Sunday I ran a local 10 mile race.
As you know, I have a running coach now. I got my workouts for the week and Sunday was marked off in red letters with a note saying he would talk to me later in the week about my race plan. I got the email Friday afternoon about what my pacing on Sunday for the race should be like. I studied it all weekend and even went as far as to write it on my arm for the race.
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what was left post race of my "pacing tattoo" (haha)[/caption]With the threat of rain as a result of Hurricane Sandy moving up the east coast I tried hard to just focus on the fact that it was going to be cool. I did my best to ignore the 30% chance of rain the forecast. I even convinced myself that there was no way we'd be pelted with rain for the race. However, when I woke up and looked out the front door Sunday morning it was damp. In fact, it was so damp that you could basically say that 30% chance of rain turned into something more. But I was hopeful that the rain cloud about my little city wasn't following us to Knoxville.
I was to do a 1/2 - 1 mile warm up before the race but my main concern (since I had been a while and had 2 bottles of water) was finding a bathroom. I wasn't familiar with the race start location so I asked around about a bathroom only to be told that the city hadn't made the porta potty delivery for the race just yet. Yikes! We were only about 20 minutes before starting time. Luckily there were 2 lone porta potties in the park so I walked to them and did my thing. I counted the walk down and back as my warmup because by the time I had gotten back to the tent where my buddies were hanging out waiting on the start it had started pouring rain. Lovely.
Hubby and the kids had come with me so they could be at the finish. Hubby snapped one picture of me pre-race.
I lined up with friends in the middle of the pack. I knew what my pacing plan was like but knew the first little bit of the race was downhill and I was instructed to start slow. It was raining pretty steady at the start, down hill course on a greenway that was covered in leaves... yes, let's go slow.
The goal for miles 1-5 was nothing faster than 9:40 pace. I don't recall a whole lot about the course other than the fact that within the first mile on a narrow greenway (slick and covered in fallen leaves) a lady with a stroller comes up behind us saying, "Watch out, I have a stroller and don't want to catch your heels." I was a wee bit irritated by her. I couldn't go faster to get around her because of the people around me and the course. I also knew that speeding up just to get around her was not part of the plan. I got warm around 1.5 miles and decided to take off my jacket and at mile 3.25 I was instructed to take a Gu (my fuel of choice this race was PowerGels). Things were going well until the rain started getting heavier around mile 5 when it felt like the bottom had dropped from the sky. I was already wet and since I had chucked my jacket to my hubby at mile 4.5 there wasn't a single thing I could do about getting even slightly dry. So I just stuck to my plan and kept running. Miles 1-5 splits:
Mile 1- 9:55
Mile 2- 9:39
Mile 3- 9:45
Mile 4- 9:46
Mile 5- 9:39
The pace was suppose to speed up from mile 6-8. I knew at around mile 6.5 (no later but maybe sooner) I would need to take my 2nd gel. It was at that point I decided to get it out and start taking it. I wasn't sure how taking so many gels would work for me since I don't typically use that method for fuel or even take that much. This is something I am learning to get use to though. I had not used Powerbar Powergels before the race on Sunday which I know is a huge ruler breaker. Most runners will tell you not to try something new (or wear new gear ON race day but I'm not much of a rule follower sometimes, lol. Mile 6-8 were uneventful unless you count me wetting my pants, which seems to happen more on longer runs than it use to. Oops. These miles were suppose to be ran around a 9:30 pace. I guess if you look at my splits and do the math you could say I averaged such a pace. haha So close!
Mile 6- 9:19
Mile 7- 9:43
Mile 8- 9:23
That last 2 miles were suppose to be my fastest but I knew that there was a slight upgrade/hill for most of mile 8-9+ and it was on a part of the greenway that is my least favorite. I think the reason I dislike this stretch so much is because it is always at the end of my run and you never realize going out that it's a slight grade. My goal pace for these 2 miles was 9:10. I was trying really hard but given the fact that I was soaked, cold and had already wet myself not once but 3 times (yes, 3.. each time I slowed to take a Gel!) I was done at mile 8.5. I seriously had to fight myself (my brain) really hard to just keep running. I hadn't walked any of this race unless you count between mile 6-7 where one of my water bottles flew off my belt and I had to back shuffle to pick it up off the ground. So, the goal was just to keep running until I got across the finish line. I really really did make an attempt to push the pace in the last 2 miles to meet the pace goal. Truth is I stink at pacing myself but I have a feeling I will grow to like it or at least make it work. Splits for the end:
Mile 9-9:46 (I admit to having a moment where I wanted to walk so I slowed at mile 9 to take a gel and came to a little shuffle. Had it not been for that I think I'd have been at 9:10 or at least under 9:20 for this mile)
Mile 10- 9:10 ( I HIT IT SPOT ON!!!)
Overall my pacing wasn't totally off. I came really really close to my overall finish goal which was around 1:35.
10.01 miles finished in 1:36:09
This race was a point to point which was nice. There was only one tiny strip on the greenway that we had to go out and turn around to come back on. It was all flat and included a water stop. Not bad at all. I was familiar with most of the course as I had ran on a great deal of it. There wasn't a huge amount of scenery but things were familiar to me. There was no crowd support at all other than the lovely KTC Volunteers. I didnt' necessarily mind that part of it since I had my own thoughts and music going. This was my first 10 mile race (YAY automatic PR) and I really enjoyed it. The distance was enough so that I could push myself when I needed too but not so long that I was completely over it at the end. I'd like to say that the reason I wasn't overly sore is due to how fit I am but I don't want to sound like I'm stuck on myself (proud, maybe!?).
Overall I felt great for having done my first 10 mile race and rainy run all on the same day while finishing within one minute of my goal pace!
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CrossKnox 10 miler (1:36:09)[/caption]
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