The Mini 10K in a Mini Skirt

Two weekends ago, over 10,000 women gathered in Central Park, NYC to run the Mastercard Mini 10K. Even though I live on the east coast and have been running for over 20 years, I had never heard of this historic event. It began in 1972 as a women's-only race, named after the mini skirt, a symbol of women's liberation. 

I learned about the race after hearing that several professional runners would be competing, and on the Sunday of that weekend, I was invited to speak on a panel discussion in NYC alongside one of the professional women. I am nowhere near her level, but since I was already planning to be there for the event, I decided to run the same Saturday race. 

Ultimately, that athlete ended up not running the 10K after all, so the panel event never happened. I still had my race entry, and decided to make the trip to NYC and experience it.

Greg and I took the train to NYC on Friday, checked into our hotel, and then went to pick up my bib number. At number pickup, they placed a big "C" sticker on my bib, indicating that I was in corral C. I had looked up the previous year's results online, and I knew it would be very likely that I would finish among the top 500 runners. I assumed that corral "A" would be my natural placement, or "B" at the very least, but they told me that "C" was the furthest forward I could be because I hadn't run another NYRR race that would qualify me. I told them that I ran a 41:38 10K last December and could share that result with them, but they said it had to be a NYRR race.

I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Because the weather would be warm, I saw it as an opportunity to go out slow and then pass runners along the way. I probably could have advocated a little bit harder, but I didn't really care that much. I had a very "chill" attitude towards this race. I wanted to run well and run my best, but my primary objective was to experience it.

The bib pickup was near my favorite piano store in NYC where they have a huge selection of Bosendorfer, Fazioli and Bechstein pianos. These are the best pianos in the entire word (Fazioli is my favorite) and it was a pleasure to play them. 

Greg and I ate dinner at a fancy restaurant the night before the race. Probably too fancy because I wanted something bland, and that's not what you order at these types of places. I focused on staying hydrated and I drank around 75 ounces of water + electrolytes that day. 

We got back to our hotel, watched Jeopardy (a treat for us, since we don't have cable) and then went to sleep. I slept relatively well. I don't actually remember because it's now been over two weeks since the race, but we'll say I slept decently. 

Before the Race
For breakfast I had a banana and UCAN energy powder. I got dressed, pinned on my bib, and was ready to make my way to the race start. Back in the 2010's I wore running skirts for most of my races, but when we moved houses I had gotten rid of them all. I definitely wanted to wear a skirt for this race because it was the "mini" 10K, named after the mini skirt. I had found a cute outfit from Alo that was pink and frilly and perfect for a women's race. I opted for my New Balance SC Pacer shoes - perfect for the 10K distance.

We took a cab to about 72nd street where they had closed off Central Park west, and then started walking to the race start, which was located at 90th street. 

It was already 76 degrees at 7:15. It was supposed to get up to 80 by the time I would be finishing! On my personal weather scale, I give this a 1 out of 10. I would not be able to run anywhere close to my 41:38 from December, despite being in almost as good of shape.

Once we got to around 80th street, I said goodbye to Greg so he could get to his first spectating location. I did a very easy jog to the start line and then up and down one of the side streets once I reached 90th. I also used one of the porta potties. 

My grandparents lived on Central Park West, and I found myself right in front of their building. I waved to the security guard and he let me inside. They passed away over 20 years ago, but it brought back memories to see the lobby of the building. I remembered being a child and visiting that building often. As  a child, I don't think I could have imagined returning to that building as a 47-year-old runner lining up for a 10K race in the park. I was wearing a necklace with my grandmother's diamonds and my wedding ring also has her diamonds, so it was cool for them to be back in their place of origin. 

I took a caffeinated gel, finished drinking my water, and made my way into corral C. Throughout the entire morning I was recognized by many runners from social media, and it was cool to meet so many people in person. I loved the all-women vibe, and everyone was super energized and chatting with each other. 

Once we started walking towards the start line, I tried to get up a little closer to the front, but it wasn't really possible with so many people. There were probably 2,000 runners ahead of me. 

Mile 1

Miles 1-2
Mile 1 was all about passing people and trying to run my ideal pace. It was a net downhill so I didn't want to waste it by going out too easy. The first mile was not in Central Park- it was on the city street of Central Park West. Greg would be looking for me shortly before we entered the park at mile marker 1. 

I did a ton of weaving, but it was hard to make my way through the crowd. The course was not very wide and there were thousands of runners. I tried to stay to the left so I could see Greg and he could see me, but I ended up running wherever I could to pass people. I saw Greg on the side of the road, but he didn't quite see me and I yelled out to him and then he saw me. He wasn't able to snap any photos of me, but I'm posting a screen shot of a video he took.

Mile 2 was fully inside Central Park. It was still crowded and I was still passing runners right and left. This was another net downhill mile so I wanted to make the most of it. 

Mile 1: 7:11
Mile 2: 7:01

Miles 3-4
Because it was so hot and hilly, I didn't give myself a goal time. I figured I would run it based on effort level. My 10K pace from last December was around 6:40, but I knew I would spend the majority of this race in the 7:00's with the heat. Mile 3 featured "Cat Hill" which was definitely a challenge, but there was a ton of crowd support on it. 

I can't say enough about how amazing the vibe was with this being a women's race. I like running with men too, but at my pace, I typically find myself surrounded by men. I saw Greg during the 3rd mile and he saw me and took photos. The course was finally starting to open up which made passing people easier. 

Mile 3: 7:20
Mile 4: 7:09

Miles 5-Finish
I knew that mile 5 would be the most challenging from an elevation perspective. I was mentally prepared for it and told myself to just focus on getting up the big hill and then it would be mostly downhill afterwards. I did not look at my watch at all during this mile, I just focused on pushing hard and getting up the big hill. My watch finally beeped and my split was 7:41. OUCH - but not surprising given how hot it was and how big the hill was. 

After that, I don't remember much. I remember almost nothing about mile 6 except for the fact that I don't remember it. 

This has never, ever happened to me in 20+ years of racing: I totally zoned out, and did not know that I had made it to mile marker 6. I didn't see a mile marker, I did not hear or feel my Garmin beep. I looked around for Greg but never saw him. I had stopped looking at my watch entirely and had no concept of how far away the finish line was. 

Suddenly, I came upon a timing mat which I assumed was mile marker 6, but that was actually the finish line. There was no finish line arch, which I had expected in a race of this size, so I just cruised through it with no finish line kick. If I had known that I was approaching the finish line, I could have gunned it a little more, but instead I was totally just zoned out and I had no idea that the finish line was coming. 

Mile 5: 7:41
Mile 6: 7:21
Last 0.29: 6:59 pace

My official time was 45:46, which is my slowest 10K in over 10 years! The last time I ran a slower 10K was December 2013. I do not see this as a reflection on my fitness, but rather the impact of the heat and the hills.

I was thrilled to place 9 out of 841 in my age group at a competitive NYC race. That's really the metric that matters most to me, not my actual time. I consider this a huge success.  I also placed 235 out of 10,075 women. Given that I was in corral C, this means I passed over 2,500 runners along the way. I plan to run this race again next year so I can start in corral A and hope that it stays below 75 degrees. 

