My 10k (Read 111 times)

1:05:27

i had to stop FOUR times bc my left ankle was cramping up. I ran faster than I planned to but I felt fine. I did better than I expected. I think I would’ve been closer to 1H if I didn’t have TK syop and stretch out my dumb ankle.

overall I’m pretty happy but think I could do better next time!

thanks for all your help!!

Thanks. Here’s my stats that I’m obsessing over. I have heard that actual races are longer in distance than each true mile. Do you guys find that true? Or is my gps watch off? These stats are from my watch.

6.43 mi

1:04:47

583 cal

10:10 avg pace

8:00 max pace

5.9 avg speed

7.5 max speed

Lap1-9:38:74

Lap2-9:36:00

Lap3-10:17:00

Lap4-10:43:00

Lap5-10:19:00

Lap6-9:53:00

Lap7-4:20:71

i started off in the back but the slow ppl were REALLY slow and the fast ppl had already completed like 1/2 a mile! I couldn’t believe how fast they took off! Amazing! Us slow ppl were pointing and asking : are they from our group?!

i passed many ppl the first half and some more the rest of the way. I found “pace mates” that I stayed behind then would pass or let them pass and find someone else. Is that annoying for ppl?

i tried to keep my distance.

 I was surprised at how easyish it felt to run in the 9:00 min pace time but started worrying that I wouldn’t have enough steam to finish so I backed off. It wasn’t so much the steam after that tho. It was my left ankle which notoriously strains on me when im doing hills too fast or just speeding for too long. So around mile 4 I had to stop and stretch it out. Each stop took about 20-45 sec. I’d catch up to my “pace mate” but then it’d keep happening.

i really enjoyed running amongst ppl (with distance of course-I’m not very social while running), and I like the smaller group compared to the 5k’ers who we had to join for the last 1.5ish miles. It kind of threw me off, that huge crowd. And I also didn’t like repeating the same path (went one way, turned around, down another dead end street, turned around). It wasn’t very motivating to me. Mostly bc I didn’t know where it ended!!

but I know it’s hard to design courses in public areas.

overall I’m happy with the performance, pissed at my ankle, and I want a do over!!! So maybe I’ll correct this speed-ankle thing and meet my goal of sub 60 min?

then off to a full.

you guys have been so awesome in helping me. I felt pretty great throughout the race. I had a mild cramp on my right side that eventually went away after 2-3 miles, pushing thru it. I felt re energized after about 4 miles, except for that ankle. I had mild stomach issues at the end but nothing major. I’m walking, eating fine now. Back to reality.

and I did my first race.

now what do I do?

Sounds like you executed well on your plan -- ankle be damned.

Unless this is some "hey guys, let's run from this bar to that bar" kinda race, it's almost certain your watch is incorrect.  (they are unreliable for exact measurements).  The race-director would have wheeled the course.  That being said, you almost certainly ran longer than 10k on an exactly 10k course if there are any turns because it takes skill to "run the tangents".  But you only get credit for 10k

Finding "pace mates" is a great idea, and one of the joys of racing.  Being stuck in the back of the pack with runners going a slower pace than you is one of the frustrations of racing.  Might try a smaller race next-time -- or do a better job trying to scout out where your "pace people" are gathering.  (note: in lots of races very slow people do everyone, including themselves, a disservice by trying to get closer to the starting line, outside their "pace people").

What now?  Take it easy for a week or two.  Then get back to it.  Find another race in your zip-code and toe the line as a veteran!

Congrats!

It is “certified by USA Track & Field (USATF).”

interesting about the tangents! I wonder how much my watch is off..doesn’t matter too much I suppose. I also wonder if it’s bc I do tend to glide around side to side on my path bc one side is dipping too much or when I’m trying to find the flattest portion possible.

there were 375 10k’ers.

i fell in slightly better than the last half overall, better than half for my division and gender...that’s me...always average! Better than last tho! 

thank you all so much!!

Great job Gizmo!! its been fun reading your posts on here as your journey to this first 10K was progressing, really uplifting to read some posts that are so optimistic and enthusiastic! I hope overall you enjoyed your experience and like everyone has said, the first one is under your belt, now find another one and see how you do with some experience.

i am doing some ankle mobility stuff right now, you might try doing some stretches, working with a band, shaking it out, before you run and see if it makes a difference

i might have to find a nice little fall race, you're inspiring!

Nice work! Happy Feat makes some good points about how your racing will change with experience. I've rarely run a race where my watch exactly matched the distance of the race. Log it, make a note what your watch distance said in case you want to refer back after you've run more 10ks.

My Garmin invariably is about .05 miles off per mile, on race courses with mile markers, I can hear the watch beep for the mile, within sight of the mile marker flag.  I sometimes hit the button for a manual lap at the flag, if I can be bothered.  On my training runs I have the opposite problem, there are markers every .25 miles, and my watch records it as .23 or .24.  That's because the greenways are usually curving and the garmin records a series of straight lines.

 

Your race pacing was typical for a first time racer, faster start, a fade in the middle, and then pickup the last 1-2 miles.  Gets better with practice, once you start believing that you get comfortable with the hard effort (i.e. the brain knowing you will survive despite feeling like impending death) and can hold that pace for the entire race.

i just mapped out my last long run...i guess i DIDNT exactly run 10 miles...:-/ oh well! mine is about .16-.23 mi off. i guess it depends on how many curves there are..? i guess ill have to learn to use my manual lapper too then. same happened to me, my watch kept beeping earlier than the mile markers.

Certified course, chip timed: believe the numbers from the race timer. GPS is inaccurate, in spite of all the impressive (meaningless) decimal places it provides.

yeah seriously...then again i do have an older model soleus...but i guess even the best ones arent super accurate...do you think the online maps are? i use onthegomap.com