Short Version

1:01:50 (6.33 miles)

16/32 AG

149/333 F

248/465 OA

Long Version

On Saturday, I ran the For the Love of It 10k. This was my first 10k, so a PR was already in the bag. I had originally intended to use this race to get a feel for my goal HM pace (end of March), but last week didn’t go so well running wise. The Sunday before the race, I ran 8 miles – my longest continuous run in about a year. The run itself was great. I felt like I could have gone faster and longer.  The next day I lifted (upper body) at the gym with DH. While waiting for him to finish, I walked on the treadmill and felt quite a bit of pain on the outside of my right knee and in my right hip. I stopped and got in a good stretch, foam rolled, and used my trigger balls. I felt fine the next day and went for an easy run. The run just felt blech, so I stopped after 3 miles. I took Wednesday off. Thursday morning, I woke up and my right calf cramped and locked up. I got the muscle to release, but my calf has been sore since then. I tried running in the evening in the hopes of loosening things up, but it was another blech run and I stopped after 2 miles. I didn’t want to ruin whatever confidence I had left, so I just walked for an hour on Friday.

Saturday morning, I headed to the race an hour early to get my packet and warm up. I was originally planning to warm up for 2 miles, but my calves weren’t having any of it, so I stopped after one and got in a good stretch. It was “feels like” teens, maybe even single digits, as I walked to the starting line. At this point, I was really questioning what I was doing here. It was cold, I was unprepared, what if I ended up just hurting myself? However, as the race started and we began the slow walk/jog to the starting mat, I strangely felt much more optimistic – or maybe it was indifference. I didn’t care about my time anymore and just wanted to focus on finishing. My mantra became “Don’t stop. Keep moving forward.”

The first mile or so was pretty crowded. A number of people decided to hop up on the sidewalk or out into the unblocked lane of traffic to pass. I felt like this should have bothered me (as it did the people around me), but it really didn’t affect my pace or my place.

Mile 1: 10:33

This was slower than I had hoped for, but I wasn’t too upset since it usually takes me a couple of miles to feel warmed up. The crowd started to thin and the next few miles blurred together. I played leapfrog with an older man for a while. I passed a surprising number of people at the water stops and on the hills. At one point, there was someone behind with the heaviest steps I’ve ever heard. This bothered me a lot more than it should have because it was throwing off the rhythm I was trying to find. I let the hate flow through me and surged to get out of earshot.

Me and the leapfrog man apparently power walking.

My expression says it all.

Mile 2: 10:09

Mile 3: 9:42

I finally hit my stride around mile 4. I was feeling really, really good and thinking that maybe I could finish in under an hour, but I’d even be happy with under 62 minutes. We were all strung out in a line at this point, so I just focused on closing the gap between me and the person ahead of me. I would then pass them and focus on the next person. I eventually caught up to and passed the older man from earlier in the race.

Mile 4: 9:29

I started to get tired around mile 5. The hills were taking a toll on my legs, but my pace didn’t seem to be too adversely affected. With about a half mile left to go, my right knee/hip started giving my some trouble, but I could now hear the announcer at the finish line. I tried to pick it up a notch as I entered the school grounds, but I’m not really sure that it did much good. There were two people within catching distance, both possibly in my age group. I passed one before getting to the track and the other a few moments later. I had really hoped to kick for these last few hundred meters, but the wind was fierce and blowing tears out of my eyes. I saw 1:02-something on the clock. I knew it had taken me some time to get to the starting mat, but I hadn’t checked my time at the 6 mile mark, so I wasn’t really sure if I was going to make my impromptu goals. I managed a relatively strong finish and checked my watch. 1:01:51. I made my “B goal”! I had run a bit long and was on pace for a 1:00:27 10k. So close!

DH says it looks like my face froze in this expression.

Mile 5: 9:39

Mile 6: 9:32

Mile 6.33: 2:49 (8:34 pace)

I made my way back towards the school building. My hands were like frozen claws. I never did feel physically warm during the race. I grabbed a muffin, walked up those evil stairs, and plopped down on a bench to eat. Once I was good and ready, I got up and drove home to DH.

Now that there is some distance between me and this race, I actually think it went pretty well. I used to be intimidated by 10ks, but now I think they could be fun if I were properly prepared. I think if I had been in a better place mentally, I could have gone sub-60. I’ll likely be running this same course again in August, so we’ll see how it goes.

Next up is the Reston Half at the end of March. This will be my third time running it and I’m hoping to finish around two hours. Hopefully training will be smooth sailing from here on out.

Thanks for reading!

Your pace was pretty consistent once you were warmed up.  In a race where you warm up ahead of time and with less weaving through crowds you should be able to get under an hour.

Nice job, Nova!  Cold hands are the worst.

Docket - Thanks!

Ginny - I think a better warm up could have made the difference, which is part of what makes 10ks tricky to me. Too short to warm up in-race, too long to just go all out and hold on.

happylily - Thanks! I think I have more pictures from this race than every other race combined. And I look like an annoyed power walker in most of them.

Baboon - Thanks! I didn't realize how cold my hands were until I needed to use them after the race. Thankfully someone opened/held the door for me to get back inside.

tracilynn - Thanks! I was breathing through my nose for the most part because it was cold and the race was more taxing to my legs than my lungs. I also tend to close my mouth when I get near photographers. I'm not sure why - maybe I'm trying to get a nice picture?

Good run, nova. Next time out you will easily be under an hour and I agree with Baboon, cold hands ARE the worst!  Again, nice run and gret pictures.

Cherie - Thanks! I hadn't thought of myself as looking calm during races (lol), but I can see it now. I think I'm just trying to keep my face relaxed. I've been told that I have "resting meh face."

Jack - Thanks! I wouldn't be surprised if the 10k split for my upcoming half was under an hour...or, that's what I'm hoping for, at least.

Little Blue - Thanks! I feel like that's what it ended up being, which makes me a little frustrated since (now that I'm sitting in my nice warm house) I feel like I could have tried harder. And let's see, ten words or less: rolling hills, lots of paths and trails, nothing too steep.

Nice job.

Nice job, NoVa.

"but the wind was fierce and blowing tears out of my eyes"  -- Tough conditions, tough distance.  You did well.