After the Race
I enjoyed the post race experience because multiple women recognized me from social media, asked to take photos with me, etc. Seems like everyone had a similar experience - ran much slower than their typical 10K because of the heat. 

My plan was to meet up with Greg at the first possible location after the finish line chute, but I did not see him. Turns out he was waiting for me to run past him. He never saw me during the last mile and I never saw him. I used a volunteer's phone to call him and we were able to meet up about ten minutes later. 

I told him all about the race as we made our way out of the park. He recorded a video of me for my Instagram story. We briefly stopped on the way out to look up a place to have a post-race breakfast. At this point, I had finished about 25 minutes prior. As he was looking on his phone, I felt like I really needed to sit down, so I did. And then I started to feel strange. I felt weak, like I couldn't get up. I told Greg I just needed to sit for awhile. I sipped water and Gatorade. He asked me if I wanted to go to the medical tent and I refused.

I sat there for a few more minutes and then realized how absolutely horrible and weak I felt, and that I might not be able to get up off of the ground on my own. I knew at that point that I had no other option than to be taken to the medical tent. Greg approached a volunteer and they called the medical people who arrived with a wheelchair. I was slurring my speech, I felt like I was totally knocked out. My whole body was limp.

Once inside the medical tent, they surrounded my body with ice packs. Lots and lots of ice packs. After about 5 minutes, I very suddenly snapped out of it. It was like an instant awakening. All of a sudden I was able to talk normally and I felt normal. It was very, very weird how suddenly I went from my haze to feeling normal. 

I was in the medical tent for about 20 minutes and I finally was able to leave. Greg and I walked towards a bagel place, ate, and then headed back to the hotel. It all made sense why I didn't remember the last mile of the race. I don't remember ever reaching mile 6. I think I was starting to suffer from heat exhaustion but it didn't fully kick in until 25 minutes later. 

I've been saying for years that I am far more heat sensitive than the average runner and this again confirms it. 

I showered, relaxed, and then we headed out for the train station. We ended up walking there (it was about 1.5 miles) and when we were about half a mile from Penn Station, I told Greg I needed to sit down inside. I started feeling really awful again, so I got a fountain soda Coke at a pizza place and drank it with more water. The remaining half mile walk to Penn Station felt like an eternity. I felt super exhausted, like at any minute I might pass out. 

We finally arrived and it was like heaven to sit down. Greg got me another Gatorade and I still felt very weird. We had to wait almost an hour for our train, but as long as I could be sitting down in air conditioning, I was fine. I actually was sitting on the ground because the actual seating area was completely full. 

Then, on the way home, a barge hit the bridge and we were told our train would be delayed for a minimum of 2-3 hours. Greg and I decided we would take an Uber from Wilmington, DE back to DC, but as we were getting off the train, they announced that they fixed the bridge and we could proceed. Thank goodness. 

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
That was a very eventful weekend. The race itself was a total blast and I loved the five miles of it that I remember. I'm extremely proud of how well I placed in my age group and in the overall field. I also enjoyed wearing my pink skirt and meeting so many people who recognized me from social media. 

I don't really have any other final thoughts aside from my heat sensitivity being confirmed for the hundredth time, and being thankful for the opportunity to run such an iconic race.

Jingle Bell Rock & Run 10K

I ran the Ringing in Hope Jingle Bell Rock & Run 10K on Saturday morning. The last time I ran this race, the lead pack took a wrong turn, resulting in a nearly 7.4-mile 10K. This was back in 2023, and my average pace was 6:41. I had been extremely pleased with my ability to hold that pace for longer than a 10K!

This year my goal was to run a sub 6:45 pace, which, in retrospect, was probably too soft. My Turkey Trot pace from just two weeks prior had been 6:34 and I ran that very hard, at 100% effort. The course profile was similar, too. So that's where my sub 6:45 goal pace was coming from. 

Before the Race
The race started at 9:00, which is later than I am used to running. I had about 5 almond butter-filled pretzels two hours pre-race and a packet of UCAN energy powder an hour before the race. My original plan was to wear a tank top and arm sleeves, but then the forecast was looking to be just a few degrees colder, which was my tipping point for short sleeves and arm sleeves. I almost never wear long sleeves because I feel like that doesn't allow enough air into my core. I once ran a half marathon in 29 degree temps in long sleeves and ended up rolling up the sleeves because I got too warm!

Greg and I arrived at 8:00 and met up with my friend Stephanie. I drank my UCAN upon arrival and then we went to get our race bibs. We were able to go inside a church to pin our bibs on and use the bathroom. Stephanie and I warmed up together for just over 2 miles. I always prefer to warm up with a friend because it takes my mind off the race and prevents me from getting too anxious! She would be running the race as a workout and I suggested that she run alternating kilometers at 10K effort and marathon pace effort. I've done that before during a 10K race and it's fun. I had a Maurten caffeinated gel during the warm up, around 15 minutes before race start.

After the warm up, we went back to our cars and I ditched my jacket. Even though the forecast had called for cloudy skies, the sun was shining brightly which once again made me question if I should have worn a tank top. But I liked my "ugly sweater" look. For shoes, I opted for the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB. Other contenders were the adidas Adios Pro 2 (I still have one pair left) and the New Balance SC Pacer 2. I felt like the Brooks had the most "pop" and I think that the 10K might be their sweet spot for me. I used them on a long run once and I felt like they were too stiff/firm once I got past 10 miles. They performed well in the Firecracker 5K and the Donut Dash, although I might have preferred more ground feel for a 5K. 

Weather
It was 30 degrees, rising to about 33 by the end of the race. Almost no wind, and partly sunny. It became more cloudy as we ran. I give this a 10 out of 10 on my personal race scale. Not comfortable before and after the race, but ideal for a fast time. The following morning would bring snow and bitter cold temps, so we lucked out!

Miles 1-2
The race started and I went out at a pace that felt hard but sustainable. I wasn't worried about taking a wrong turn this time because they had a lead biker for the runners to follow. I knew that Greg would be taking photos about half a mile into the race. I looked around me and I realized that I was in second place and not far behind first. Since there was a potential for me to break tape, I yelled out to Greg to take the
next set of photos at the finish line (as opposed to our original plan which was before the final turn). 

I had studied the course elevation profile and I knew that the first mile was net downhill. I had run a sub 6:30 mile here in 2023 so I knew not to freak out by a fast start. 

I settled into my race pace during the second mile. The course was rolling hills but none of them were terribly steep - just long. And because I recently moved to a hillier neighborhood and was accustomed to hills, they seemed much more manageable than they had two years back. I also credit Pilates for glute and hamstring strength. 

I was in second place and my pace felt appropriate for a 10K. The leading woman was about 5-6 seconds ahead of me, and I figured I wouldn't try to pass her until the last mile. At that point, I felt like I could have surged and run alongside her, but I was fine letting her lead. It was early and I didn't want to wear myself out just yet!

Mile 1: 6:29
Mile 2: 6:40

Miles 3-4
I felt really strong. I wouldn't say "energized" but I was running faster than goal pace and it felt manageable. It was one of those races where I didn't feel super peppy, but I felt like the pace I was running was appropriate, and I could tolerate the discomfort for a while. I think this is the big difference between a pace of 6:30 and 6:40 for me. 6:40 is uncomfortable but it's something I can tolerate for a long time. 6:30 feels like I am redlining the whole time.

