I set a new record!

Woohoo! I rock! I met and exceeded my personal best in the Bay To Breakers race today. Wow! What a run. :)

My previous best was 1:37, set back in my 20s. I met that time last year, but couldn't quite beat it. This year I not only beat it, but came in under 1:30. Not my official time, but under 1:30 on my stopwatch, which I hit when I crossed the start line. I am in better shape now in my 30s than I was in my 20s!

Are you ready for my new best time?!? 1:29:44! That's shaving off about 7 minutes from last year's time. Do I rock or what?! Since it took a couple minutes to cross the start line I don't think I made the 1:30 cutoff for 10,000 runners (the first 10,000 finishers get their name in the newspaper, and the 10,000th person usually finishes around 1:30). I guess I should buy an Examiner tomorrow and see how fast the winner was and how long it took for #10,000 to finish.

I felt really good until about 17 minutes in. I guess by then I had burned through my glycogen. I pushed through it and still felt pretty good at the bottom of the Hayes Street Hill. I had to walk up the hill and try to make up time in the park. I did! I felt so good that I only walked a few short jaunts.

As I rounded the corner and went into the final stretch, I was so tired. I wanted to slow down and walk a bit. I looked at my watch and it said 1:28. I used a mental trick I often use at the start of the race when I hit that first wall - I tell myself to run for X amount of time and then I can slow down. This time, I told myself to run until my watch read 1:30 and then I could slow down even if I wasn't at the finish line yet. I knew I was going to beat my old time, but I also wanted to beat 1:30.

So I pushed myself and ran and ran. That last two minutes lasted SO long and was very difficult. But I made it, and I crossed the finish line with only about 15 seconds to spare from 1:30! Whew! If I had walked I probably would not have made it.

The final stretch is always the hardest, longest part. You come around the corner and you can see the finish line, but it's so far off.

Oh...it didn't rain. Praise God! It certainly threatened to enough, and I was prepared, but all that fell were a few drops. It did rain after the race, but I'm glad it held off. :)

I have most of the photos I took up already. I'll add the Sport Photo pictures when I get them. For now, enjoy this mini photo journal of the race.

Technorati tagged: health, health and wellness, run, running, race, Bay To Breakers, exercise, San Francisco, party, b2b