All in the Attitude (or in my case, the Altitude)!

Running is like golf in the sense that it only takes one good shot or one good drive -- the kind that feels good, sounds good and looks good -- to keep you coming back.  It just takes one good race to motivate you to register for another one.  Unfortunately, the opposite can also be true.  One bad race can make you swear off running forever (or at least for a long time). 

I had higher hopes for my 50K this morning.  Mission was not accomplished.  I finished (although I contemplated finding an alternative way to the finish at various points).  I ran it in 6:22, which is a respectable time.  I actually didn't have a time goal for this race since I have never run it before.  But I would have liked to have felt better about the race.  I can blame it on a number of factors:

   1. I race too much.
  2. It was a stressful week.
  3. My water bottle broke.
  4. I race too much. ;)

But it really comes down to one thing.  The left side of my brain (the analytical side) got the best of me.

I am not a hill runner.  I love going downhill, but that's the only reason I put up with the uphill parts.  This race had a lot of hard climbs.  Sandy Hill (or Hell) is probably the hardest climb I have ever encountered.  It made me an unhappy camper; it broke my spirit.  And it won today.  It was all downhill from there, literally.  But, I had a hard time even enjoying the downhill parts because of my attitude.  I attempted to change it around a few times and get back in the race, so-to-speak.  But I just keep hitting it into the sand.  Dun, dun, dun ...  (Click to hear the drama effect.)

Well, I've owned up.  Now it's time to buck up and chalk this one up to a learning experience.  (More ups -- ugh!)  If I ever run this race again (Look, Michelle, I changed it to if instead of never!), I know what to do differently.  This is not the end-all race.  Or even the end-all 50K.  Sometimes an unaccomplished race just makes you hungrier for the next adventure!  Look out!

A quick shout out to my running buddies who did awesome today!  Way to go, Jenny, Liz, Steve, Jim & Katie!  And all the half-marathoners!

And, thanks to John Trent and his crew for putting on a very well-run race!  Cheers!