I continued to focus on my form and getting to whatever the next landmark was, like the top of the hill, the street sign, etc. I occasionally glanced down at my Garmin, thinking my pace was faster than my perceived effort, which is a good thing! 

I knew that miles 4-5 would be the hardest of the race with the most climbing. I continued to run based on effort. Unfortunately, I was not closing the gap with the woman ahead of me.  I think the closest I may have gotten to her was 3 seconds, but she continued to be about 5 seconds ahead of me. 

Mile 3: 6:39
Mile 4: 6:44

Miles 5-6
With just over two miles to go, I knew I would beat my sub 6:45 pace goal. Because that goal was likely too soft, I wasn't motivated to push much harder. I do think I had more to give during these final miles, but I was already uncomfortable and I had no desire to go deeper in the pain cave. If I had set a more aggressive goal then I would have had more motivation, but my mindset was "just keep doing this- you are fine" instead of "empty the tank and give it everything you've got". 

When I finished the 5th mile, I knew it would be smooth sailing and a mostly downhill finish. This is when the woman ahead of me widened the gap. I started to run faster, but so did she. Unfortunately, I am not a quiet or stealth runner. I make grunting noises so other runners definitely know if I am coming up behind them. No doubt she knew I was there. 

The more she widened the gap, the less motivation I had to catch her. I admittedly did not try as hard as I could have because I didn't feel 100% energized. I felt strong running at the effort level I had been running at for the first 5 miles, but I didn't have that extra gear. 

Mile 5: 6:41
Mile 6: 6:34

Weaving through 5K runners

The Finish
The way the finish was set up was not ideal. I like to be able to see the finish from far away, but in this case we ran around a curve to get to it. The road narrowed substantially and as it narrowed, the 10K race joined up with the 5K race. The 5K had started 10 minutes after the 10K so I was running with 31-minute 5K runners, which is a very popular time! I had to weave around many other runners, several of them children who were not running in a straight line. The road was curved and narrow, and I was weaving through 5K runners, making this finish very chaotic. 

The last 0.3 according to my watch was a 6:21 pace, and I do think I could have run it faster without all the obstacles. 

My official time was 41:39, and I was the second overall female finisher. The winner was 18 seconds ahead of me. 

After I crossed the finish line, I met up with Greg and we waited to watch Stephanie finish. She was the 4th female finisher, even though she was using it as a workout and not racing full out!

Stephanie and I cooled down for about a mile and a half and then waited for the awards. It was a fun morning!

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
This was my 4th fastest lifetime 10K, which I am very pleased with. I wish I had known going into the race that I was in close-to-PR shape, because I would have tried harder to be closer to 41:00, and maybe I could have won with the right motivation and mindset. Unlike the Turkey Trot, I was not dry heaving at the end, and I still felt energized during the cool down.

It's odd that my 6:34 Turkey Trot pace felt twice as hard as this 6:38 average pace. It's probably because I had a true lack of speed work leading up to the 5K, and it was a shock to my system. As I said above, the course profiles and weather for both races were similar. Unless running in below freezing temperatures really is my super power! 

I am a little bummed that I didn't have it in me to push harder at the end and try to win the race, but you can't always bring 100% to every race. I think I ran this race at maybe 93-94%. Plus, it had been nearly two years since I ran my last 10K!

On the plus side, I know that my Indianapolis marathon training is still benefiting me, and I can continue to build on it. 

Back at it with a 10K

In my last post I talked about how I took 7 weeks off from running: 2 weeks with Covid, followed by 5 weeks of post-viral fatigue.

Getting Back Into Running
Once I was confident that I was out of the woods, I was able to ramp up my training fairly quickly. I spent the week of September 16 testing the waters with frequent walk breaks during my runs. By the end of the week I was up to 5 minutes running, 1 minute walking with no problems whatsoever. 

The following week (September 23) I removed my walk breaks and ran a total 36 miles. I felt energized and strong. On top of that mileage, I included strength training nearly every day. As a 45-year old woman, I know that I need to continually strength train to avoid loss of muscle mass. 

By the end of the month I started adding speed work back into the equation. I paced a friend in a 5K at an average pace of around 8:00, helping her set a new Master's PR. Speed work was quite humbling - I was nowhere near my previous paces! I stayed positive and patient, having faith that I would eventually return to my previous level of speed with enough hard work. 

Suffice it to say that by the time October 20 rolled around, I was not optimally prepared to run a 10K. But I did it anyway!

The Fall Classic 10K
I decided to run this race because I enjoy racing and I hadn't done it since July 4th. Plus, I purchased a 4-pack of races from Potomac River Running and I still had two races left to run. Bonus: the weather was absolutely perfect. When I signed up for this race two weeks ago I decided I would do whatever I could without getting frustrated by my lack of speed and use it as a fitness test. 

Between recovering from my illness and racing the 10K, my only speed workouts were:

• 3 x 1200m at marathon pace + 2 x 400m
• 6 x 800m + 2 x 400m
• 3-mile tempo run 
• 13.1 miles including 3 x 2 miles at marathon pace (7:14)
• 3 x (1600m + 400m) on the Monday before the race

That's actually a lot to pack into three weeks. Kind of like cramming for an exam. But my body handled it well. 

Before the Race
I had a very casual attitude towards this 10K. Since I had only invested four weeks of training into it, I knew I couldn't realistically expect a fast time. I mainly just wanted to discover what I could do and the curiosity was somewhat of an experiment - devoid of emotion. My sports psychologist always said that being emotion-neutral was a good thing, and here was a perfect example of that.

I ate a handful of almond butter pretzels and a banana about 2 hours before the race along with a big chug of water. I hadn't even fully finalized my race outfit the day before! What a shocker! I settled on my Senita shorts because the design and color were autumnal. And the last time I raced in Senita shorts they worked out really well for me. I matched it with a black tank top and black arm warmers. 

I really wanted to wear my brand new Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro Beta shoes because they are zebra print! But with a 4mm drop I decided not to risk irritating my Achilles. I will need to test them out during a workout first using my heel lifts. I settled on my trusty adidas Adios Pro 2 shoes with a friendly 8mm drop.

We arrived at the race site and I got my bib from the running store. I ran into several friends while getting my bib and it was so nice to be "out" in the running community again! I couldn't find the porta potties so I used a Starbucks bathroom. Then I started my warm up. 

About 10 minutes before race start I had a caffeinated Maurten gel. Then I finished my warm up (1.9 miles total) and lined up at the start.

Weather
As I mentioned earlier, the weather was perfect! 39 degrees at the start rising to about 42. Sunny. No wind. Crisp, fresh fall air. Heaven! This gets a 10 out of 10 on my weather scale. When I lined up at the start line, one of my friends suggested that I ditch the arm warmers and I did. I stashed them near a cone at the start line and retrieved them after the race.

Goal and Strategy
My goal was to run under 43:00 minutes which I thought roughly lined up with a pace of 6:50. That was my half marathon pace last spring on a flat course so I figured I'd be doing great to run that same pace on a hilly course with only four weeks of training under my belt. I had run this race before so I was familiar with the elevation profile. I decided I would go out conservatively, hang on during the two middle miles which were net uphill, and then really drive it home during the final two miles. I definitely did not want to crash and burn so a strong finish was a must. 

