Tulip Run

In the last few months I've gotten slow.  I haven't been running far or fast or often, and that definitely showed in my time at the Tulip Run on Saturday.  Last year I ran a PR at 42:12 min/mile, getting first place in my age, at 39 (granted the age groups go in 5 year increments for this race). The year before I felt like I was dying in mile 5, but was still faster than this year.  In 2014 I won first place for my age as well.  In 2013 I didn't run it, and in 2012 was the first year I did it, where I walked with my sister.

This year was slow.  45.31 min/mile slow.  I usually find someone to run behind as a pacer.  I never really found that person.  I was behind a girl with a stroller for awhile, but she slowed down when we went on the muddy trails, and I passed her.  When we got back on the pavement, and then the hard packed gravel she passed me and I couldn't keep up.  I stayed pretty close to 9 min/mile for most of the run. I was fastest in mile 2, at 8:36 min.  Well, here's my splits according to mapmyrun.

According to this I was just under a 9 min/mile, but previously I have been closer to a 8 and a half min/mile.  I can't beat myself up over the run.  It was not a bad run.  It was pretty average for my running lately.

It was cold before the run.  Windy and rainy and in the low 40's.  The wind is what kills me, I hate the wind.  I have hated the wind since I was a kid.  Eastern Washington has dust storms more often than any other storm, which is probably why I hate the wind so much.  Anyway, I didn't want to wait around outside for the start.  I was only about 20 min early for the race, but I decided to sit in my car for most of the time after I picked up my race packet.

I have never stuck around after the Tulip Run before.  I usually get my tulip (the only one I see) and go home.  This year I decided to stay.  I don't know why, I didn't think I'd win any awards.  But it was okay, they had food, which I didn't know they had.  =) 

Looking at the official results online that night I was 7th for my age, so not even close to a medal (top 3 in 5 year increments).  Even if I had run with the same time that I did last year, I still wouldn't have made the top 3, the third fastest female in the 40-44 age group was 41:28, my best time is 42:12.  Which makes my slow time seem better somehow.  ; )

Even though the weather was not good on Saturday, after the run I decided to plant seeds for my garden.  I was thinking that I was getting a head start on them, but looking at old pictures, I'm pretty sure I was a week or two later than last year.  The weather has just been so bad it's hard to realize it's already April.  Anyway, Maddox has been bugging me for 2 or 3 weeks (whenever we bought the seeds) to plant them, so I decided we should do it.  I did it inside, of course, it was way too cold outside. 

Sunday was a pretty eventful and busy day, so that will have to be a separate post.  =)