What a Difference a Year Makes!

A year ago, I was registered for the 57th Annual Fontana Days Run 5k RaceWalk.  It was a horrible experience.  It was my first race after I started having massive breathing issues the weekend we got back from a vacation in March.  Suffice it to say, it was *not* a good race.  I had serious breathing and pain issues.  I know I stopped at least once to sit during the race.  I'd never been so glad to see anything as I was the finish line at that race.  I was at a solid 8 on the pain scale by that time and just wanted it to be over.  This  race has loomed as so bad in my memory that I was a little surprised when I looked up my race results this morning before the race to see what my time had actually been.  Because they weren't as bad as I was expecting them to be, based on my memories.  Not good but not as bad as things got by the end of last year.  Last year, I finished the race 45th out of 48 (the RaceWalk is a separate "event" from the 5k run and the 5k fitness walk, evidently) with a time of 1:09:02 and an average pace of 22:16 per minute.

Fast forward to today, one year later and 70 pounds lighter.  What a difference a year makes!  If you're unfamiliar with this race, it's known to be *fast* because it's all downhill.  Many PRs are set on this course (my husband will typically call them "asterisk PRs" due to the downhill nature of the course.  Today, though, he said the asterisk would be the other way because of the heat.)  Essentially, the race buses you from the start/finish line up Sierra Ave. in Fontana.  The half marathoners get bused up 13.1 miles and the 5k (all events) get bused up the 3.1 miles.  Once the race begins, you run or walk downhill to the finish line.  My goal for this race seemed reasonable:  I wanted to maintain under a 20 minute mile for the whole thing.  I thought that seemed realistic and achievable and I'm all about setting goals I can make!  I was also hoping to break one hour for this one, something I've never done on a 5k (I told you, I'm slow!)

This race represented a number of firsts for me.  The first one came when I realized, as we were approaching the race, that not only had I not thought to take any pain medication before we left home, I also had thought to bring any along with me.  I've never done a race without pain medication (I have lumbar arthritis, which was the reason for the big pain issues last year).  Given the fact that my knees have been driving me nuts lately (as in hurting all the time) and I could feel my back this morning, I was a little nervous about this.  So I decided the best thing I could do, right before the start, was to take an Island Boost.  I downed it right before the start horn went off and got started.

Island Boost did what it does and in less than 5 minutes, I could actually feel it working.  Believe it or not, even my knees felt better as I started out!  Maybe this was all mental on my part because I'm sure that that is arthritis related as well but whatever it was, I'll take it!  I felt great at the start, really strong, and set off at a good pace.  I'm used to being passed at the start.  Since I'm a walker, all of the runners zip by me at some point, typically early on.  Then the walkers usually over take me.  And here's where a second first occurred for me.  *I* was passing people at this race.  Fairly consistently for the first half to three quarters of a mile and then periodically, even up through mile 2.  Wow.  Unbelievable.

Early in the race, I heard someone from the side of the road call my name and realized that two friends from our running club, Irene and Fernando De La Merced were there with their daughters, cheering on the runners.  Both of them ran out and gave me a hug and told me I looked great.  This was a great thing to have happen, especially early, because it really powered me on and made me feel really strong.  It was so good to see them and get that encouragement from people who  know me.  I know I passed a couple of walkers right after that.

I couldn't help contrasting this race to the last one I'd done, the Ride the Wind 10k trail race outside of Vegas.  Talk about two totally different experiences.  While that one was held on very technical, rugged, trail terrain, this one was all paved.  That one had elevation gain and loss while this one was all downhill.  Ride the Wind was a real challenge because it presented me with a completely different race than any I'd ever done.  Finishing it brought a huge sense of accomplishment just for prevailing.  This race was technically *much* easier so I wanted to challenge myself in a different way.  When I realized, early on, that I *was* passing people I made it a goal.  I would pick someone out ahead of me that it seemed like I could "catch".  And I'd push myself to go just a little bit faster until I'd caught up with them and passed them.  Then I'd pick someone else out to aim for.

The times I glanced at my Garmin, I was happy because it seemed like I was definitely maintaining that sub-20 minute pace I'd set for myself.  That's really all I looked at.  As the finish line approached, I had no idea how long I'd been out there and only a rough idea of how far I'd come.  And I was good with that.  As I approached the finish line, the clock was showing the half marathon time so I still didn't really know what my time was going to end up being.  For a change, I actually remembered to stop my Garmin once I crossed the finish line.  Once I took the time to check it, it gave me a finish time of just over 55 minutes.

Needless to say, I was ecstatic!  Another first - I'd broken the one hour mark for a race!  My official finish time was 55:38, with an average pace of 17:57 per mile.  Definitely sub-20 and over 4 minutes faster per mile than last year.  This year, I came in 38th out of 51 race walkers and was 3rd out of 7 in my age group.  I will definitely take that!  But the best part?  I still felt good - and strong - at the end.  Yes, I pushed myself but none of the issues I had last year were there.  In spite of the heat of this year, I felt good.  I also felt a huge sense of accomplishment because I finished before the first of the half marathoners came in. Again, another first for me!

I found a spot near the finish line and proceeded to wait for my hubby to finish, cheering him and other friends in.  We got to see a number of people from our old running group that we hadn't seen in months and had a great time catching up with them, post-race.  Thanks, Fontana, for a great race event!