Miles 1-2
When the race started, a bunch of women took off ahead of me. Usually when I run these local races I am in the top 5 women right out of the gate. But not this time! There were two women running side by side about 5 seconds ahead of me for the first mile. I could have easily run up to them and run with them but I held back for fear of going out too fast. Plus, I like to run my own race. 

I found a steady rhythm and settled into it. I expected to see Greg about a quarter mile out but I didn't see him. I kept looking and looking for him but he was nowhere to be seen. When I passed the first mile marker I realized that I must have somehow missed him. That seemed impossible for a race of this size, but maybe there was sun glare or maybe I was too focused on passing someone at that point. Oh well! I didn't dwell on it too much. 

My splits were 6:50 and 6:53, which I was happy with.

Miles 3-4
This is the toughest part of the course. Both miles are net uphill. My legs did not have a lot of power and the hills made me feel REALLY out of shape. I had also ramped up my weekly mileage quickly (50 the week before) and my legs weren't properly tapered. I did not look at my watch during these miles because I thought that would be totally demoralizing. The women who were 5 seconds ahead of me during the first two miles were now more like 15 seconds ahead of me so I gave up on catching them. I did pass a few people during these miles, though! Both miles clocked in at 6:56.

Miles 5-6
Now it was time to really push but instead of digging deeper and asking myself to give more, I let the downhills do the work for me. I simply didn't have the motivation to go deeper into the pain cave when I was already quite uncomfortable. 

During the 6th mile, one of my friends passed me and I didn't even try to stay with her. She had mentioned at the start line that she was running a progression run and I wanted to stay steady and not try to speed up. I do think I was physically capable of it, but I didn't have the motivation to actually do it. I guess I didn't feel like I was really racing. The whole thing felt like a test/experiment and I wasn't in my normal race mode.

BUT, during the last third of a mile, I saw I was gaining on another woman and I DID start to close the gap pretty quickly. I caught her just in time to cross the finish line at the exact same time as her. However, she had started 2 seconds behind me and her chip time was 2 seconds faster. That's okay, though - she was fun to chase down! 

Mile 5 was 6:46 and mile 6 was 6:41. The final 0.3 was a pace of 6:23 according to my Garmin. 

My official time was 42:59. I attained my sub-43:00 goal! This was the perfect time for me because I honestly wasn't motivated to go much faster than what I set out to do. I won 1st place in my age group and was the 7th overall female.

After the Race
I re-united with Greg and he said he didn't see me at the beginning of the race. He thought maybe there was a 5K that he confused for the 10K. Or maybe I didn't start. But for some reason we missed each other. And that seems so odd! This was not that large of a race. Especially considering I was able to spot him just a quarter mile into the Richmond marathon!

I retrieved my arm sleeves and ran a 1-mile cool down with my friends. Then I hung out and chatted with a few people before the awards ceremony started. Definitely a fun morning!

This morning I ran for about an hour and my legs didn't feel like they raced yesterday. They were tired, but not at all sore. I guess that's a good thing in terms of my fitness, but not a good thing because it shows I didn't run it as hard as I could have. 

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
I'm generally pleased with this. I did exactly what I thought I could do, but without the motivation to exceed that goal. It was really awesome to be back into the racing scene and to connect with so many other runners. 

I compared my heart rate from this race to my heart from the 10K I ran last February when I PR'ed. My average heart rate at the February 10K was slightly higher. That's exactly what I expected because I know I ran that race at a higher level of effort. Good news for my fitness, but not as good news in terms of my ability to push myself yesterday.

I think I could have kept going at that same pace/effort for another mile (like when I ran that 7-mile 10K last winter!) but it was a struggle to run any faster. This tells me that my endurance is strong but I need to work on my speed. My endurance didn't take as much of a hit from that 7-week hiatus as my speed did. But hopefully after another 4 weeks of sharpening things up I can be closer to where I was last spring. 

Going the Extra Mile

"Going the extra mile" is one of the most popular running cliches/puns out there. Never has it been so applicable to my running career as it was during yesterday's 10K. 

Background
I registered for the Jingle All The Way 15K a few months ago which was scheduled to occur today, Sunday. But as the race drew closer, the weather started looking miserable. Rain, wind, humidity, and warm temps. That's just not fun for me. So on Wednesday I made the decision to pivot and run the Ringing In Hope 10K which was scheduled for Saturday. The Saturday race was forecast to have perfect weather.

I love racing in December. There are so many festive races to choose from and the cold weather suits me. I didn't do too much to prepare for this race. The Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving served as a good workout and a way to "wake up" my legs after the marathon. Aside from that, I did one track workout which was a down ladder of 2000m, 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m - all with 400m recovery jogs. I ran that workout about halfway between the Thanksgiving 5K and yesterday's race.

Before the Race
I decided to try my adidas Adios Pro shoes again. I had abandoned them for the marathon because they felt too big. But with thicker socks for the cooler weather, they worked.

I went back and forth on my outfit a few times, but eventually settled on CW-X capri tights instead of shorts. I feel like compression tights give me a boost of speed so if it's cool enough for them, I wear them.

It was 34 degrees and mostly sunny, rising to about 37 by the end of the race. No wind. Hence we have a 10/10 on my personal race weather scale. I could not have asked for more favorable conditions. 

I arrived at the race 45 minutes before start time, got my bib and went to the bathroom. The race started and finished at a church, and that church was open for the race participants. It was a nice perk to have a warm prep area with real bathrooms!

Before I started my warm up, Greg and I tried to figure out where he would stand to take photos. We quickly looked at a course map and determined a spot that we thought would work. The only reason we had a course map is because my friend Cheryl had run this race last year and shared her Strava data with me. There was no course map on the website. [Edited to add: There are 5K and 10K course maps on the website but the links are not obvious. I am just seeing the maps today and did not see them prior to the race.]

Another thing to note about the map and Greg's position: this race also has a 5K. The finish line is the same for both races. We didn't want him too close to the finish line because I would be weaving through 5K runners at that point. So we also looked at the 5K course to see where they split apart and met up. The 5K course consisted of two out-and-backs in two directions. The 10K course was a large loop. They were only the same at the very beginning and end.

As I said above, I could not find either map on the race website. I had to search for Strava data from last year's runners to locate the 5K map. The 10K started at 9:00am and the 5K started at 9:10. This meant I would be finishing with 5K runners who ran around 30-35 minutes. I wouldn't have to do too much weaving because the courses joined up about 0.2 mile before the finish.

I warmed up for just over 10 minutes and took my Maurten caffeinated gel 5 minutes before race start. I didn't think I was in PR shape but I thought I was in pretty good shape. I decided to target a pace of 6:40 which would be about 30 seconds slower than my PR and I thought that might even be a bit aggressive. But I also decided NOT to look at the Garmin to pace this one. I just like having a neighborhood pace in mind.

Shortly after the start

Miles 1-2
The race started and it wasn't long before I saw Greg snapping photos and videos. He was standing at an intersection where I thought we would be turning left according to the course map. But as I said, I wasn't 100% sure I was aligning the map to reality when looking at it. So when we turned right I was surprised but I didn't think it was wrong. 

