CM Diary - May 11, 2007

Entry 4: May 11, 2007

February 2006 to 1 year later

Going into the Indy Mini-Marathon last Saturday with only 3 small races under my belt, I expected to be overwhelmed by a race with nearly 35,000 runners. I had visions of tripping at the start and being trampled like being at a Spanish Bull Run or an out-of-control rock concert. Fortunately, I didn't trip and the start was well-organized and controlled, yet full of energy and excitement.

I started in corral G, much higher than I thought - I could actually see the starting line. A pleasant surprise was starting in the same corral as Katie M., the exercise physiologist from my weight-loss clinic. She is incredibly fit, weighing less than the total pounds I lost. I enjoyed chatting with her before the race, laughing at the crazy people and reminiscing about how far I had come on my weight loss journey of which she was such an integral part. Thank you Katie!

During the national anthem I had to choke back the tears when I realized that for the first time in my life the song was being played for me - an athlete IN the game and not a spectator watching from the sideline.

I had 5 goals for the race in priority order: 1) finish, 2) have fun and enjoy the experience, 3) finish strong, 4) run the whole race and 5) break 2:00:00. I finished and had an awesome experience. I ran the first 6 miles in 54:53, the second 6 miles in 54:59 and the last 1.1 miles at an 8:45 pace, kicking across the finish line at a 7:30 pace. My per-mile splits didn't vary by more than plus or minus 15 seconds. I was very pleased with my consistent pacing and my strong finish. I ran the whole race including the pit stops, and I finished with a chip time of 1:59:30 !! I attribute my even pacing and my success at running sub-2:00:00 to my Polar RS200sd which gave me instant pace feedback throughout the race. Had I run "by feel" or by heart rate alone (over 90% almost the whole race), I would not have done as well. The 10-mile run I did 2 weeks earlier told me what pace I could run and maintain, and I ran that pace.

I will cherish so many wonderful memories from the day: being overwhelmed with emotion at the playing of the national anthem, stepping on the "Yard of Bricks" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, kissing my finisher's medal in the finish chute - the first athletic award I have ever received - and the awesome joy of accomplishing a dream much bigger than I could have imagined. To think that in December I was excited about running 3 miles in under 30 minutes for the first time and in March doing the unthinkable and qualifying for a preferred start corral at the Indy Mini. And now this! The weeks of training in the snow and cold paid off. This experience showed me that training in the summer heat and rain in the coming weeks will pay off on October 7.

I am so glad I experienced this mega-event and look forward to running my next mega-event with you on October 7.

One step at a time,
Dave

P.S. Yes, I did sleep with my medal around my neck Saturday night