Cherry Blossom race update

Hi y'all,

Everything surrounding the race day was absolutely perfect.
Race day temps. around mid-fifties, sunny with a slight breeze. Cherry blossoms were just past full bloom and beautiful. Plenty of friends came out to cheer and support us.

My body? Wellll, that's another story. I was running at a comfortable pace all the way. It was tempting to run with the crowd who went out extremely fast. I stayed disciplined and followed my HR monitor and pace. I was running so well that I even thought about increasing my pace the last two miles.

Then, the five mile point came with a twinge in my right knee. I slowed down, then started walking because the pain was getting worse. I stretched for awhile and attempted to run once again, but the pain was not going away. I thought I might walk it off and so this continued for the next mile. Finally decided to quit the race at mile six. I was embarassed and dejected at the same time. I felt I had so much left in the tank.

Very unsatisfied, but I've decided to get my redemption by signing up for the same race next year. I'll have another year of training and should have a couple of 10K races under my belt. I am cursing my knee and feeling the pains of growing older. The pain is still faint in my knee so I am moving forward with caution. A steady diet of walking and stretching for a week.

Best of luck to you Steph, as you get ready for your race. Get plenty of rest, eat well and stretch a lot after workouts.