It was wrong. We were, in fact, supposed to go left as I originally thought! Nobody realized this until we all found ourselves in a parking lot. There was major confusion. A police officer was there and he didn't know what to tell us - he was not a course marshal. Eventually we realized that we ran the 5K course and had reached the first 5K turn around. We were over half a mile into it at that point. (I later found out that the was actually the second half of the 5K).

The leaders turned around and started running toward the rest of us, so we all turned around. At one point I just stopped and looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. The urge to stop my Garmin was strong, but I did not!

As we were all turning around, we were bunched together tighter than we had been previously, so I found myself running in a pack of 5 women. We were chatting about the situation and realizing that we had run the 5K course. Our attitude was positive and we started making jokes about the situation. I said I was going to stop my Garmin at 6.2 and walk it in! (Just kidding of course). And then we realized we wouldn't really know how long the course would be. 

I saw Greg (again!). I was only supposed to see him twice, but this course mishap meant a bonus sighting of my husband. Silver linings abound!

The amazing thing about this situation was that a pack of 5 women were running together at a relatively small, local 10K. All at a 6:30 pace. I was enjoying the company and not looking at my watch, so when it finally did beep for mile 2, I was shocked to see a 6:24 mile split. I think the pace was probably too fast for all but 1 of us but we kept going with it because it was so fun to be racing in a pack

Miles 3-4
I have run over 200 races of varying sizes and never once have I "raced" in pack of women like this. I should mention that none of us would win the race. The winner would be Perry Shoemaker, an Olympic

Marathon qualifier and holder of all sorts of records at the age of 50+. She was WAY out ahead, but we were all contenders for 2nd, 3rd, and so on. 

It was an entirely different racing experience. The camaraderie and the ability to feed off of each other's energy was amazing. And the fact that we were all sharing this odd experience of a super long 10K made it all the better. We took turns uttering short sentences to keep the vibe strong. 

My Garmin beeped for mile 3 (6:36 pace) and shortly after that the pack begin to spread apart. We went from 5 runners down to 4 down to 3.  We stayed a pack of three for a while longer and then one of the ladies pulled ahead. So then it was me and one other runner. The other runner (Lauren) told me to go with the woman who broke away, but I could not. Shortly after I pulled slightly ahead of Lauren and it seemed like the places might be solidified.

But none of us really knew what we were getting into. What would mile 7 of a 10K feel like? It was anyone's race. Except for Perry - there was no doubt she would win!

Mile 4 clocked in at 6:34. I wasn't keeping track of my pacing and as I type this, I am now realizing that miles 2, 3, and 4 were 6:24, 6:36, and 6:34. That's a FAST 5K right there. As for mile 1 - my data says 6:53 but that includes standing around trying to figure out what was happening.

Miles 5-6
I should note that the course had no mile markers. No course marshals. No directional signage. At one point a car pulled out right in front of me and I had to slow down for it. I have run the Ringing In Hope races many times in the past and the organization has always been excellent. I do not know what happened yesterday but it was certainly well below the standard I expected from them. 

I reasoned that mile 5 was the mile 4 I had studied in the course elevation profile. Which meant it was time for a big long hill. Mile 5 sucked the soul out of me! It had me seriously questioning my life choices. After running a sub 20:30 5K I was now expected to run three more miles, the first of which was a huge hill. Why did I do this to myself!?

The only thing that motivated me was reminding myself that I was not a quitter and the fact that I was in 3rd place. I guess those are pretty strong motivators, as they worked. But at the time it was very hard to stay in it! I still had the 2nd place runner in my sight. The gap between her and me stayed pretty much the same throughout mile 5. My split was 6:55 which was pretty miraculous because I felt like I was slugging by at an 8:00 pace.

Mile 5 or 6, waving to Cheryl.

Mile 6 was a similar story. There was not much respite from the hills, although I knew from the elevation profile that the worst was behind me. It hurt so much. It would have been easy to fall into the thought pattern of resentment. Resenting that this would not be the final mile. That my 10K was derailed by course mis-management. But none of those thoughts popped into my mind. I acknowledged the pain. Embraced the suck. I didn't look at my watch. I stayed focused on the woman ahead of me and reminded myself that the woman behind me could be very close. 

My friend Cheryl was cheering for me and taking photos at some point during this stretch. It was a huge pick-me-up right when I needed it. I was so happy to see her! 

Mile 6 was 6:52. Another surprise because I felt like I had faded to something in the high 7:00's!

Mile 7 and final 0.34:
At this point, I was truly going "the extra mile". Never had that phrase resonated with me so much! Thankfully it was a net downhill and I knew the end HAD to be near. I just wasn't sure how near. In my head I kept wondering when that turn would come. Would this be 7 miles? 7.5 miles? 8 miles? Who knew!? And with no mile markers, the course wasn't giving any hints. 

At this point I did feel like I could have pushed harder. I knew it in the moment, but I had no motivation to go deeper into the pain cave. 

Finally I saw Greg and I knew the finish line was in my reach. Mile 7 was 6:38 and the final 0.34 was a pace of 6:31. I maintained my third place position but the 4th woman was not far behind! Interestingly, the only time I saw a male during this race was during the first mile mix-up. I was either running with the women or running solo for the rest of the race.

After the Race
Our pack of women reunited and instantly started talking about all-things running. Neither of us knew each other but we all lived locally and we were all similarly matched. At least yesterday we were!

I also had the opportunity to talk with Perry, the Olympic trials qualifier and 1st female finisher. Interestingly, she had also been registered for the 15K on Sunday, but switched to this 10K for similar reasons. I had always known about her but had never chatted with her, so it was really amazing to get to know her a bit!

The theme of this race was definitely bonding with other female runners. And honestly that FAR overshadowed the fact that the distance was totally messed up. If anything, the messed up distance was a blessing in disguise because it allowed me throw caution to the wind and run with a fast pack of ladies and embrace the experience. I had been planning on a 15K originally, so I got more bang for my buck with this race! In kilometers, this race was 11.8K.

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
As I said above, the local women's running community was the real focus yesterday. From my conversation with Perry to the pack of 5 women to Cheryl taking photos of me in the middle of the race. We all support each other and have a shared love of sport. I'm so grateful to be a part of this. I've found "my place" so to speak and it's exactly where I belong.

Other takeaways and stats:

• My official time was 49:08, which is an average pace of 6:41
• My Garmin logged 7.34 miles or 11.8K
• According to the Jack Daniels VDOT calculator, the 10K equivalent is 41:12, which would have been a small PR for me, despite not believing myself to be in PR shape
• Strava says I ran a 20:17 5K during the race, which is over 10 seconds faster than my Turkey Trot
• My award for 3rd place was a free two-topping Domino's pizza, available for carry-out only
• I am considering this a PR and having PR cake
• Not only is it a PR because it's a new distance, but it also does equate to a 10K PR
• I do not feel robbed of a 10K PR, but I am motivated to go run another one soon
• The course mishap makes for a much more interesting blog post
• I'm not sure how the lead runner was expected to know which way to turn. With no lead biker and no course marshal, there was no way for him to know. Everyone else simply followed him.

For the past two months I have been of the mindset that I am not in the best shape of my life. Today's race proves that wrong. I am in the best shape of my life. And I believe I could have run a faster final mile if I had more motivation. I truly did go "the extra mile" yesterday and I love that I encountered a new challenge and made new friends while doing so.

