Numbers Don't Lie

Vet's Day 10k today. I knew it was going to be rough, just didn't know how rough it would be. I started out ok, first mile was 5:17 and felt good, but in the back of my mind I knew it was unsustainable. Second mile slowed down and managed a 5:44. Third mile held steady at 5:46, 5k at 17:25. By this point an old man was running with me, and I kept throwing in surges to hold him off. I kept him at bay until the last mile, when I really just started to shut down. Hit mile 4 in 5:45. Last two miles were the worst. This is where I could really tell that I haven't been doing the mileage and the long runs. I just didn't have anything left in me. It was frustrating, and the self-pity crept up and it was hard not to give up completely. I just focused on this guy with a yellow singlet and made myself hate him. This has worked in the past, and it worked today. If I can tell myself that I loathe someone then it makes it possible to summon the energy to pass him. I still only ran 5:57 for the 5th mile and 6:15 for the 6th, though. Final time for the 10k was 35:58 (5:47/mile average). 32nd place out of 2k runners, 6th in age group, and I beat Mayor Fenty. I just need to focus on training for a while. Getting my miles in is the priority, no matter what. No excuses.