<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-40_cr0Pt8ek/UlQLgLshfBI/AAAAAAAAB24/_YrdgdVG6CM/s1600/canalrunbib.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-40_cr0Pt8ek/UlQLgLshfBI/AAAAAAAAB24/_YrdgdVG6CM/s400/canalrunbib.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></div>Another race run, more lessons learned. Honestly, every time I go out there and run a race I learn more about myself, my body, and what to/not to do. If I can save someone having to learn some of this stuff the hard way,  “So THIS Is Fitness…” has done its job. Saturday was the Canal Run For The Troops 10K and the <a href="http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/canal-run-burpee-challenge.html" target="_blank">Burpee Challenge</a> that I issued (video is in this article!) - let's get right down to it and go over how it went, what I definitely did wrong to screw myself, and what I'm going to do next time to save myself a LOT of pain and frustration.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dvN0PKTI490/UlQMrGRQ-pI/AAAAAAAAB3E/9wBgJk6vR0w/s1600/IMG_20131005_091115_828.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dvN0PKTI490/UlQMrGRQ-pI/AAAAAAAAB3E/9wBgJk6vR0w/s400/IMG_20131005_091115_828.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div><br />SO - <a href="http://www.canalrun4thetroops.com/" target="_blank">Canal Run For The Troops 10K</a>...that was FUN! The course was nice - a flat course along the Cape Cod Canal. The weather started out kind of so-so, but it ended up getting sunny and being a nice day! For those who missed it in previous articles, the event was put on by <a href="http://www.capecod4thetroops.com/" target="_blank">Cape Cod Cares 4 The Troops</a> - and everyone's entry fee went to help pay for postage for care packages for our troops overseas. Considering my "little" cousin Joshua is out there putting his life on the line, I can appreciate what they're doing here.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/mC8-NQfqxlE/s1600/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/mC8-NQfqxlE/s400/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a>This race was special for a couple of reasons as well - for one, it was the day after my 25th birthday, and as soon as it was over I went home and enjoyed the company of some family, friends, and Delta Chi brothers I haven't gotten to see in a long time. On top of that...<b>MEGAN RAN WITH ME!</b> And by "ran with me" I mean she was running the race. We laugh about it, but I do have a tendency to zoom away. It's nice, though, because I get to see her cross the finish (she's really not all that far behind me, and I'm always damn proud of her).<br /><br /><br />As far as results - I came in at 55:51 (RunKeeper tells me I was doing 8:46 min/mile). I was 37th out of 89 10K runners and 3rd of 4 in my age group (2nd of 4 in my age group was a full minute/mile faster - I don't feel bad about that). I have to say...overall I think I could've done better. I'm a little disappointed because I have made better time in my own neighborhood with much more hill. I know I did a number of things wrong that, in the end, screwed me. <b>I broke my own rules!</b> I find that ironic considering <a href="http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/race-beginner-dos-donts.html" target="_blank">I posted an article about race beginner do's and don't's</a> right before I broke exactly those rules. <br /><br /><b>SO - </b>How did I screw up?<br /><br />For one, <b>I didn't run at all </b>during the week leading up to the race. I did a 10 mile run on sunday and the next run I did was the 10K on Saturday. <b>Big Mistake</b>. I should've gone for a couple, stayed loose, and kept my body ready.<br /><br />What else? <b>I didn't eat enough the day/night before</b>. My body wasn't fueled up enough - no energy stores! When I was pushing and demanding my body to give more, there wasn't much gas in the tank to do it with!<br /><br /><b>I didn't hydrate enough the day before. </b>I keep talking about how important hydrating is and I keep falling short when it counts the most. Before the Falmouth Road Race I hydrated the crap out of myself - I had to run to the restroom constantly. This time? Not so much.<br /><br /><b>I didn't re-fuel mid-race.</b> I got my body used to getting some fuel around mile 3 or 4 when I'm pushing hard on a 6+ mile run. A Gu gel or an energy block or something. I didn't do that this time. That was a big mistake - looking at my mile splits and remembering how I felt...those last three miles suffered greatly. I was working much harder and achieving a slower time. My first mile felt effortless and I had an 8:04/mi split...my last mile I felt like I was pushing to the limits and I got 8:38/mi split...<br /><br /><b>SO - </b>what did I learn? <b>Follow my own advice </b>and <b>don't get lazy pre-race</b>. You have to maintain your body and keep it prepped and ready. If you don't, your performance will suffer. I DID have fun, don't get me wrong...I'm just a little disappointed because I REALLY wanted to break 50 minutes. That's ok...I might be able to do it next Sunday in the Firefighter's Memorial 10K. <br /><br /><b>What About The Burpee Challenge?!</b><br />In order to kick-start fundraising for The V Foundation I issued a challenge - for every $5 donated by the time I finished the race I would do one burpee (<a href="http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/canal-run-burpee-challenge.html" target="_blank">see the original challenge here</a>). By the time I finished, $135 had been donated, equaling 26 burpees. I decided since it was ONLY 26...I would do full rather than half burpees. <b>I regret this choice. </b>You can't see it in the video, but Megan shook her head at me when I said I was doing fulls...I didn't get why then, but I do now. As you watch be aware that - <b>yes, I know - my form starts to suck around #16</b>. That's what I get for doing 26 full burpees after killing myself on a 10K.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/F0_IANHAI1U?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />And after that nonsense I went home and did a T25 double workout - Lower Focus then Ab Intervals. <b>YIKES!</b><br /><br /><b>There is still time to donate! </b>Please check out the <a href="http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/do-it-for-v.html" target="_blank">"Do It For The V"</a> article to read more about what The V Foundation is and why I'm fundraising. If you'd like to make a contribution, please visit my page at <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13" target="_blank">http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13</a><b>. I thank you in advance for your contribution!</b><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuhQUlHwMDs/UlQVqW9rn5I/AAAAAAAAB3o/qCPEK39CaAE/s1600/sponsorsbackcanal.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuhQUlHwMDs/UlQVqW9rn5I/AAAAAAAAB3o/qCPEK39CaAE/s320/sponsorsbackcanal.jpg" height="320" width="195" /></a>I'd like to thank my sponsors on this race for helping make it possible! <a href="http://moceancapecod.com/" target="_blank">MOCEAN Cape Cod </a>was the <a href="http://www.bodyworkcapecod.com/" target="_blank">Bodywork Health &amp; Wellness</a>, <a href="http://www.anytimefitness.com/gyms/2694/falmouth-ma-02540" target="_blank">Anytime Fitness (Falmouth/Mashpee)</a> and <a href="http://www.innerglowyogacapecod.com/" target="_blank">Innerglow Yoga</a> for their help and support! Please visit the Sponsors page to check them out and the rest of my sponsors as well!<br /><br />Don't forget to check out the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> and follow the <a href="https://twitter.com/SnuffyDX" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for more updates (only full articles go here - there's lots more available)!<br />title sponsors - they got me into this race in the first place! I'd also like to thank <br /><br />Just remember - if I can do this...<b>anyone can!</b>