NB Twilight 10k Fail

3+ mile w/u + strides
Target: 10k race @faster than 34:30
Actual: 5k in 17:22 + a few more laps, DNF
4 mile c/d
Total: 10 miles

On the one hand, I feel like I owe my tens of loyal readers a detailed and introspective recap of my (partial) race. On the other hand, we might as well just skip straight to the crux of the matter: I dropped out. To be more specific, I dropped out largely because of an increasingly sore foot. I noticed it in a vague, abstract sense early in the week, but it wasn't until Thursday when I realized that my level of discomfort had grown to the point where it needed to be addressed. So, in an uncharacteristically mature display of decision-making, I voluntarily skipped both my runs on Friday. Only then did I realize that this was, in fact, the first day I hadn't run since the week after the Trials, way back in January. So, foot not withstanding, one could argue that I was due for some rest. I slept soundly, feeling tentatively optimistic that everything would feel perfectly, magically normal come Saturday.

And, for the most part, it did. I embarked on a cautious 30-minute shakeout on Saturday morning and was pleasantly surprised to discover that nothing felt amiss. Ditto for my warmup with Jordan and Brett some eight hours later through the stunning(ly unattractive) streets of Lowell. But as the race progressed, so did the decidedly unpleasant pressure near the top of my metatarsal heads. At this point, had things been going swimmingly, I would've probably thrown caution to the wind, resolved to deal with the aftermath of my foot later, and allowed the wings of adrenaline to spirit me away to a well-deserved PR. Instead, I assessed the foot situation against the depressing reality that I was not, in fact, faring any better than at the Penn Relays three weeks ago, and made the split-second decision to pull the plug. I was able to do so before my foot completely exploded (a la Greek Fest 2010), but even that was small consolation given my high hopes coming into the race. To say that I would've crushed my PR had my foot not flared up would be a statement of blatant denial, which at this stage is beyond frustrating.

I think I'll be sticking to the roads for the foreseeable future.