Oh, why not? Another 10K!

Deja vu? Nope, I really am running another 10K on February 16th, only two weeks after my first!

And yet, my mindset going into this race is completely different.

Obviously, this is no longer my first 10K. I have that experience under my belt now and I don't need to worry about not knowing whether I can make it through or what it's going to be like.

I could worry about beating my new PR of 53:08 or placing in the top 10 for my age group again. But, I'm just not. Two weeks isn't really enough time to significantly improve a PR that is already pretty great to begin with, so putting pressure on myself to overcome it is futile. And, as long as I give the performance I'm capable of, my age group placement is really dependent on how many other people are competing in my age group and how good they are. Whether 53:08 is good enough for 6th place or 25th place is entirely dependent on my competition. And that is something I have no control over. Since the weather is going to be almost 20 degrees warmer for this race than it was for the last two, it's very possible there will be a lot more people racing this time. So, que sera.

I know it sounds cliche, but I really just want to go out there and have fun. That's why I like racing: it's fun. It's fun to put on my tunes and let the crowd and the camaraderie push me through the course, and it's fun to feel that blissful exhaustion at the finish line.

I think a big part of my new attitude this time around is that I have a lot more on my mind. I'm leaving for my trip to El Salvador in less than two weeks. I've been reading more, and doing more social things, and watching the Olympics. Not that running has taken a back seat! No sir-ee, I am not neglecting my training. But I've had other things to keep me occupied this month so I haven't been obsessing about this upcoming race.

And finally, I've started to feel like I'm just kinda over these small races. My first half-marathon is less than 3 months away. Actually, it's 11.5 weeks away. That's not a lot of weeks, considering I started training for it over 8 MONTHS out. In less than 3 months I'll know what it's like to finish a half-marathon. In less than 8 months, I'll know what it's like to finish a MARATHON. Now, don't get me wrong: I don't think small races are beneath me and I'm not scoffing at them (after all, I am still running them, right?) It's just that the achievement of my BIG goals looming on the horizon makes it kinda hard to muster the same level of excitement for 5 and 10Ks, you know? I just want that half to be here NOW. I'm sooo anxious for my big races and spring'summer running weather I could burst.

So, here we go. Another notch in my hydration belt! The good news? The high on Sunday is in the mid-20s! For the first time since October, I get to run a race in temperatures over 20 degrees! WHOO HOO!!!!