Irish for a day 10 miler race report

A few days ( a week) late on this but life got in the way. Alot of life is getting in the way lately, taxes, refinancing, job, well you get the drift. Onto the race.

The forecast early in the week looked great, but as we got closer to the weekend the forecast turned to:

Twin Cities In Motion

March 8

Irish Runners: With the potential for freezing rain still in the forecast for tomorrow morning, Twin Cities In Motion asks 100% Irish for a Day TC 5K and TC 10 Mile participants to:

-- Be aware of the most up-to-date weather forecasts

-- Dress appropriately for projected weather conditions

-- Stay tuned here, to Twin Cities In Motion and your email for updates

If dangerous or icy conditions exist that would force TCM to cancel the event, TCM will do so no later than 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

With the thought of a race cancellation in my head I asked coach to load me a treadmill workout so that i didnt go to my basement and run 10 miles at my goal pace = aka "try to beat my treadmill in the basement." Always a rewarding and dumb thing to do I think, race at a race. Dont make your training the race. But you know we all get nuts if the race gets cancelled sometimes. The reality is that i spent all  of friday emailing and texting Angela( of Cream Cheese frosting blogs) what we would wear and what we would do if it cancelled. Truth is that i didnt really decide till i was sitting in my car at 8 am what to wear.

So race day dawns and we are all on for the race, the rain is just rain and my thought that i would not go to a race i couldnt safely drive to, was eased when i didnt fall down in my driveway. I settled on a baselayer, hat and pants, at 30 deg and a ligth drizzle i didnt need a rain jacket but i also got cold warming up bc of the wind and so i ran back to get a t shirt to put over my underarmour. all good. 

IF you are here to actually hear about the race, sorry bc i can write way more about the crappy weather we have been having. But i wont, haha, i promise. I will say my feet were freezing before we even started. I lined up at 7 min pace and really how do people start in the 6 min area and then they run a 9 min pace? get out of there people. So the 1st mile was a cluster not only due to bodies but due to the course:

No that isnt me, I must have nicely avoided the cameras, but we spent a good portion of this race dodging puddles, jumping over snow banks and icey patches to get on and off the path, from the road. I am glad i didnt pull a hammy:) At the same time i didnt want to go out too fast as this winter has been hard on me running. Not sure why but my confidence isnt really there yet with the running, and maybe its bc we have had some tough conditions and i have been on the TM alot more than i am used to? I am not sure. But Jen said to start at 7:30's ++ and then go down if i felt good. So i really just ran by feel bc I hate looking at my Garmin and also the Heart rate is saying i am in Tachycardic fib, or that my hr is 200 bpm so ijust ignore it. Dumb Garmin. 

I did keep an eye to make sure i didnt go too fast at first and i was settled in pretty comfy till we hit some wind on the north side of calhoun. Course is 1 lap of harriet, 1 lap calhoun then one more lap of harriet, and for those not in MN these lakes make this a figure 8 course, not too much elevation, a few punchy hills but pretty flat. The wind off the lake along calhoun was a bit of a downer, i had my slowest miles there but wheni crested the hill to get back to harriet it was either my stellar fitness ( yes that is what it was) or the wind reprieve but i had my fastest miles and hit the last 2 miles sub 7. I felt great, passed about 5 women and ran myself to a 1:14:xx, I had wanted to go sub 75 and I did it by nearly a minute. 

Now those that love to play garmin games, I ran an extra 150 yards so I am sure that i really ran a 1:12:xx. Kidding. I have no idea what I would have run not having to dodge puddles, but the takehome is i am really glad they didnt cancel it and I was really happy with how my fitness looked saturday. 

I was sad to not see Angela ( who rocked sox coming in 2nd OA) bc we both got so cold we took off. But i did see her and her lovely family at Landon's 1st birthday party the next day.

So what else is new besides this race? Gearing up for Tucson, and I can honestly say that it had better be 90 degrees and i wont complain if it is. or if its 100 I wont complain either. I am so sick of the above weather. 

My BF Tom, seen looking like a stud here skiing the Birkie, fell and tore a ligament in this thumb. For you people that love this stuff its his ulnar collateral ligament and he cant pincer grasp for 8 weeks. So i took him to surgery friday and sadly he cant swim for a bit and  he has been my magic swim help since he laps me every 500 or so i have to swim faster to keep up:

I do have great pics of the surgery but i wont post those since you may spew your breakfast. 

Other random things: I need some lulu clothing but i am not wild about the stuff i have been seeing there, so i guess i can save some money. I havent been drinking any wine, i must have had too much in january. I want to get some recovery pump boots, anyone have them and like or dislike them?

Glad I am not doing an IM today. Yuk. 

Ok enough dribble from me, stay warm and those of you in warm climates, dont tell me you are too hot:) I would trade you in a second.