10k race, steep grades and shoes

Today I ran my first 10k in many years. It started up in Evergreen at about 7500 ft. and gradually wound it's way down to 7100 ft. So it wasn't bad, but the first 1/2 mile was steep, then it leveled out a bit. The run was great overall. Even though I felt stiff warming up I quickly found a rhythm around 5:45/mile and just hung tough. What I was happiest with was how I raced it. In the first mile I was around 10th, with a pack of 4-6 other runners. Usually I am content to be with the group and just hang in there. Instead of playing it safe, I put in a little surge and caught a few runners ahead of me. At the 5k mark there was another runner about 10 seconds up on me. Again, I decided to surge and pass right then rather than sit on him for a bit and wait. It was good for me to get out there and race a different strategy. Too often I find myself getting comfortable and rationalizing that I need to really pace myself to finish strong. Listening to some other guys after the race in Germany I realized that they weren't pacing themselves to finish strong, they were pushing all the way. One guy, who was in the top 5, was describing how his gums went numb and he couldn't feel his body. His next sentence was about how good that felt, even when his quads blew and he struggled the last few miles. I need to push the envelope more, and this 10k was a great place to start. The last 2 miles seemed forever, and I promised I would not look back until I could see the finish line. You never want someone to sneak up on you in the finish chute! With a quarter mile to go I looked back and I was in the clear. I ran it in for 5th place overall, and 1st in the 30-39 age group. I don't know what I won, as awards will be mailed. My time was 35:55, which really surprised me. I would have been happy with anything under 38, so I beat that handily. The only disappointment was after the race. The website said there would be an "informal brunch" at the finish. I was hoping for fruit, pancakes, juice and muffins. Instead it was cut up bagels, jelly, and bagel sandwiches consisting of egg, cheese and ham. I love those sandwiches, but after a hard run they were a little hard to take down. I only had two of them. Courtney also ran, which was great. Our friend Amy, who has been living with us while she interviews for jobs, ran with her. Court and I don't normally race together and it was fun to see her at the start of the race getting ready to go. I was making my way to the finish to see her, but she had just crossed the line and I missed it. I felt bad for not being right there. She is always at the finish line for my races and I wanted to be there for hers. Sorry! I will make it up to her this fall when she races cyclocross for the first time!
After some food, streching and relaxing we made our way back to the car. I had brought my Kuota with me and got on for a 3 hour ride home. It included some of the steepest climbs I know of. I was putting out 350 watts and doing 6 MPH! My quads were screaming and there were times when I thought I wouldn't be able to get the pedal over! After about 90 minutes of riding through the mountains I was finally on the flats and powered home. No time to rest though as I threw on the shoes for another run. This one was only 40 minutes of steady work, but the first 10 minutes hurt. After that I found my rhythm and just pounded out the miles. Sometimes the training is more mental than physical. All I wanted to do was lay on the couch and put my feet up. But if you want to win an IM, that doens't cut it. You have to know and believe in your mind that you can get it done when it's hard.
One key to this period has been consistency. In order to put in hard rides, runs and swims you have to be ready for each session. A few things I have focused on has been drinking more fluids. In the past I would finish my session, have something to drink, then eat a bunch. Now, I drink a lot more and have a smaller amount of food. The first thing I do when I get in the door is make my recovery shake and start drinking. Stretching has been helpful as well. I don't do a lot of stretching, but I do stretch to some degree after every single session. I'm not trying to get super flexible, just keep a good range of motion. During the past week I have done a lot of running and having multiple pairs of shoes has been extremely beneficial. I am a Saucony sponsored athlete, so all of my shoes come from them. I use the Tangent, a lightweight trainer, the Sinister, a new shoe that has a plate in the forefoot, and even the FastTwitch, a race flat used for 10k to marathons. By rotating the shoes you make sure that you are putting in the miles on good shoes. Plus, with different weights and levels of support, it keeps my feet in better condition. I would suggest to every athlete that they have at least 2 pair of shoes, even 3 during run heavy weeks. It may save you from a frustriating injury.