Sometimes the Voices Win

It happened just before the 4 miles mark. I was pacing along with a woman at a good 7 minute/mile clip when the heat started to get to me, the legs started to feel weary, and the voices. The little voices came out to play. " Come on Adam slow down. Why are you pushing so hard? Why are you out here at all?" The game was on. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on breathing and relaxing. No good. The voices grew louder and more insistent. The heat, the weariness, and the voices were just too much. I slowed down my pace. I didn't stop, but I just couldn't hold my pace. I watched as my pacing partner pulled away. Bummer. I spent the rest of the race trying not to get passed. I was passed once.

Every race has a lesson. It may be something new, or confirming something that I already knew that needed work. In this case it is confirmed that I need to work on my mental game. I'm not talking only about the negative voices that can be overwhelming at some points, although that is a large part, but also running a smarter race from start to finish. I have a bad habit of coming off the line too quickly, and this race was no exception. I ran my first mile in 6:27. Am I nuts? That's the pace I was shooting for in my last 5k. There is no reason for me to start that quickly other than some delusion of speed. What can I say? Saturday morning Roadrunner cartoons were a staple in my youth. These days I'm feeling more Wile E. Coyote than Roadrunner.

Here's the good news. Despite my nitpicking I ran a very good race. I finished with a time of 43:38 at a 7:02 pace. I was 24th overall 2nd in my division. That's all I have to say about that.