First 10 Miler Race Report (Read 529 times)

Today I ran my first 10 mile race – the Charlottesville 10 Miler. It was a beautiful morning with a clear blue sky and temperatures in the mid to upper 40s. I arrived about 45 minutes early, and parked in the University Hall parking lot. There was plenty of time to eat a packet of Sport Beans, drink some water, do some light stretching, visit the bathroom, and run some easy warm-up laps in the parking lot. I wore shorts and a long sleeve tech shirt over a short sleeve tech shirt. I was tempted to bring my fleece instead of the long sleeve tech shirt, but I am glad I didn’t. It would have been too hot. This is a big and popular race in Charlottesville. This year there were over 2000 participants. With 10 minutes to go, I went to line-up at the starting line. It was quite crowded, and the only way I knew the race started was I heard some clapping up ahead, and then the crowd started surging forward. This is a nice course that winds its way through the UVA campus and downtown Charlottesville. It is hilly, most of the time you are going up or down. The race was well organized and run. There was a lot of spectator support. There were different types of bands placed every few miles. Residents played music from their stereos. One young boy, set up his drum kit on the sidewalk, and was just jamming, tapping out a wicked beat, as we ran by. I didn’t really expect all of this, and it was quite a boost for me. In this race headphones were not allowed. I was going to wear them anyway (it seems a lot of people ignore this rule, when it’s in place) because I think the music helps me perform better, but I decided to leave the headphones in the car. I am glad I did, for I enjoyed hearing the live music and the cheering spectators. Also, my performance didn’t suffer. I have a theory that people have a natural cadence of running and music can interrupt that. I suppose this could be good or bad. Whatever, it felt good to enjoy a long run like this without the iPod. This was a chip timed race. Most of the miles had big digital split time clocks. There were a few miles that didn’t, but these had someone there to call out split times. Now I know why this race is so popular. It was a lot of fun, well organized, a challenging course, good entertainment, and great fan support. I also received a finisher’s medal at the end. I recommend this race if you’re in the area. I ate another pack of Sport Beans over the course of the race. Overall, my energy level was good, and my legs felt good as well. I think the Sport Beans had a positive affect, even if only in my mind. This was my 4th race. Earlier race finish times were: 5K (29:08), 8K (48:15), 5K (28:57). The McMillan calculator predicted a 1:40:46 finish based on my last 5K time. The RA Riegel calculator predicted 1:43:09 with my last 5K and 8K times (1.0869 performance coefficient). I set a stretch goal to try and beat 1:40 which is a 10 minute/mile pace. I finished with an unofficial time of 1:39:13, so I was quite pleased. I feel real good right now, and I am thankful to God for the body he has given me, the progress I have made, and the will to continue.

Great race & a good race report. I really like your blog too. We have similar backgrounds too. I'm 46 too & trying to run more & weigh less. I think you were smart not to wear the headphones. I think of a race as a big party in motion. I wouldn't wear my Shuffle to a party, you'd miss out half the fun.

VA123, This weekend was my first experience with the C10M as well. What a fantastic day for the run! With all of the energy from the runners, spectators, volunteers, etc., I now understand why this is such a big event in Charlottesville. I too am glad that I left my i-Pod in the car. I actually feel sorry for those in the crowd who were blasting their music! They missed out on all of the excitement. I was able to miraculously clock in with a chip time almost 6 minutes under my original goal time of 80 min (1:14:10)! The only minor complaint I would have would be the starting lineup. I started towards the front middle of the crowd and spent most of the race passing people - perhaps some signs with recommended starting locations based on anticipated pace would be a good idea with so many runners. Other than that minor thing - fantasic course, spectators and high energy throughout. I can hardly wait for next year. Congratulations on your performance and good luck with your running goals!

Thanks everyone for your kind words! hollansk, Congrats on your great finish!!! Your starting lineup suggestion is a good one. I didn't know where to start, picked somewhere in the middle, and then couldn't move until the race started. Like you, I am also looking forward to running this race again next year.

Wow VTHokie99, a 10 minute improvement is really great! Was that a PR? Besides the weather, did you do anything else different? Changes in training? Changes in weight? (I'd love to see a 10 minute improvement next year!)

It was a PR for me, and I think weather was the biggest factor. The first time I ran this race was in 2001, I think, and I finished in 1:49:something and the weather was decent. The next time I ran it, there were snow flurries the whole time, and last year it was so hot people were passing out on lawns in the neighborhoods. I've probably lost 6-8 pounds since last year. I've also been using Cardio Coach MP3 workouts to do speedwork since I hate running on a track. Those are the only differences I can think of. I'm sure you'll see a great improvement next year even if you just maintain your training, just because you'll be familiar with the course and the atmosphere of the race