After a Friday night filled with delicious personal size pizzas and relaxing, Bo and I were ready for yesterday’s Front Runners Lesbian and Gay Pride Run in Central Park.

When we woke up, at 7:30, we found out that there was going to be a lot of excitement at the race due to New York’s historic vote while we were sleeping Friday night.

We quickly dressed and ate our normal pre-race breakfast before hopping in a cab up towards 102nd street. In our race to leave on time I forgot two things: my CamelBak which was filled and chilling in the refrigerator and my Garmin which was still charging.

The crowds for this race were huge since it was the 30th anniversary of the race and everyone was excited from the previous night’s vote. In fact, it took us 10 minutes just to get into the corrals!

We were both expecting a little bit more, um Pride Parade like costumes. For the most part, everyone was wearing regular running clothes though we both thought the colors were brighter than a normal race. After a few speeches and excited cheers, the race kicked off right at 9am on the dot!

Since I knew this race was going to be filled with grueling hills, I chose to sport my new Zensah calf sleeves during the race for the first time. During the Mini 10k I had some minor shin splint pain and didn’t want to risk this again.

I decided, last minute, to try using my iPhone RunKeeper ap during the race so I could keep an eye on my pace and to also test its accuracy.

As soon as the race started, Bo said he wanted to stay with me and start slow since he’s still coming back from injury. I was excited to have a running partner but told him to leave me if he felt he could push faster.

The first mile, considering it included the daunting Harlem Hills, felt surprisingly easy. The crowds and runners alike were all smiling with excitement, the signs were wonderful (Running is Gay and Put a Ring on It were my favorite!), and my legs felt great. I was a little worried since I’d run 3 miles on the treadmill on Friday instead of taking a normal rest day.

Instead of focusing on the constant hills, I really tried to zone into my music since I had a brand new playlist to enjoy.

But, when we hit the first mile marker and I finally paid attention to my RunKeeper, I knew I was in trouble. I kept an 8:58 pace for my first mile! Once again, just like the Mini 10k, I’d gone out of the gate too fast. I knew this wouldn’t bode well for the remaining 4 miles, which still included more hills. My mind quickly started playing games and I was in a negative place. I hadn’t brought my Garmin, I didn’t trust RunKeeper, and now I’d ruined my chance of PRing and even finishing the race strong.

Luckily, Bo told me to get a grip, keep running but try to decrease my pace without going too slow. If I needed, I could go slower each mile as my body told me how it felt each mile.

The second mile was a 9:35, slower than the first, but still not slow enough for my tired legs. I decided to use the water stations as a jog break and move through them slowly. I also did my best to keep running and not give into the negative thoughts. During the third mile I focused solely on the signs and spectators, even turning my music off so I could take in the excitement. My pace for the third mile was a 9:51. Unfortunately, the slower pace wasn’t making me feel much better. In fact, half way through the fourth mile I had to stop for a second because I was light headed and actually lost some of the water I’d just had at the last water station. I purposely took this mile, as slow as possible and was able to maintain a 10:58 pace without needing to walk. After this slow pace I was able to regain my energy for the final mile and finish the last mile in a 10:09 pace. Based on my RunKeeper information I maintained a 9:57 pace but NYRR shows a 10:02. They also show a 5 mile course though so that explains the difference. Bo rocked his first race back, keeping a 9:25 pace and feeling strong.

Five sweaty miles later, I was to forget about this race and look forward to the next one.

It’s easy to get discouraged, especially when I look back at the few awesome races and PR’s I’ve had this season. But, as I looked at my NYRR history I realized that a 10:04 pace was a FAST run for me last year.

Instead of letting myself get discouraged, I’m going to look at yesterdays race as humility check.

As faster paces get easier for me, I still have to run smart. I need to use my resources and tools so I’m set up for success. Instead of getting excited by a fast first mile I want to get excited because of a fast last mile. As the last two weeks have shown me, this won’t happen overnight. But, I’m hoping my upcoming long runs each week can be a great training ground.