getting back on the horse

I think running a marathon is a bit like falling off a horse - you can see it coming, everything seems to be moving in slow motion, and yet you can't really do anything to avoid the inevitable crash. (I've fallen off a few horses in my day, and that was generally my experience). But at some point you just have to get back on the horse, even if you might not want to.

I got back on my racing horse last weekend by doing the River Run 10k in Wichita, Kansas. I'm pretty attached to the River Run, it was the first race that I ever did, and I think it's one of the best local races there is, period. Tons of runners, a great course, lots of cheering spectators as you turn the corner toward the finish line. This year was really exciting because I was expecting to set a new PR in this race and had lots of friends running this race with me.

The weather was pretty close to perfect for a race - cool but not too cold, not much wind (for Kansas) and slightly overcast. Not to mention that I was wearing my awesome brand-new running dress thanks to my mom (thanks Mom!!) who just happened to be down in Wichita to watch my race. As the race started off, I just felt really happy to be running and racing just two weeks after my first marathon, because I know that things could have turned out much differently. In fact, within the first couple of miles of the race I passed (yeah, you read that right - I passed them) two guys talking about how one of them had run a marathon and afterward completely lost his desire to run again for awhile afterward. And I thought "not me!" Running the marathon just made me want to run more, work harder, train smarter, get faster, build more endurance - so that when the next marathon rolls around, I'll go into it knowing that I did everything in my power to have a great race.

Saturday was a great race. I felt great the entire time, I held a good, steady, fast (for me) pace for the entire race, and in the end I had a new PR of 57:53. Definitely not the fastest 10k time ever run, not even close to "fast" for some people, and not even the fastest I've ever run in a race (that would be an average of 8:45/mile in a 4-mile race). But to put that time into perspective, you have to know that a year ago my time for the River Run was 1:09 and that just before the marathon my 10k time was 1:00:24. Given the circumstances, I'm thrilled with the 57:53.

That's me, bringing it home in the green dress. Best part of the day? Celebrating my new PR with my wonderful Mom and my #1 cheerleader the Fair Weather Runner.