Race Report: Reedy River 10K

Pre-Race:

Woke up to some nasty weather. It was in the mid 30s and a cold light rain. Of course with very little expectations with this race, I was ready for whatever mother nature wanted to give me. My game plan was to take it easy as I would any other long run in order to avoid injury before next Saturday's half marathon. Of course knowing my long run pace is around a 12 min/mile, I was expecting around a 1:15 finish.

Woke up at my usual "work day" time of 6:30 and was out the door at 7:00. Arrived at the race start at around 7:40, got my number and tech tee (once again, it's unisex and way too big so Goodwill is getting another one) and went back to my car to stay warm until about 8:10. By this time, there was a nasty rain/sleet/snow mix that was just plain miserable. At 8:15, I stood in a line (all of 3 people ahead of me) for the porta potty then headed to the start where I did a very light jog and stretching to stay warm. I had on my fleece-lined pants (they are water resistant), long-sleeve tee, rain jacket, gloves and hat. I was slightly chilly at the start which is a good sign I was properly dressed.

The Race:

At 8:30, we were off. I started near the back of the pack and settled into my easy pace and pretty much just held it there for most of the race. The first few hills were nothing and I was able to get up those without any problems. The hill right before Greenville County used to give me problems but not this time but I ended up taking a walk break anyway because I was getting too hot and had to take off my rain jacket. It was just too warm, especially once the wintry mix had stopped. Not sure why I get so much hotter in a race then in a training run. Adrenaline perhaps?

After that, it was smooth sailing until I got to the first water station which was on a downhill (really?) so once again I slowed to a walk and grabbed some. I quickly got back into my easy pace  and breezed through miles 3-5. I definitely didn't have the struggle as I did in the previous two times I ran this race or the last time I ran through here. In fact those two flat miles through Cleveland Park seemed effortless to me this time around and I was feeling really good and even passing other runners (which this late in the race used to be very rare for me).

Mile 5 is where everything started to change and I ended up walking some up the two final hills. That last hill before the finish is awful and I did my best to conquer but only was able to make it about ½ way. But once I hit the 6 mile marker, I got back to running again and picked up the pace for a final kick for the downhill finish and cross the line in 1:09:56, a solid 5 minutes faster than I expected to.

Weather: 36° with 4 mph N winds. Rain/Sleet/Snow mix at the start. A very light drizzle during the race.

 

Race Report: Greer Earth Day 10K

First, let me explain that I have been sick, okay not really sick but suffering from severe allergy symptoms for about a week now nor did I train for this race. My longest run in the past 3 months was only 4 miles and yet for some crazy reason, I still decided to do this race. Why? Because sometimes I need a tough race to remind me that even when I feel like crap and feel like there is no way I can accomplish something because (fill in the blank), I can still push through it and succeed! In fact, I will dub this race as my "No Excuses 10K"

I went into today's race not expecting a great time but really just to finish. I did have a race plan though. Take it easy for the first 10 minutes and let the field spread out some before I started with my run 2 minutes / walk 1 minute intervals and for 4 miles that actually worked out quite well.

During the first mile, I already knew I was in for a long battle of not being able to breath properly. By mile 3, I was already struggling with lightheadedness and really needing water badly as the mucus in my throat kept getting thicker and thicker. I kept pressing on knowing that there had to be a water station coming up soon. Finally about 1/2 mile later I came to the water station but to my surprise there was no water left! Ugh! I tried to push on, but from that point on, it pretty much became a sufferfest and there were a few times where I felt like I was either going to pass out or be sick. The miles just seemed to get longer and longer and every step it just got harder and harder to breath.

The last 2 miles felt like an eternity and I cursed up every hill. I wanted this race to be over with and now! I seriously considered giving up at one point but at that very moment, a half marathoner passes me and gives me some much needed words of encouragement, then another and another. I finally made the second to last turn and saw there was one last hill to conquer. I tried to jog up it but I was gasping for air and was forced to walk. I made the final turn, saw the finish line just ahead and jogged through it, finishing in a very slow time of 1:18:20.

After my race,  my legs felt really good and not a single blister which was a surprise since I haven't done any long runs leading up to this race. Of course I will always wonder how well I would of ran this race if it wasn't for my allergies and I guess I'll have to wait until next year to find out.

Mile Splits = 10:11, 10:59, 12;29, 12:58, 13;55, 13:16

 

First 10K Run Since Reedy River

This evening I ran my first 10K run since the Reedy River 10K! It felt great to finally get a long run in! First 1/2 mile with my 2 dogs then I finished the rest on my own. First 4 miles was a bit of a struggled but finished the last 2 miles I finished strong. I stretched for a good 30 mins afterwards. Love runs like that when you feel like you're never going to finish only to realize that after you finish you felt you could do even more and that a half marathon may not be impossible after all!

Race Report: Reedy River Run 10K

Today was my first 10K race and only the third time I have ran over 6 miles and the ninth time I have ran over 5 miles so I definitely had butterflies in my stomach with this race.

Thursday and Friday, I made sure I was drinking at least 36oz of water each day and eliminated soft drinks and junk food from my diet and focused on eating healthier. I went to bed Friday night feeling pretty confident that I could finish the 10K in under 75 mins and that was my goal.

Pre-race, I met up with other iRUNners. Meeting a group prior to race, really helps me eliminate those pre-race butterflies and helps me relax.

The race...the first 4 miles went great, actually better than expected. I did start out at a much faster pace than I wanted but it was downhill. I listened to my body and not my watch and kept a comfortable pace which was my plan from the start. My first 4 mile splits were 10:15, 10:19, 11:10 and 11:40. At the 5K mark, I was at 33 mins, my third fastest 5K time ever which was somewhat surprising given this was a 10K race and had another 5K left to go. 

About 4.5 miles, I started to feel a blister forming on the ball of my right foot and by mile 5, it started hurting so bad that every step was becoming increasing painful. I kept thinking, how in hell am I going to be able to do 13.1 miles in 7 weeks when I can barely get through 5 now. Frustrated and in pain, I just kept going, trying whatever possible to take my mind off the pain but every step was a constant reminder. When we turned onto E. Broad Street, I only had one goal in mind...just get up that darn hill! Going uphill hurt even worse since I tend to run on the balls of my feet and shorten my stride. That meant more steps on the part of my foot that hurts the worse. I finally made it to the top and tried to open it up the final 200 yards which was downhill but my legs were not having any of it. I just couldn't go any faster than a 9:00 pace at that point. I finally crossed the finish line in 1:11:48 (11:36 pace) and I don't think I have ever been so glad to see the finish line in a race before!

Afterwards, I met up with a few DailyMilers which is always great to meet fellow runners. Being an introvert, it's sometimes hard for me to meet new people but running has opened a brand new door for me.

At this point, I'm still questioning on whether to continue half marathon training or move onto an advanced 10k program instead and focus on just 5Ks, 8Ks and 10Ks for now. I just feel a half marathon is too much too soon and I guess when in doubt, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Weather: 39°F - 46°F, Sunny, Winds N 6mph