Running for PR Pie

Yesterday morning, I ran the Ashburn Farm Turkey Trot 10K. This race offers both a 5K and a 10K and back in 2019 I ran the 5K. Prior to 2019, I had run the Virginia Run Turkey Trot 5K every year since 2006, but they decided to discontinue the race in 2019 due to lack of volunteers. So, this was my first ever Turkey Trot 10K, as I had always run 5 in years past.

I chose the 10K this year because I felt like my endurance was strong from the marathon training, but my speed was lacking. Even though I had never run a turkey trot 10K before, I had run this course in 2016 as a New Year's eve race. In 2016, I had set a huge PR by running a time of 42:09. So I knew it was a fast course. 

The first mile of the course contains a long hill with 70 feet of elevation gain. And then miles 2-5 are gently rolling. The final mile of the course is downhill by 70 feet. The 5K version of the course is similar with mile 1 being up hill, 2 being rolling, and 3 being downhill. I looked at my Strava data from 2016 to remind myself of the elevation profile and analyze my pacing. 

Mindset and Goals
When I ran the marathon a few weeks ago, I was happy with my performance, but I felt like I could have pushed harder during the gravel sections. Those six miles on gravel were my slowest and it was because I was trying to "just get through them" rather than fight hard to maintain my pace. I felt like I could have run 1-2 minutes faster if I had pushed harder and had a different mindset. 

So with this Turkey Trot, my primary goal was to push as hard as I possibly could. To never "just hang in there" and to have the confidence to make it hurt more when it already hurt. In nearly every race I run I always have the desire to stop. But I decided that I would immediately combat any negative thoughts and seek out the suffering that comes with racing at max effort. Embrace the sufferings as what I needed to be feeling.

If I did this, I thought I could set a new PR. My current PR was 41:33, set in December of 2020 on a flat course in perfect weather. I did not believe myself to be in "PR shape" and I had not run any workouts since the marathon nearly three weeks prior. And I had no idea if I was fully recovered from the marathon. But, I had nothing to lose, so why not go for it?

Since I believed myself to NOT be in PR shape (and I still believe I was fitter back in December 2020) I thought that simply pushing harder could yield a faster time. Yes, I pushed very hard when I ran the 41:33. But what if I ran even harder, always asking myself to give more? 

Before the Race
The night before the race I had pasta with chicken, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in an olive oil sauce. It's a pretty typical meal for Greg and me before our long runs. Speaking of Greg, he decided to sit this one out. He is running a marathon on December 4, and he thought the turkey trot would take too much out of him. So I had a cheerleader and photographer. 

I went back to my December 2020 race report to read up on how I fueled so I could do the exact same thing. An English muffin with almond butter 2.5 hours pre-race, and half a serving of the Maurten Drink Mix 160. And then 15 minutes before race start (during my warm up) a Maurten caffeinated gel. 

I had picked up my bib the day before so once we arrived, all I had to do was warm up and use the porta potty. Logistics were super easy and we parked literally 0.1 mile from the start line. I warmed up for just over 2 miles and did some drills and strides. 

The weather gets a 10 out of 10 on my race weather scale. Turkey trots almost always deliver favorable conditions. It was 32 at the start, rising to 35 at the finish. Winds at 1-2 mph, and about 70% cloud cover. This is my absolute favorite weather for racing!

The 10K runners started at 8:15 and the 5K runners started at 8:25. This meant that if I ran a 40-minute 10K, I would be finishing with people running a 30-minute 5K. Which is a very popular time! I knew to expect crowding during the final mile when we joined back up with the 5K. I knew I would be plowing through them all so I hoped that would go smoothly!

Mile 1, up hill

Miles 1-2
The race started and the big 70-foot hill awaited! In 2016 I had run the first mile in 7:00, so I was aiming to run it in the low 6:50s and then have all subsequent miles be much faster. The nice thing about this hill is that it's not super steep, it's just long. So it doesn't kill your legs; you just need to be patient and accept a slow first mile. My split ended up being 6:47, a little faster than planned. Instead of worrying that I had gone out too fast, I told myself that this was good, and I would continue to hold a high bar for myself.

The second mile was gently rolling and I was able to settle into a groove. There were two women who were both far ahead of me and I was third. I was running with a group of guys but over the course of the second mile I passed many of them. My split was 6:41, which was faster than planned.

Miles 3-4
Since both of my first miles were a good 5 seconds faster than planned, I did not allow myself to ease up for the third. Nope. I had set a high bar and I would continue to get faster and faster. I wanted my third mile to be 6:40 or faster and I was going to make it happen no matter what. And I did. I ran a 6:40.

You know what I didn't really think about? Was how the race felt. Which is a first, I think! Usually it's impossible for me to ignore how much discomfort I am in and I get scared that I will not be able to make it to the finish line. That's when the "just hang in there" mentality comes in. Usually my mindset is as follows. This hurts. I want to stop. But I never stop in the middle of races. Come on, just hang in there. 

I finally noticed I was getting really uncomfortable in the 4th mile but then I pushed that thought out of my head and replaced it with "push hard!" I focused on my form. Using my arms to power up the gently rolling hills. Not looking at my Garmin on the up hills because 100% of my focus was the climb. Getting to the top of the hill and knowing I would get some relief, but that I needed to still push. Mile 4 was 6:35.

Miles 5-6
This was it. These miles would determine if a PR would happen. I knew it was on the line. I knew how badly I wanted it. I knew that this pain would last for less than 15 minutes but I would have all day to bask in PR glory. I remembered the feeling of regret for not pushing harder on the gravel of my marathon and I vowed that would not happen today. Negative thoughts, not today! Just hanging in there, not today! Today was the day for pushing hard and it was what I had been mentally preparing for all week. Mile 5 was 6:40, which meant a PR would be possible if I ran my absolute hardest for the last 1.2.

Final kick to the finish

All I had was downhill left. And not a steep downhill that killed the quads, but a long gradual downhill to the finish as a final reward. (This is a really fast course!) So I kicked it into high gear and I gunned it. I joined up with the 5K runners, and there were plenty of them, but thankfully I was able to run on the outside of the pack and there were only a few close calls of running into people. Throughout this mile I ran like my life depended on it and just totally emptied the tank. My split was 6:19 and the final 0.25 on my Garmin was a pace of 5:59. A quarter of a mile at a 5:59 pace after running six very hard miles. WOW!

The Finish
I crossed the finish line and immediately went for the finish line shoot barrier to lean on as I hunched over. I was incoherent for a few minutes and I felt like I might pass out. I was pretty sure I wouldn't - it was jut the shock of the sudden stop after running my guts out for over 40 minutes. 

I stopped my Garmin and didn't look down at it immediately. Did I PR!? I had no idea! I had lost all track of math during the last two miles so I wasn't even sure how fast I needed to run, but I told myself it was possible regardless. 

And yes, I did PR with an official time of 41:17. This is 16 seconds faster than the 41:33 from last December! Not huge, but not small either! A healthy amount of PRing! I actually thought that if I was going to PR, it would probably be by only a few seconds and I would be lucky to run 41:2x. After all, I believed that I was not in as good of shape as last December, so a PR should not have been possible. 

