Bloomsday 2015

Bloomsday: Success!

The course itself was a bit more of a challenge than I had expected.  My fast goal was to get 1:10, but realistically I thought 1:15 would be my actual time.  However, once the race started, the combination of trying to get around the slower crowds in the first mile (since I had no prior Bloomsday time, I was placed in the group behind where I probably otherwise should have started) and the dreaded Doomsday Hill (which turned out to be much harder than I was anticipating) made me think that I'd be lucky if I broke 1:20.  So despite the multiple hills and again, losing my stride here and there thanks to inconsiderate runners, I found a pace and just stuck with it.

I didn't time myself so I wasn't really sure of my official time until last night, which was 1:14:39.  I broke my 1:15 goal!  I feel that if I do more hill training, I could probably hit 1:10 next year.  But we'll think about that when the time is closer.  For now I'm just basking in the satisfaction of finishing the race strong.  And maybe looking at when my next race can be.  :)

Training for Bloomsday really was fun.  I mean, not the most exciting thing, of course.  But there really is something to be said for setting goals and meeting them each week.  For me every week of training was a huge accomplishment.  But to finish the race was an even bigger accomplishment.  I can see why people do these races over and over again.

I was exhausted... completely exhausted after that race.  Even today, I just feel like I got hit by a truck.  It amazes me because I've run almost that entire distance three different times in the past few weeks.  I wonder if part of it is the adrenaline of a race, and then the crash.  I'm just laying low today.  I've been cooking a bit since I'm starting a Whole10 to kind of clean up my eating.  Otherwise, just relaxing.  Maybe even a nap.