Spoiler, I'm awesomer than I thought I was.
Also, this is really longer than a 10K race report usually deserves, but I want to remember how that one time, I ran a really smart race, so it's overly detailed. Sorry in advance.
So, Race on the Base is newly-managed by Run Racing, the masterminds behind Long Beach Marathon/Half Marathon, and Holiday Half. In addition to the 10K, there's a 5K, some inline skate thing, a reverse tri, some kids races.... it's like a party pack of race events.
The race started at 7:30, but we needed to register the H, so we got there around 6:30. It was cold, but not freezing, and overcast... perfect running weather! Registered the H, picked up my bib, and headed back to the car to stay warm - parking was super easy, and SUPER close.
Headed over to the start area around 7:20, jogged a little bit to a helicopter parked next to the course (helicopter!!), and back, cycled through the port-o-potty line again, and back to the start. And then there was a delay. Something about traffic? No idea. Back to port-o-potty, just because. Then the national anthem started, and the in-line skate group was off.
Neither the H nor I realized that in-line skating was such a Thing - these people were all spandexed up with these crazy aerodynamic helmets. I had no idea.
Anyway. A bit later the 10K started... I want to say we started closer to 7:50? But honestly not sure. It was definitely a pretty significant delay, though.
I decided after my super short warm up jog that I felt okay... My legs were FINALLY not super-dead from that "Conditioning" class Wednesday. I decided I'd try to stick to sub-10 pace the entire way, and see how that went. That became my A goal.
Almost immediately, I start way, way too fast. Like, sub-8 fast. God bless the man who invented Garmin, so I knew that I was way too fast, and could slow down.
Mile .7-ish, water stop. Really? That's weird.... But thanks?
About here, I was kind of struggling to keep sub-10 pace, at all. But I also know that for me, the first 2 miles are always going to suck, so if I can suck it up and just hold sub-10 until then, I *might* be okay to push it after that.
Mile 1 - 9:50
Mile 2 - 9:55
{see? struggling}
Another water station before mile 2. Ran waaaaaaaaaaaaay down to one end of a runway, turned, ran waaaaaaaaaaay down to the far end, turned, and ran back. Did you know runways are REALLY long?? I had no idea. Also, they're rutted concrete, which is not the easiest surface in the world to run on.
I started to feel a bit better a bit before mile 3, so I tried to pick it up, and just concentrated on sticking around 9:40-9:45. I saw my pace dip down sub-9, and knew it was too early.... and compromised with myself around 9:30.
Mile 3 - 9:40
Mile 4 - 9:37
Normally, I feel stellar around mile 3-4, but I wanted to make sure I didn't burn out too early, so I held back, and figured I would focus on negative splits now, and just see what happened.
Mile 5 - 9:26
Mile 6 - 9:06 (?!?!?!)
And I was dying. .23 8:33. Two chicks beat me in the final sprint, and turns out they were BOTH in my age group. Oh wells.
59:35.4, 17/51 in age group.
The H finished in 56:13, which is an 11 minute PR for him. Plus, he beat me, so he's pleased.
Lessons learned:
- I think I could have maintained a bit of a faster pace for mile 5, and held it longer than I gave myself credit for.
- I decided at the last 400 to run my normal 400 pace, and although I felt like it was absolutely totally completely all I could possibly do right then, it's DEAD ON my 400 pace... I wonder if I just stuck with what's comfortable, because I'm used to it, or if that was really all I had? Not sure.
- Fascinating how much easier it is to race when you KNOW your body and how it tries to trick you into feeling great and pushing when you really need to be more conservative.
So, yeah. I PR'ed. I sub-60'ed. It was pretty grand.
The race was well-managed, plenty of bathrooms, small expo, course was well marked. I thought the water stations were placed strangely - two before mile 2, and then none until mile 3.5-ish. I was fine, it just seemed weird. The shirt is rad.
Long sleeve, super light, women's cut, tech fabric. All the best things.
Ummmm, and I'm super lame and didn't get a picture of my outfit. That's, like, the BEST part of racing, right?
This is the best I can do. Obnoxious purple and turquoise on the right. That's meeee.
Lame.
And then we went home and I ate all the things. And I went an played bingo with Margot, Sarah, and Pam.
Chalk THIS up to more things I didn't know... but did you KNOW there are different ways to win BINGO?
Fascinating.
Oh, and then yesterday I wandered into a TJMaxx, and tried on ridiculous $700 Gucci dresses.
Normal day in the OC.
**************************************************
Last week:
Tuesday: 6 miles, easy, sucked.
Thursday: 4.3 miles, cut short from 6, sucked.
Saturday: 6.2 miles, hard, it was awesome.
This week:
Monday: Suck Less
Tuesday: 7 miles easy
Wednesday: Conditioning, Suck Less
Thursday: 7 miles, speeeeeed
Friday: Suck Less
Saturday/Sunday: 10 miles