After getting out of the finish line chute, I vomited, I guess I am doing this at short races now. It used to just be half marathons and full marathons. There's just no avoiding it and I think it has more to do with my gag reflex than my digestive system. Because even if nothing comes up, I still dry heave. 

I felt sooooo wrecked. I didn't even attempt a cool down. I seriously gave that race every ounce of what I had and I do not think I could have squeezed a single second more out of it. This tops the list as one of my mentally strongest races ever, with zero negative thoughts, 100% confidence and the desire to continue to push harder with every single step.

Top 3 ladies!

I was the 3rd female out of 140, winning a cash prize of $100. I placed 19 overall out of 320. The first and second place females ran 35:55 and 39:12. I also won a plaque that I can put with my 2nd place plaque from the 2019 5K.  After collecting my award, Greg and I drove home and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving at my sister's house. 

Greg and I will be making PR Pie later today, and we are still deciding on the type. I feel like with a Turkey Trot, it's more appropriate to have pie than cake. Other times it would be appropriate is if the Garmin measured 3.14 miles in a 5K or if I ever run a 3:14:15 marathon. 

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
The biggest takeaway for me is that you don't have to be in PR shape to set a PR. Even if your previous PR was set on a pancake flat course in perfect weather. Don't get me wrong - I am definitely "fit" right now. All that marathon training has paid off. But this PR would not have happened if I didn't mentally prepare myself to have an "always push harder" mindset. It definitely goes to show how much of a factor the mind truly is when racing. 

Now, if a PR is truly not on the line because of weather or a tough course or me not being in the best shape, will I still have this same attitude? I'd like to, but wow- did that HURT! Greg has said on several occasions "I had no business running that race as fast as I did; it probably wasn't medically advisable." I know what he means now. 

Other final thoughts and stats:

• Average cadence was 197.
• I paid close attention to running the tangents and my Garmin distance was 6.25, which is pretty good, and better than the 6.28 from the 2016 race. 
• I ran the first 5K in 21:00 and the second in 20:17
• I think the fueling strategy worked, as I was energized throughout the entire race.
• I can't believe I am still setting lifetime personal bests at the age of 43
• I was so thankful to have Greg there cheering for me and taking photos!
• I was thankful that Turkey Trots have returned. I missed running one last year. 

This time of 41:17 predicts a 5K time of 19:53 according to the McMillan calculator. So I think that will be my next goal before I start training for Boston. 

New Day New Year 10K

The long awaited 2021 is here. And what will it bring?

For starters, the first race in the Northern Virginia area (that I am aware of) held on closed roads: The New Day*New Year 10K. All the local races that I ran in 2020 starting in March were either in Washington DC or on roads open to traffic (Fort Hunt 10K). Here's a quick recap:

• Outer Banks 5K (in North Carolina)
• Fort Hunt 10K (open road in a park area)
• Hanover Half Marathon (in Pennsylvania)
• Harrisburg Marathon (in Pennsylvania)
• Cranberry Crawl 5K (in Washington DC)
• Christmas Caper 10K (in Washington DC)

This is great news because it sets a precent of Loudon County being on board with live races and road closures. Hopefully we will start seeing more races come back to Northern Virginia.

Background
This race offered a 5K and a 10K option. I wasn't sure which one I wanted to do, but looking at the course made it an easy decision. The 5K course ended on an uphill and part of it was on a neighborhood path. The 10K course ended on a downhill and there was no neighborhood path; it was all road. 

However, the day before the race, we received an email letting us know that the 10K would now be two laps of the 5K. Definitely a bait-and-switch. I am assuming that it's less expensive for them to use the 5K course for both races because they don't have to pay for as many police officers and close as many roads. I could be wrong, but that's my best guess as to why they would change it at the last minute.

My heart sunk upon reading this. What I had thought would be a decently fast course on 100% roads was now going to be more challenging with part of it run on a neighborhood path, times two.  I briefly considered switching to the 5K. That way I would only have to run on the path once. But I ultimately decided to just stick with the original plan. It was not the end of the world, of course, and 2020 has taught me to be flexible and roll with the punches. So I tried not to focus on it too much and just accept the change. But I think it got into my head a little when it was time to execute. 

Before the Race
The race started at 9:30 so it was easy to take my Maurten Drink Mix 3 hours beforehand at 6:30. I used the same fueling strategy that I used in the Christmas Caper 10K from two weeks ago when I set a PR. 

I decided to wear my Nike Vaporfly Next % shoes, for a few reasons:

• I wanted to save my adidas Adios Pro for my next marathon, as I will likely not be able to obtain another pair before then. (Due to my high cadence, I wear through shoes very quickly).
• There was a chance of rain, and there is no traction on the Adios Pro, whereas the Nike Vaporfly has decent traction. 
• 
  I have two pairs of the Nike Vaporfly, which each cost me $260 after tax, so I figured I should probably use them at some point.
• I thought it would be good to get a true comparison of the shoes. I never thought the Nike Vaporfly Next% made me any faster than normal shoes, but now that I had the Adidas Pro to compare them to, I wanted to try again.

Greg and I arrived with ample time to pick up our bibs and warm up. It started to rain lightly as we were warming up, which was supposed to hold off until after the race. Thankfully the rain ended after about 10 minutes and it wasn't enough to make the roads slippery.

In fact, the weather ended up being nearly perfect. 34 degrees, 3mph winds, overcast. The forecast kept changing all week and originally we were looking at a torrential downpour and 38 degrees! At one point, winds were forecast to be 13-15mph. We definitely lucked out in terms of weather, so I probably should not be complaining about the course change.

We warmed up for a little over 2 miles, finishing at the start line. When we arrived, we were surprised to see that many runners were already lined up on the designated spots, so we wouldn't be among the first to start. To maintain social distancing, two runners were released at a time, with sets going about 5 seconds apart. And there were multiple waves. We wore masks in the start corral and took them off once we started the race. There were about 50 runners in the 10K (which started first) and 100 runners in the 5K. 

Miles 1-2

As the race started, I felt really good. I thought that this would be a strong race for me and I had plenty of pep. I now realize that this is because the race started downhill! There were about 4 women ahead of me, all of whom I passed in the first mile. I thought to myself, "Wow, this could be my day to win the race!" Greg lined up behind me at the start line so he was in the set of runners that started 5 seconds after me. He passed me about half a mile into the race, looking strong. 

I got through mile 1 in 6:40. This was faster than my first mile from two weeks ago, so I was pleased with it. (Sure, it was a downhill mile, but it didn't seem to be that much of a downhill). Shortly after finishing the first mile, a woman passed me from behind. She had started after me and passed me and some of the guys in front of me. I later learned that she ended up being the first overall finisher, for both men and women! Very impressive.

Things started to feel hard during the second mile, but I still felt strong and energized. I believed that I was crushing it and running very quickly, but the 6:45 split on my Garmin was a bit disheartening.

Miles 3-4
The neighborhood path was at the start of mile 3. There was a downhill stretch, but then that momentum was killed by having to get up onto a curb and make a sharp turn onto a path, and then another sharp turn onto a wooden bridge/boardwalk type of surface. I was very thankful that it wasn't raining because this had the potential to be slippery. And then a few more turns through a parking lot before we were back onto a road. Annoying, but manageable.

