Here is my 10k race report from the weekend.
It was already in the 70s and very humid when I woke up. At 5am. But it’s just a 10k right? I can run that thru anything. No worries. I left the team at home with hubby for father’s day and headed out solo.
Like I said in a previous post this was an inaugural event last year with hot weather, an ornery hilly course and no mile markers. But I’m back cuz it’s literally 5 minutes from home. Gotta do my part to race locally right?
I was instantly disappointed to see the T-shirts were identical to last year, except with a 2nd annual added. Nit-picking I know. But there was an entirely new course for the 10k. For that I am grateful.
We are off promptly and as usual I am swallowed by most of the field.
First mile: 7:59. Good. The goal is to hopefully run a sub-8 race, maybe a little over cuz it’s hot, depending on the course which is a mystery.
Mile 2: Long incline. 7:55
The 5kers turn off so things thin considerably.
There are two women in front of me. Pink top up ahead whose peculiar gait makes me wonder how she’s runnng this pace and red top closer ahead who is well muscled and looks lightning fast.
We start up a hill and I am even with red top. We chat a bit and compare pace on our Garmins. Surprisingly she falls behind a bit. Surely she’s right behind me. But I never see her again.
Mile 3: 8:17 It’s really hot, this course is hillier than last year’s. Be careful what you wish for. Pink top is gone. Just guys around me now. Do they hear me wheezing?
Mile 4: 8:38 I’m already dying. It’s sunny and steamy. Chicago marathon ’07 redux. I dump water on myself. Not supposed to do this I know but did I mention I was dying?
Not sure how I can cover the last 2 miles. Ug! Why didn’t I just do the damn 5k?
Mile 5: 8:35 Right at the 5 mile marker a woman in black blows past me. Go for it I think to myself as I’ve got nothing. Obviously I went out way too fast for conditions and now it’ll be a death march to the finish. I’ll be lucky to hold this pace to the end. A guy in front of me makes a wrong turn but the course officials yell before I follow him. Help me I am melting!
Mile 6: 8:37: Finally we’re back at the park. One more loop with a crazy big hill. I see the finish and I entertain ways to cut the course. Plus part of the path is flooded out so I need to do part toe-dance/part flying jete to cross and hope my hamstrings are up for it. Lady in black is 30 seconds ahead. I’m simply too tired/hot to care. Thank my lucky stars this wasn’t a longer race!
Finally this madness is over. I am in the chute, what I lack in pukiness I make up for in heat exhhaustion.
Finish time: 52:07.
A horse-dung 8:20 pace. But given the conditions, not so bad. I managed to take 2nd in AG, yes lady in black was my age, BUT I was 3rd woman OVERALL so although the winner was just 20, us “old bags”(and I use that term in the nicest possible way) went 2 and 3. And I was 14th place OVERALL, so lots of guys left in my dust. I snagged a medal and a Dick’s Sporting Goods GC, with which I already bought Thing 1 some new Crocs! I was slower than last year by not quite a minute and I dropped a place in AG standings but picked up a place overall.
And can I just say: This race was so swagtastic last year but this year nada. Not that I need a bagload of freebies and a carbolicious buffet, but I’m sad for the race director cuz I can imagine how much work goes into everything and I feel the pain of the sponsors in this stressful economy. Hopefully things will improve soon.
