Tie A Yellow Ribbon

Marathon Plan - Regressive Countdown - Week Eight
09/13/10 - 09/19/10 - Week Total: 20.1

After an exhausting and very stressful week at work I went on Saturday to the place that gives me solace, my weekly race. This time, Army Strong. 

As my normal routine when I got up at 4:30 am, my first thought of the day was: I want to sleep in, why do I do this? The same answer of every weekend: Because I can.  

Got ready and left. Drove 70 min. Got to the Fort Lewis gate, got my paperwork inspected, got my pass.  

The plan was to run for the best tempo that I could run. Between 10:10 and 10:50. That would give me a PR (current 10:50 gotten 2 weeks ago) but I was not going for a PR. I was going for a good tempo run, and to get there I would get a PR. To help with the process I used an adapted Galloway strategy: 1mile/100 steps. 

By mile 2.5 I felt my power going away and implored for a second wind which I use to get between mile 3 and 5 (though being so early in the race it may be my real first wind). At mile 3.3 it came. It was a muse, like a divine intervention. I pressed, and ran very strong. When I got to the half mark (mile 6.5) I was in a very good PR pace. I kept pressing. A couple of miles at a slower pace than PR pace but I knew I was fine. 

Last two miles were amazing. Don't know where I got that power. I was not even tired, though my heart rate was raised as it should. My playlist was telling me that I was way ahead of my PR. Then the last tenth of a mile, and I saw the clock, 2:17:xx.... Don't let it go beyond 2:18 was the order, and I sprinted for a 2:17:58. PR by 4min for a 10:32 pace, and with that, 3rd in my division, bronze medal, the most gorgeous medal that I have gotten so far. 

I ran with the Army, and like the Army: Strong. 

I commemorated the lives of the servicemen and women that have sacrificed their lives for us. 

I pray, I run, I race. I Tie A Yellow Ribbon.

'Round her neck she wears a yeller ribbon,
She wears it in winter and the summer so they say,
If you ask her "Why the decoration?"
She'll say "It's fur my lover who is fur, fur away.

Running for our servicemen and women that have sacrificed their lives for us.

 

Tie A Yellow Ribbon

The most gorgeous medal I have gotten so far. 3rd in my division

Thanks guys for serving in the military

Note: This month I started my races with bib number: 177 (17th of July), my son's birthday as written in the rest of the world. For this Army Half I got bib number 812 (8th of December), my daughter's birthday... Lovely. I felt them running with me.

Splits	HR
1-10:07	158
2- 10:27	165
3- 10:39	167
4- 10:36	169
5- 10:22	169
6- 10:27	169
7- 11:08	168
8- 10:31	173
9- 10:44	170
10-10:56	174
11-11:21	174
12-10:09	177
13-10:01	185