7:40.  I thought at that point that I was going to have a repeat of the Capital Crescent 5K, but I decided that if I'm going to die, I'm going to hold on for as long as I can.  So I blast on.  At the half-way point, I see Ken again, and I can't talk at this point, and just wave to him.  Mile 2 comes and I split a 7:44.  I realize that I only have a mile left and this could be a PR day.  My legs were screaming for mercy, but they get no sympathy.  We pass the water station, wave to Mark, who is taking pictures, and make my way back to the finish.

Mentally, I use Ken's strategy and start trying to pick off runners in front of me.  I pass two of them, and I play cat-and-mouse with another until the finish (where I prevail!).  I was in near shock when I saw 24:10 on the clock. That's a 7:47 average pace per mile.  A PR for me by 20 seconds!  

My conclusion: I should get pissed off more often.  I'm an untamable force when I'm mad. 

I really needed this ... I was starting to believe everyone who was telling me that I'm setting my goals too high.  Now I think I'm about to prove all of you wrong. Someone is going to owe me a beer when I get that 3:40 at the NCT Marathon on Nov 28th.  Volunteers?

Here's a picture courtesy of Mark, where I actually look like I'm flying.  Both feet off the ground!  I also look like I'm dying and about to kill someone, but hey, I PRed, so that's ok!

On a way cooler note, Sarah also PRed by a full minute!!  Totally awesome!!  A great day for one and all :)