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Date/Location: |
4/7/19 – Granite Beach |
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Distance: |
10K |
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Time: |
48:05 |
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Place: |
1st Female, 1st in no dog category |
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Teammates: |
5K: June Montuori; 10K: Troy Soares |
Before the race, I warm up a ½ mile. I'm feeling ready. We stop at the restrooms and then finish our warm up. We get to the start line and Oscar is very excited/anxious. My dad is running with Oscar and I am running with no dog. The race director says go and we take off I had set my Garmin for a 7:50-minute pace. My Garmin says I'm behind so I try to keep the pace and go a little bit faster. I start to feel a cramp and try a breathing technique my dad taught me. It doesn't seem to go away but I keep doing the technique. My dad is going to do a faster pace than me, yet I amrunning with him and my Garmin says I’m going too slow. I keep running with him through the trails. After a while we hit a road straight away. My dad and I run together. We got back on the trails. I feel good but I don't think I can hold this pace all the way. We run on the trails until we come to a levy. I look at another setting on my watch and it says I'm doing a 7 minute pace. I guess my other setting was off because it was saying I was going to slow. I was worried that I wasted my energy going too fast. I slow down and feel comfortable. I could almost go extra slow and still get a 7:50 maybe. There is an aid station up ahead and I get water. It is difficult to drink water since I'm breathing hard. I drink about 1/4 of the cup and then throw the cup to the ground.
I have less than a mile and a half left until the halfway mark. Dad and Oscar and another man behind him pull ahead. I don't mind, plus I'm trying to save my energy. I run along the trails dodging puddles. After a while, I hit an abandoned road. At the end of the road, I see an aid station. I also see the man behind dad standing there. His dog is lying in the dog pool. He starts running again before I catch up but that's fine. I grab some water at the aid station and get back onto the trails. I see the man up ahead and his dog has to go to the restroom. I pass him and don't see him for a while. I'm now running along a sandy stretch. I run through the trees and then come to another short sandy stretch. I keep running and am starting the second lap.
I run past the aid station and grab a water. I take a sip and find out it actually isn't water, its electrolyte water. I take another sip and throw to the ground. It gave me a little bit more energy. I keep running and hit the trails. My shoe comes untied, I don't want to run a whole 3 miles with untied so I stop and tie it quickly. I remember the first lap so everything is familiar. I hit the straight stretch. I remember running with dad here the last before. I see dad on the trail by the road. He says to keep going and to trust in God. I'm getting close to the end of the lap and another cramp, kind of a stomach cramp, comes on. It hurts really bad and the breathing technique isn't working. I have to stop and walk. I feel really overwhelmed and get emotional. I remember what my dad said and focus on God. I walk and try to get the cramp to go away. The guy with the dog I passes me at the aid station. He tells me to keep going. The crap is a little bit better and I start running. I run a little bit and it comes back and I have to walk. I stand there and pray. I feel like God is putting me back in place, and helping me focus on Him. I start to run again feeling better. I feel the cramp again, but this time I don't stop or get emotional. I just focus on God. I remember a gel I have to help me if I don't have much energy. I don't want to use it though. I want to finish the race with God instead of using the help of a gel. I run on the trails and get to the levee. The cramp comes back again and I walk for a few seconds and take big breaths. I then start running again. I run across levee and get to the aid station on the other side. I get some water and drink it and then pour the rest on my head. My mom says I should take the gel. But I tell her I don't want to because I want to finish with God's help. I hit the trails and hear mom telling me to catch the guy in front of me.
I start to pick it up aiming for that goal. I see him at the head and keep running and gaining distance. I can still feel my bad cramp, but it isn't bothering me that bad. Right before the abandoned road, I pass him. The aid station is up ahead, but really crowded. I don't get any water and pass it. I get onto the trail and keep running. Instead of the man's dog behind me going in the dog pool, he keeps running. I run on the trails and then hit the sandy straight away. My legs are hurting but I know I will be done soon. I look to God and know I can finish it with him. I run across the sandy straight away and look behind me to see if the man is gaining distance. He is not gaining any distance, so I might be able to beat him. I feel the cramp, but I take deep breathes and keep running. I run between the trees and then hit a small sandy section which leads to the finish line. Dad and Ariel are cheering for me. I keep running and hit the finish line straight away and Mom is cheering for me. I run in and point to God. Without God, this would have been a hard and stressful race, but with God I had peace.
Praise The Lord For He Is Good His Love Endures Forever!
