What Goes up Must Come Down

I am running a 10 mile race this weekend called "Run for the Water" it's put on by a well known local running group called Gilbert's Gazelles.

It's for an AWESOME cause!
http://www.gazellefoundation.com/

Reading more about this cause makes me realize that we don't realize how lucky we are! Water...something as simple as water. We can turn on the tap and it's right there...we can go down to the local store and buy a gallon or two. (Just reminds me I need to be thankful for what I have...for the little things...like water!)

From what I heard this is a very hilly 10 miles and that I should be prepared for a tough race. I went on to their site this morning and found this:

How cool is this!? I watched every minute of course and oohed and ahhed in my head on the uphills and the DOWNHILLS....there is a lot of downhills in this race.....bummer :(

I can do hills, I don't mean to sound cocky, because you might find me passed out on the side of the road this Sunday on the course...but I feel confident with the uphills...I feel confident I can push myself...but the downhills...not so much. I am slow downhill...I don't know why. Sometimes I think it's because I am afraid of getting hurt. You really feel the impact when you let go on the hills and I get scared!

The other day at my weekly running/speedwork group we did a "5K". We followed a route of a local 5k coming up this month. There is a girl I usually can keep up with on those days...and on that day every single time we hit a downhill she sped off...and when those uphills came I would start gaining on her. Never enough to catch back up with her though because she would pull away on those downhills.

I have been thinking about this a lot, and I feel like it's something I need to overcome somehow. A friend of mine has a friend (This isn't like a my sister's, friends, cousins, mothers, father in law type story) but she knows a lady who races marathons regularly. And this lady suggested that on the downhills you need to let go almost to the point of running out of control...Me come close to being out of control!!??? Ummm....that might be hard for me, but I think I might need to give it a try this weekend.

I am hoping I can keep a 8:30 pace for the whole 10 miles, that's my goal. (Though secretly I am hoping for around 8 minute miles...very secretly of course!)

So here's to hoping I can let go on some of these killer downhills this Sunday!