Valley of Fire 10k
This was the second 10k I have done and the last one was this very same one. I walk it, I don’t run it. :). That being said, there is a lot to be happy about today with my 1:48:55 time.
At the time that I did this in 2008, My friend and I were finishing our second season of 5k’s. We decided to boost it to a 10k for the fun of it and since we had not chosen our monthly walk, this was the one for November. In 2008, it was a warmer, sunnier day. The course was essentially the same and by the time we were up the first hill, I was spraying snot and spit like a distempered horse! Not pretty, I know…I lived it. There were several more hills to come and my dignity before that one ended. 1:50:02. That was the gun time. 1:48:32. That was the chip time.
Fast forward to 2010. Since that time my friend and I have not been doing the 5k’s much at all. Certainly not the one per month we had been. But since April of 2010, I have been hiking, kayaking, golfing, and some beginning climbing. I am much healthier than I was then. I am loving the activity level that I undertake now.
We motored up that first hill. I gave it all I could and suddenly, we crested the top. Had that been the hill of 2008? Yes. But it seemed so much shorter, even with the work it took to top it. That is how I felt all race long and I felt ahead of my pace all through the race. Coming down the last hill I was nearly RUNNING (sort of fast minus the bounce). The weather was cooler and windy and very comfortable. One brief stop to remove a rock from my shoe. No spit flying, no pain in the side, no foot or leg pain. Just normal “push yourself” fatigue. We crossed the line and we got our time and we yelped for joy at …..wait for it……1:48:55. That was the chip time. So how did I actually LOSE 23 seconds? You tell me. I just looked up those 2008 results on the internet and was shocked to see that what I thought was a faster time ended up being slower. I could have just listed my gun time against this years chip time but that does not accomplish anything. And, it is a lie then. I cannot hide my disappointment in being slower. I simply cannot understand it either.
We felt like we could do more distance at as we talked about the race, riding home. We felt like we had been faster this time and I was bathing in what I erroneously thought was a better time. But it isn’t. So, what do I take away from this? I am not completely sure yet. But I do take away that I am healthier, more fit and will never quit. I also take away that my aerobic fitness must improve. More thinking needed and maybe a little input from my racing pals?
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Posted on November 22, 2010, in 5k and 10k events, Hiking, Hiking in Las Vegas. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
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