Racing Weekend.

Awwwww hell.

I have a race tomorrow. And it's not a trail race or a marathon. Which means, I can't just go out there and pussyfoot around... I've got to actually push myself out of my comfortable 10 minute mile pace. Ugh. Furthermore... it's a Grand Prix race. And it being the second to last Grand Prix race left for the season, I've got to push myself even harder than normal. Dammit.

I hate pushing myself.

Tomorrow is the RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival (if you're not from around these parts, here is your translation: Cheap, sweet cola and Marshmallow-y cake-y candy bar thingy festival). They have a 10 mile race every year to kick off the festival and this will be my first time down there. Apparently, the course is marked by a pretty decent hill and the blazing hot temperatures. Sounds like a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning, no? God, we're all a bunch of idiots.

Here's the deal... It's been forever since I've actually raced a race... so, I have to admit, I'm kind of looking forward to it... not the race, mind you... but the results of the race. My experience with 10 mile races is almost non-existent. I ran one 10 mile race last fall, the weekend before the Chickamauga Marathon. I finished that one in 1:31:51 (in perfect fall weather conditions, mind you). Which is a 9:12 minute mile pace. This time... obviously, I'd like to finish under 1:30. My kick ass goal, however... would be to finish around 1:28, 1:27.

We'll see what happens. I think it's still wayyyyy too early to tell if this base building training I've been doing the past month or so is adding up to faster times. I don't think I'll fully see the results of that till this fall, but, it would be nice if I were to actually surprise myself with a half-way decent time.

(Also... I have a race of sorts on Sunday as well... I'm participating in a Beer Mile race. This will not be a race for me as much as it will be a puke fest. I assure you, that race report will be exponentially more interesting than the Moon Pie race.)