Blue 5K - Racing, Reflections and Bagels

Speed work has not been included in my marathon plan, but I have been doing a good amount of cross training instead.  My "coach" wanted me to do a speed trial to see where I was and to see if the cross training is doing its job, so I ran the Blue 5K in Charlotte this past weekend.  I don't run in Charlotte often; only twice actually, once with the Fund Racers and with the Do-Life Crew.  So the third time HAD to be the charm right?

Let me say this.  There is absolutely nothing charming about running up Morehead St.

Jyl and I arrived about 45 minutes before the start to get our chips before the lines descended, and to just have enough time to relax and get a little warm up in before hand. Then we found Graham, the third musketeer of this trio and "ran" into a good friend, fellow DARTer and total running guru , The Sockless Runner.  He gave us the run down on his preview of the course, which I very much appreciated.  I normally don't have a race plan, I just go.  So it was very good for me to hear what I would be facing in the miles to come.

Runners began to find their spots for 7:30am start, already humid with still air, temps slowly climbing and a little bit of cloud cover.  Not a bad sized local race, almost 700 runners come to find out.  The Trio (that's us!) lined up towards the backend of the middle. Ready....Set....Run Like Hell!

And we did.

Here is the abbreviated version.  Why?  because that's how I roll sometimes.

• Mile 1 - fast and fun.  Of course, Mile 1 always is, isn't it?  And then the realization sets in that maybe you set off a little to fast....
• Mile 2 - less fast and still fun.  You're working hard, and you can feel it, but you're still under the delusion that you can maintain the pace you're on.
• Mile 3 - if Hell was a hill, this would be it.  A "terraced hill"  with more hill than terrace.  Not much relief and you're thinking, "I can't take another step."  "Omigosh I'm gonna die."  "Is that my lung on the side of the road?"
• The Last .2 - downhill....  can I kick it in?  If you do, you can be done faster...... Engage Turbo Finish.  The internal voice is saying "almost done, keep going....don't puke, don't puke, don't puke...." 
• Cross the Finish - STOP THE GARMIN AND GIVE ME GATORADE.  And race volunteer, if you want this timing chip off my sneaker, you best get it because I can't bend over at the moment, or we both might have a problem.....

And then we were done!  YAY!  After checking the boards for chip times, Graham headed out so he could start getting ready for his triathlon the following day and Jyl and I headed straight to Bruegger's Bagels, which is fastly becoming a favorite of ours!

I don't know if I like the actual racing part, but I do love the pre- and the post-!
 
My results in case you were curious.

chip time: 26:00
age group placement: 7/61
PR: 24 seconds (Corporate Cup, March 2012 - 26:24)

The human spirit knows no bounds....

I LOVE the Olympics!  Winter, Summer, it does NOT MATTER!  I just love the Olympics.  I love the excitement, I love the events, I love the competitions, I love the patriotism and I love the athletes.  What they are able to accomplish, their determination, their drive and heart...it's inspiring!  And some of them?  Some have such stories that make your mouth drop in utter awe.

Every morning thus far, you hear the rumblings around the office, "did you see...." or "did you hear..."
This morning it was "did you hear about the blind archer from South Korea?"  My response?

"Wait...what?"

Turns out South Korean archer, Im Dong-hyun, broke his own record and helped his team set the FIRST world record in these Olympic games.  Not only that, he and his team won gold medals in Athens (2004) and in Beijing (2008).  Im is legally blind.  Im is an archer.  Im is a blind archer.  Wow.

You man have already heard the story of Oscar Pistorius, the Blade Runner.  He is a runner from South Africa.  A runner that was born without fibulas.  A runner without legs.  He's only ever known prosthetics.  He's competed, very well, in paraplegic events.  Though a proud paraplegic athlete, Oscar wanted to run against "able bodied athletes". The IAAF said no, "he was able to run at the same speed as able bodied athletes while using less energy and that his prosthetic limbs gave him an advantage over able-bodied athletes."  Oscar said yes.  He thought that if his prosthetics gave him such speed, than in theory the other para runners should be just as fast as he...which they are not.

Oscar will be competing in the 4x400 relay.  Amazing.

You may (or may not) remember I once tried to unsuccessfully come up with a inspiring, witty, seriouslyhope-type of mantra.  But now...now I think I've got it.

If a blind man can shoot an arrow....

It may sound snarky, but I assure you it is far from it.

Say it to yourself.  And really listen to it.  It's a reminder that you are not limited by your physical limitations, only your mental ones.  That the human spirit knows no bounds; and if you dream it, if you want it, you really can make it happen.

Next time, when you're up against the wall thinking you can't take another step, pedal another second or swim another stroke....Remember Im.  Remember Oscar.

If a blind man can shoot an arrow...