My Write Up of the Papa John's 10 Miler..The Last Leg of the 2012 Louisville Triple Crown of Running
Well, this race was the last leg on the Louisville Triple Crown of Running, so I wanted to see if I could extend my trend of PR-ing and PB-ing. Also, like the Anthem 5k and the Rodes 10K, this race, the Papa John’s 10 Miler, would occur right after me working a 12 hour overnight shift and later on working another 12 hour shift.
So as I went to bed Thursday night, I realized that I wouldn’t sleep again Monday, and that meant this was my last bit of sleep until the race 2 days later. Friday, the day before, had me going non-stop, including Race Packet Pickup. So all of a sudden, it was time for me to head into work. Which was hectic, but suddenly it was time to get home and change into my Race Gear and head out.
So as I lined up at the starting line, I ran (pun intended) into 2 coworkers and whether they realized it or not, helped calm myself before the race. Next thing I knew, it was time to start. So off I was, armed with my game plan. Now, the lesson I had learned from the previous 2 races is that no matter how much I try, the right amount of hydrating and nutrition do not make up for proper rest on the eve of Race Days. And I would pay DEARLY for this lesson.
As I started, my phone rang and I saw it was Damary. See, we had a plan, she would bring the girls later, so they could get some extra rest and then I would see them at the finish line. Well she called to say Babygirl had a fever so she was staying home with the girls. Which I understood that. I also know that my Beautiful Wife and Our Daughters cheering for me, are my personal reward at the Finish Line. So for the 2nd straight race, I wouldn't have them there. SO I quickly made a mental resolve of that and went "back to work" on the course.
Well, I basically had a plan of attack broken into 5 parts: The first part of the race, pre Iroquois Park; Then Iroquois Park (it is 3 miles of uphill and downhill); then the way back to the stadium; The Denny Crum Overpass, which is STEEP; and Finally, the last part going into the finish, giving it all that I had.
Well, I kept my goal for the first part. Then came Iroquois, and once again (this being the second time I’ve run this race) I DID NOT WALK ANY OF IT! I may not have set any speed records, but I ran it. I also ran into a couple of wonderful friends. Also, as I got EXTREMELY tired, people kept shouting encouragement about my shirt and how they loved it (the girls hand prints on the back of it)
Well, coming out of Iroquois, I noticed my time was looking great, but nature called. This is only the second race of my life where I HAD to stop and use the bathroom (first being the Marathon). So that sucked at least 5 minutes from my running. So I got back and kept up a decent pace, knowing the Denny Crum Overpass was waiting for me. I did notice at this point, my body was feeling like it has NEVER felt before in any of my races. I wiped sweat from my brow, and my limbs felt foreign to me. Best way to describe it is, that instant right before you get a muscle cramp, combined with that split second feeling before you crack/pop your joints, knuckles, etc. Just plain awkward. I wasn't dehydrated, nor out of fuel, this was something new I was experiencing as a runner. This was flat out overuse of the muscle...the kind of overuse that they haven't had sufficient recharging time. So, at that point I had two choices: Slow Down or G.O. and hope that if I break down, at least I've crossed the finish line. I decided if I go down, I go down trying, not wishing I had tried. So I kept up a great pace and then saw the impending Denny Crum Overpass.
A Twitter friend of mine took this pic!! The person next to me is Erin!! :)I got there and relaxed my shoulders and dug in..and I DID NOT WALK ANY OF IT!! and then I let my brain go...I let it go thinking of how very soon I would be in the stadium. I would remember to look up as I finished to see myself on the giant screen. Well, as I entered the stadium, I hear Erin call my name. Erin is a wonderful Daily Mile friend who, at the LSC Louisville Half Marathon in November (2nd Half Marathon in 2 weeks), helped me get through some rough miles. She is a wonderful person and I am blessed and honored to call her friend. Well we talked and then I dug in and finished strong...Then I got the text.
The text that basically said I didn't P.R. or P.B...but less than 20 frakkin seconds!! Less than 2 seconds a mile! Well, I am not making excuses, and I can say today, I still feel drained. My muscles will really need some extra recovery before I resume Marathon training. Everything feels basically like loose joints on hinges on a door. On top of all of that, I have the Zombie 5K Survival Run next week.
