Race Report: Run Like the Dickens 10K
So I ran a 32:00 8K a few weeks ago, so I thought I might take a shot at a PR at 10K. My PR at 10K is pretty slow, I'd like to get closer to 40:00 sooner than later. With all of the miles that I've been running in prep for Disney, I figured this might be the best shot until next spring.
I had a choice between 10Ks (the Run for Arthritis in Bloomfield or Run Like the Dickens in Holly). I decided to try the Holly one because it looked easier to register for at the last minute (the Arthritis one looked like they wanted you to create a login during online registration). The weather looked pretty good for this one, 20ish, with a little wind.
I had water troubles over night, which translated into sleep troubles. We had a holiday party at work in the afternoon, and I ate a bunch of tasty, salty foods, and no water. Yeah. I hate when those sneak up on you. I had a big glass of water before bed, but it really didn't matter. I still got about 6-7 hours of sleep though...even with getting up every 2 hours.
Getting out there, it was indeed about 20ish, with a south wind of 10+, which made for wind chills between 5 and 10. It may have been the coldest race I ever ran...
I started out fast and felt pretty strong in the first mile, but I definitely tightened up a little bit through 2 and 3, with the wind at my face and sides. On the back stretch, with the wind at my back, I felt like I was cruising pretty nice through 4, and I felt like I was able to maintain through part of five (though the clock didn't show it), before I started having troubles again into the finish. I felt like I was working pretty hard, but I didn't feel like I really got anywhere through most of the run. Despite the fact that there were about 4-5 inches of snow on the ground, almost all of the course was snow free, except for a gravel stretch in the middle of mile 2.
The splits were: 6:22-6:44-6:56-6:44-6:50-6:54=41:52. Good enough for 2nd in my ag, and a neat glass tumbler with the race logo on it.
I was really hoping for sub-41, and really really hoping for sub-40, and ended up not even PRing. I suspect a number of things got me:
Temps/tightness/cold muscles, despite warming up.
sleep issues?
lots of miles/some flatness in training due to the slippery conditions and working harder than I'm used to. (With my 16 mile long run tomorrow, I'll crack 70 for the first time in my life. Whee!)
I may be used to running in cold weather, I'm certainly not used to RACING in cold (temp<30F) weather.
Thank goodness the Marathon is in a warm place. It is unlikely to be <30 at race time.
I had a choice between 10Ks (the Run for Arthritis in Bloomfield or Run Like the Dickens in Holly). I decided to try the Holly one because it looked easier to register for at the last minute (the Arthritis one looked like they wanted you to create a login during online registration). The weather looked pretty good for this one, 20ish, with a little wind.
I had water troubles over night, which translated into sleep troubles. We had a holiday party at work in the afternoon, and I ate a bunch of tasty, salty foods, and no water. Yeah. I hate when those sneak up on you. I had a big glass of water before bed, but it really didn't matter. I still got about 6-7 hours of sleep though...even with getting up every 2 hours.
Getting out there, it was indeed about 20ish, with a south wind of 10+, which made for wind chills between 5 and 10. It may have been the coldest race I ever ran...
I started out fast and felt pretty strong in the first mile, but I definitely tightened up a little bit through 2 and 3, with the wind at my face and sides. On the back stretch, with the wind at my back, I felt like I was cruising pretty nice through 4, and I felt like I was able to maintain through part of five (though the clock didn't show it), before I started having troubles again into the finish. I felt like I was working pretty hard, but I didn't feel like I really got anywhere through most of the run. Despite the fact that there were about 4-5 inches of snow on the ground, almost all of the course was snow free, except for a gravel stretch in the middle of mile 2.
The splits were: 6:22-6:44-6:56-6:44-6:50-6:54=41:52. Good enough for 2nd in my ag, and a neat glass tumbler with the race logo on it.
I was really hoping for sub-41, and really really hoping for sub-40, and ended up not even PRing. I suspect a number of things got me:
Temps/tightness/cold muscles, despite warming up.
sleep issues?
lots of miles/some flatness in training due to the slippery conditions and working harder than I'm used to. (With my 16 mile long run tomorrow, I'll crack 70 for the first time in my life. Whee!)
I may be used to running in cold weather, I'm certainly not used to RACING in cold (temp<30F) weather.
Thank goodness the Marathon is in a warm place. It is unlikely to be <30 at race time.