Jay and I did it! We completed the Army Ten Miler!!!
I am very proud of how we did! According to my watch we finished in 1 hour 35 minutes. I am anxious and excited for our official time.
The race started at the Pentagon, which is about a mile from our apartment. This was great, we did not have to drive or metro to or from the race. Plus, the walk helped us warm up and cool down.
The first mile we ran from the Pentagon to Arlington Cemetery in about a 9:20 minute mile. From there we keep at just about sub nine until mile 8.
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The next 2 to 3 miles were easy. We felt great and were starting to pull away from our wave and into the wave we should have been in.
Especially with larger races, I tend to get nervous signing up and put Jay and I in the wrong wave. You would think I would learn by now, but sadly, have not. We started in the White Wave aka 10 minute mile pace, oops! Now that we have a better idea of our pace, we will hopefully be in the correct starting wave. You live and learn!
At mile 4 my knee began to hurt, but I pushed through past the Lincoln and onto mile 5 where we were greeted by some GREAT spectators.
With all the cheering and bands playing, I forgot that my knee hurt and really enjoyed miles 5 through 8.
And then there was mile 8... While Jay and I trained for this race, mile 8 was often the kicker. My knee really started to hurt so our pace dropped to a 9.5 minute mile, but I was still running!
Mile 8 dragged, and it did not help that the spectators that got themselves on the fourteenth street bridge had no idea what mile they were at. We hear"only one more mile" for 5 minutes leading up to the 9 mile marker.
The 9 mile marker came and went, and I was really hurting. I really really wanted to run the entire ten miles, but unfortunately, I had to speed walk the last 600 feet. I was sad about it and started to tear up. It is really frustrating to spend some much time training to not be able to bend your knee that last 1/2 mile.
When we slowly came down the exit ramp and around to the finish there was a lot of spectators, so I choked it up and began to slowly jog into the finish and right to the medical tent for some much needed ice.
While I was very frustrated that my knee started hurting, I was very very happy for our time. My goal was 1:45 and we knocked 10 minutes off of that!!!
Thankfully, after a few hours of icing and stretching and a little more walking my knee feels a lot better. Though, it still hurts to bend its full range of motion.
So, while a marathon may not be in my near future, a 5k, 10k and 5 mile race are! I even think, with a little more gradual training, another 10 miler will be in my future and even a half marathon.
But, first... I have to figure out the protocol with my insurance to go see a real PT!
What have your race experiences been like? Have you ever been soo close but soo far away?
