Run for the Diamonds 9-miler

Today, Thanksgiving, I ran my 2nd Run for the Diamonds 9-miler in Berwick. 9 miles doesn't sound bad for a marathon runner, but honestly, it really sucks! After I ran it last year, I swore I would NEVER run it again. I can't pass up a good local race. Plus, it is a good indicator of how my training is going year to year. It lets me compare apples to apples!

It is a very difficult race. Pretty much, miles 2-4 is up a mountain. After that, it is rolling hills. Every time I thought I was at the top of the last hill, there was another one! Overall I was extremely happy with my time. I cut 5 minutes off my last year's time, which I thought was pretty good! Other than the NJ Marathon, every race I ran in 2009 was a PR. It is nice to see rewards for all of my hard work. Here is how my race looked:

Mile 1 - 7:20
2 - 7:11
3 - 8:39 (MOUNTAIN!)
4 - 8:00 (still hill)
5 - 7:32
6 - 6:42
7 - 7:01
8 - 7:15
9 - 7:19
Total time: 67:02 minutes! Average pace: 7:27

Places: 371/1973 Overall
54/735 Gender
13/94 Age group

It was nice to sleep in the morning of a race, since it didn't start until 10:30. When I got to Berwick, I was shocked at how many people were there already. It was the 100th running of the Run For the Diamonds, so I think about 2000 people were running. I had to wait about 15 minutes just to pick up my packet. After I got my packet, I hit up the Porta Potty, attached my chip and number, took off my sweatpants (I actually got to wear shorts in November), and just waited around. I ran into my college roommate and her husband, so I caught up with her for a bit, then headed over to the starting line.

This race is neat because you need to be seeded to get in the front row (I was not seeded...I'm not that good, but I liked seeing all the "elites."). I lined up towards the front, but not too close. As I was walking to my spot, I heard my name being called. I saw several of my former students, one of whom I knew would kick my butt! It was nice to see them though. I then ran into another local runner who I talk training with via facebook, so it was nice to talk to her in person. As I was waiting for the gun, someone told me that there really weren't chip times. The chip only recorded the time at the finish. So when the gun went off, I hit my garmin. I really wish new runners would learn race etiquette. I don't like to be that person who thinks I'm better than everyone else because I'm definitely not, but really, if you've never run a race of any distance before and know you aren't going to be running that fast, you don't belong towards the front. I dodged so many people in the first mile who were barely running, it was ridiculous. I felt like I wasted so much energy running around people. Oh well, that's enough of a rant.

I ran a really good first two miles. I went out kinda fast for me, but I felt confident in my training throughout the past few months. I knew the hill was coming, so I wanted to bank some time. About mile 2.5, the mountain really started. It really sucked for about 2 miles (til about mile 4.4). I slowed down, but I was going as fast as I possibly could. I passed one of my former students (a 9th grader) who was a district all-star in cross country, so I felt good about that!

After the HILL, there was a steep downhill, which I really held back on. I didn't want to pound my quads, which would have been really easy to do. I purposely held back, since I didn't want an injury, however, I did make up some time. For the rest of the race, it was rolling hills. Every time I thought it was all downhill to the finish, there was another hill. It was really frustrating, but I managed to hold pace. One thing I noticed, that as my times are improving, I am running more with the guys. Not the 20-something really fit guys, but the 40ish crowd. I thought that was pretty cool.

Around mile 7, an older lady (about 50) blew by me like I was walking! There was no way I could catch her. Every time I get cocky while running, something always humbles me!

The last two miles felt good. The crowd support in Berwick was awesome. I heard my name as I was running to the finish. It turned out to be a mother of one of my students. That helped alot, since I was getting tired! As I was running to the finish, I saw the clock about to turn to 67:00 minutes, so I really tried to pick it up to be in the 66 range, but I just missed it!

However, I was excited about my finishing time! I got a nice finisher's medal, waited for Aaron to find me, then we went to look for the results. Aaron told me that my 8th grade student ran around 62 minutes, which amazed me! The talent at this race was phenomenal! I ran as hard as I possibly could and still came in 13th in my age group! No diamond for me (haha, I wasn't even close), but I had a good experience, and am proud of what I accomplished! People from all over came to this race, and it is nice it is in my back yard. I don't race often, so when I do, I want to see results. I think I really need to run a half marathon in the near future, so I can set a pr. My current time isn't a match for my ability (I think!). I also set a PR today in the 10k! I've only ever run one and my time was crappy (50ish minutes). Today, I was around 46 minutes including the mountain, so that was encouraging!

For the rest of Thanksgiving, I ate my face off, and enjoyed a few adult beverages. In fact, I am drinking a glass of wine as I write this, which I never do! It is nice to indulge after a good experience! Too bad I forgot my camera, so I have no pics!