Underestimating and Overestimating (in which I run the Cherry Pit 10-miler, eat an enormous burger, and attend tri training class #1).

Hello! I am writing this post from the brink of total physical collapse. Its been an intense day, all about underestimating and overestimating:

First, the underestmating: This morning was the Annapolis Striders' Cherry Pit 10-miler. I ran this race for the first time last year, in 1:49. I was sure I could come close to that time this year, but I doubted that I could beat it. I simply have not kept up with my running since the B&A Half on March 6, and Cherry Pit is a hard, hilly race. Given my low expectations, I started out slowly, hanging back and chatting with friends. I lost the friends around mile 3, but I stayed at a conservative pace. Around mile 5, I realized that the miles were flying by and I still felt pretty good, so I picked it up a bit. At mile 8, I looked at my watch and realized that I could PR if I could run the last two miles at 5K pace. It was tough, but I did it, coming in somewhere around 1:47 (no official results yet). Still, I finished with gas in the tank and wished that I had started the race with more confidence.

The underestimation trend continued when I got home. Yesterday, I visited the local butcher, hoping to buy some bison burgers for a post-race treat (if you haven't tried bison, it is SO GOOD!). I picked a package from a cooler that seemed to contain all bison, and thought I was buying four 1/4 pound bison burgers. Then, at lunchtime today, I opened the package and realized that I actually bought two 1/2 pound beef burgers. Oops. I'm not sure I've ever eaten a 1/2 pound burger before. I had to put it on a pita because I don't have any buns large enough for a patty that size. The burger was intimidating, but also delicious. I ate the whole thing, plus some mashed potatoes, and a salad. 6 hours and some serious activity later (see below), I am still pretty full. Thank you, enormous burger!

Now, on to the overestimation portion of the day: my first class with the "Wonder Women" tri-training group. I signed up for my first tri right after the marathon, feeling excited and not too intimidated. Its a sprint, so the distances are short, and I loved both swimming and biking as a kid. How hard could it be to pick them up again? Well, if you've been following my attempts at swimming, you know that my childhood abilities do not necessarily translate to adulthood. I can now add biking to the list of things that were fun when I was a kid, but are incredibly hard now.

I was definitely nervous for this first class, as I knew we would be biking, and I only went for my first adulthood bike ride yesterday. Still, I thought I could keep up. I'm actually pretty good in spin class, and the class was sure to be packed with other first timers, right? Wrong. All it took was one glance at my classmates' bikes compared to mine to know that these ladies are in a different league. Sure enough, when we did introductions, I learned that I am the only first-timer in the group. When we set off on the bikes, I saw just how far behind I actually am. I was far to the back, out of sight of the other riders, within the first 3-5 minutes. I struggled for the whole 6 miles, actually considering dropping out at a couple of points. Our very kind and gracious instructor hung back with me the whole time, as I fought both fatigue and embarrassment. I can accept being in the back of the pack, but I hate being last.

I did get a little redemption when we got off the bikes and transitioned to a 1-mile "benchmark" run (meaning that we will run the same mile several times throughout the training to gauge our progress). Given the race in the morning and the brutal bike ride, I had very low expectations for the run. Yet, as soon as we got going, I got caught up in the excitement of an activity in which I actually feel competent. Somehow, I managed to run my fastest mile of the day and finish ahead of more than half the group. So, that was a bit of a confidence builder for the tri. It was a good reminder that one of my strengths as an athlete is the ability to shake off a rough patch and keep pushing.

I think I may need to call on that strength tomorrow morning, when the alarm goes off and I can't feel my legs...