I would also like to say THANK YOU to all of you who have always been encouraging to me. I am not a world class athlete, but I have some World Class Friends!
-Until the Wheels Fall Off (and I got close!!)
-Corey "The Illuminati Runner"
So as I went to bed Thursday night, I realized that I wouldn’t sleep again Monday, and that meant this was my last bit of sleep until the race 2 days later. Friday, the day before, had me going non-stop, including Race Packet Pickup. So all of a sudden, it was time for me to head into work. Which was hectic, but suddenly it was time to get home and change into my Race Gear and head out.
So as I lined up at the starting line, I ran (pun intended) into 2 coworkers and whether they realized it or not, helped calm myself before the race. Next thing I knew, it was time to start. So off I was, armed with my game plan. Now, the lesson I had learned from the previous 2 races is that no matter how much I try, the right amount of hydrating and nutrition do not make up for proper rest on the eve of Race Days. And I would pay DEARLY for this lesson.
As I started, my phone rang and I saw it was Damary. See, we had a plan, she would bring the girls later, so they could get some extra rest and then I would see them at the finish line. Well she called to say Babygirl had a fever so she was staying home with the girls. Which I understood that. I also know that my Beautiful Wife and Our Daughters cheering for me, are my personal reward at the Finish Line. So for the 2nd straight race, I wouldn't have them there. SO I quickly made a mental resolve of that and went "back to work" on the course.
Well, I basically had a plan of attack broken into 5 parts: The first part of the race, pre Iroquois Park; Then Iroquois Park (it is 3 miles of uphill and downhill); then the way back to the stadium; The Denny Crum Overpass, which is STEEP; and Finally, the last part going into the finish, giving it all that I had.
Well, I kept my goal for the first part. Then came Iroquois, and once again (this being the second time I’ve run this race) I DID NOT WALK ANY OF IT! I may not have set any speed records, but I ran it. I also ran into a couple of wonderful friends. Also, as I got EXTREMELY tired, people kept shouting encouragement about my shirt and how they loved it (the girls hand prints on the back of it)
Well, coming out of Iroquois, I noticed my time was looking great, but nature called. This is only the second race of my life where I HAD to stop and use the bathroom (first being the Marathon). So that sucked at least 5 minutes from my running. So I got back and kept up a decent pace, knowing the Denny Crum Overpass was waiting for me. I did notice at this point, my body was feeling like it has NEVER felt before in any of my races. I wiped sweat from my brow, and my limbs felt foreign to me. Best way to describe it is, that instant right before you get a muscle cramp, combined with that split second feeling before you crack/pop your joints, knuckles, etc. Just plain awkward. I wasn't dehydrated, nor out of fuel, this was something new I was experiencing as a runner. This was flat out overuse of the muscle...the kind of overuse that they haven't had sufficient recharging time. So, at that point I had two choices: Slow Down or G.O. and hope that if I break down, at least I've crossed the finish line. I decided if I go down, I go down trying, not wishing I had tried. So I kept up a great pace and then saw the impending Denny Crum Overpass.
A Twitter friend of mine took this pic!! The person next to me is Erin!! :)I got there and relaxed my shoulders and dug in..and I DID NOT WALK ANY OF IT!! and then I let my brain go...I let it go thinking of how very soon I would be in the stadium. I would remember to look up as I finished to see myself on the giant screen. Well, as I entered the stadium, I hear Erin call my name. Erin is a wonderful Daily Mile friend who, at the LSC Louisville Half Marathon in November (2nd Half Marathon in 2 weeks), helped me get through some rough miles. She is a wonderful person and I am blessed and honored to call her friend. Well we talked and then I dug in and finished strong...Then I got the text. The text that basically said I didn't P.R. or P.B...but less than 20 frakkin seconds!! Less than 2 seconds a mile! Well, I am not making excuses, and I can say today, I still feel drained. My muscles will really need some extra recovery before I resume Marathon training. Everything feels basically like loose joints on hinges on a door. On top of all of that, I have the Zombie 5K Survival Run next week.
I would also like to say THANK YOU to all of you who have always been encouraging to me. I am not a world class athlete, but I have some World Class Friends!
-Until the Wheels Fall Off (and I got close!!)
-Corey "The Illuminati Runner"
Nice. Congrats on the finish. You worked for it.
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