I CAN Run!

My trusty reliable coach, in a supreme sacrifice, gave up his own PR and paced me to a race PR in today's challenging and HILLY CAN (Cure Autism Now) 5k.

I've done this race three years in a row, so it's great to see progress:

2005: AGE:48
TIME: 34:41 (11:10/min. miles)

2006: AGE:49
TIME: 33:42 (10:51)

July 4, 2007, AGE: 50
TIME: 32:18 (10:24)

Peter was a great pacer. I felt like Lance at NYC. He gave me a running (ha) supply of tips like "lengthen your stride," and "pump your arms" on the uphills, and "glide" on the downhills, and my personal favorite, "relax."

I grunted and said things like "Story!" which, translated, meant: tell me a story to take my mind off this. And he complied, talking about his recent relay doing 10 miles straight uphill at high altitude at Lake Tahoe. He was, however, forbidden from saying the "h" word. We don't say "hills." Ever. Got it?

He did insist on no headphones though. And you know what? That was actually nice. It does tend to make one focus.

Things were going swell the first two miles. Piece of cake! And then, eh, I had to walk a few times. But I do think I ran up every hill. And the finish is a lovely long beautiful downhill.

I still thought I would croak, throw up or pass out at the finish. (Number One Daughter accuses me of being "such a dramatic finisher." As if.) NOD also ran this morning, but gave strict instructions that we were NOT allowed to talk to her or say "good job" to or acknowledge her in any way whatsoever on the course, not even, she said, "If I pass out"). She told me afterwards that she saw me shoving little kids out of my way and that I remminded her of George Costanza trying to get out of the burning apartment. Funny, I don't remember doing any such thing.

Damn kids!

Peter has the official splits, but he said they were something like:
9:55
10:02
12:20 (ugh)

And for more comparison, (it's all about the numbers) I looked up the only other 5k I did this year, on New Year's Day, with zero training, and fewer hills:

33:01 (10:38 min. mile)

So, even though this wasn't a lifetime PR (that would be the George Washington Parkway Classic 5k in 2006: 31:08 (10:08)) I AM SO TAKING IT!

My advice is: Everyone needs a good pacer!

And, there's more! NOD got herself a PR of: 29:40 (9:33 min. mile)! Her time last year: 32:14 (10:22).

So there's some strange exchange taking place between me and NOD as I had practically the same time this year as she did last year. Hmm.

I'm off to the beach for two days of craziness. Yoga classes. Sleeping. Reading. You know, my usual hijinks.



Thanks Peter!