Here's where I think the last minute course change got into my head. Similar to mindset at Harrisburg, I got annoyed at the awkwardness of the course. I let it bother me and I allowed it to give me an excuse for slowing down. To run well you need to be 100% positive or neutral, and I let some negativity seep in. Mile 3 was mostly uphill so I wasn't too surprised to log a 6:49 for that mile. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but I figured I could make it up during the 4th mile, which would be downhill again as the course repeated itself.

At this point, a new challenge emerged: passing the 5K runners. As one would expect, there were packs of them running 2-3 abreast and weaving around them was difficult at times. Additionally, there were 10K runners coming back on on the same route. So I was trying to weave through 5K runners and make sure I didn't have a head-on collision with the 10K runners. 

I was able to get some advantage from the downhill of mile 4, but not as much as I needed to make up for the slow down of mile 3. I logged 6:42 which, on a downhill mile, wasn't that fast for me. I was expecting to be running closer to 6:30 and I still felt decent, but I just couldn't bring myself to push any harder. It's like I knew I could run faster. Just two weeks ago I was running 6:36 flat miles and now my downhill pace was 6:42. 

A 5K runner in the background

Miles 5-6
I was so ready to be done with the race at this point. There would be no more fast downhill miles, just the long uphill stretch to the finish and another run through the neighborhood path. Thankfully I passed some 5K runners shortly before getting onto the path, so I didn't have to pass anyone while on the narrow path. I was encouraged with my 6:43 for mile 5, but I simply didn't have the gas in the tank I needed to run uphill for the long stretch.

At one point I felt so bad I told myself I would be happy with anything under 7:15. Usually I can totally rally during the last mile of a race, but not today. I observed that it's hard for me to run uphill in the Vaporflys. They are bulky and I felt like if I had more contact with the ground at that point, I could have engaged my muscles more to help out. Mile 6 ended up being 6:57, and in hindsight I feel like I could have run that faster. But at the time I was in so much pain, I was hoping just to be under 7:15! 

The finish and beyond
I came through the finish in 41:44, which pleasantly surprised me. I had been projecting 42:xx. I felt like this race was so much slower than 10K from two weeks ago, and yet this time was only 11 seconds slower - my second fastest 10K ever! 

If you look at the distance on my Garmin, this race course measured 6.18 miles at an average pace of 6:45, and the Christmas Caper measured 6.28 miles at a pace of 6:36. So, while there is a notable difference between a 6:36 and 6:45 pace, the "shorter" course today meant there was only 11 seconds difference in the official time instead of 54.

Greg was waiting for me at the finish and I was thrilled to learn that he broke 40:00 for the first time by running 39:38. Amazing! I knew he could do it. He absolutely crushed it. He was the 4th overall finisher and I was the 6th. As for the women's race, I came in 2nd. I was pleased with this. I think that the awards are coming in the mail. 

This race had amazing swag: hat, gloves, and a neck warmer. Overall the organization was strong and I was thankful to be able to continue with my New Year's tradition of racing. The only areas for improvement would be not changing the course at the last minute, better traffic control of the two-way stretch, and certifying the course. Some of the 5K runners logged 3.06 miles on their Garmins. The 10K was closer to the true distance because we ran an extra little stretch that wasn't part of the 5K. Knowing this, I am happy that I decided to stick with the 10K because I believe it was more accurately measured. I don't think the courses were USATF certified. 

Greg and I did a short cool down during which the rain came back. All in all, we really lucked out with the weather!

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
There are positive and negative ways to look at my race today. I guess instead of negative, I should say "constructive" lessons I learned to improve on for next time. 

Positive:

• Officially my second fastest 10K ever
• Fast time on a hilly course, with a half-mile uphill stretch at the end of the race
• 2nd place female
• Pushed really hard, got a great workout in

Negative

• My heart rate didn't get all that high, I believe I had the fitness to go faster
• I let negative thoughts seep in; I shouldn't have let the course annoyances bother me
• I was only 11 seconds off of my PR, if I had just pushed harder I could have beat it
• My Garmin pace was 6:45, and I have run about 5 other 10Ks at this pace, so it's not like this race shows a big fitness gain

As for the Nike Vaporfly Next% shoes, I think I am done with them. Yes, I paid $260 a pair and I have two pairs of them. But I don't believe they make me faster than my normal speed training shoes (Adidas Boston or adidas Adios non-pro). They also irritated my Achilles so I am hesitant to wear them again when they aren't a fast shoe for me. Do I think I would have been faster in the adidas Adios Pro? Yes. But I don't regret not wearing them because I had valid reasons for wanting to give the Vaporflys another shot. At least now I know and I won't feel guilty about spending all that money but not using them.

At the end of the day, racing is really just one big experiment. You have to try different strategies and see what works. Nutrition. Shoes. Pacing. Warm up. Mental approaches. I think this race fueled my fire to get back out there and push really hard on the next one.

Christmas Caper 10K: Happy all the way!

This morning I ran the real, live Christmas Caper 10K in Washington, DC. This was the same course as my 5K from November, only doubled. It's a no-frills race series. No chip timing, no shirt. Just a race on a fast course with fast runners. 

I had run this race before, 12 years ago in 2008! I had to consult my race history in my blog to find the report and sure enough, I have a report from the 2008 race. In 2008, I ran 10 miles with hills two days before the race, 5 miles the day before the race, and then stayed up past midnight the night before the race at a holiday party. And then I was upset that I didn't PR. Hahaha! Back then I thought I was invincible and should be able to PR in any circumstances. My time was a "disappointing" 49:36. And then I ran 17 miles the following day. (Insert facepalm emoji here).

Race Approach
This year, my goal was to PR. The conditions were perfect (I give them a 10/10 on my race weather scale) and I was in outstanding shape. My 10K PR was my longest standing PR from 2017 at 41:51. I really had no idea how I ran that fast because that course was insanely hilly. And ever since that 2017 race I thought, "If I get good weather and an easier course, a PR should be no problem".  I had run six 10k races since setting that 41:51 PR, and none of the six were faster. Four of them were humid, one of them was coming off an injury, and one was on a track.

Even if I hadn't been in the best shape ever, a flat course with perfect conditions meant a shot at a PR. I told my coach I wanted to PR and his response was "yeah, let's just do it" as if it was no problem! I liked having the mindset that it was really a matter of getting it done. I had the fitness and the conditions, all I needed to do was to execute. 

Fueling Strategy
If you have been following my blog you know that I have been experimenting with different fueling strategies since my digestive nightmare at the Harrisburg Marathon in November. I am using Maurten products, and for a 10k, their website recommended having their Drink Mix 160 three hours prior to a 10k, and then a caffeinated gel 30 minutes before race start.

I had only tried the Drink Mix once before on a training run, so I decided that instead of drinking the entire serving (500ml) I would drink about half. And instead of my normal English Muffin with peanut butter, I would have half an English muffin with Almond butter. To summarize:

• Almost half of the Maurten Drink Mix 160 packet three hours before race start
• Half of an English muffin + almond butter 2.5 hours before race start
• One caffeinated Maurten gel 30 minutes before race start

This worked really well and I had no digestive issues before, during, or after the race. 

Before the Race

Greg and I left the house at around 6:30 for a race start of 8:00. He ran the 5k, which started at 7:50. We arrived at the race, got our bibs, and used a wonderfully warm indoor bathroom at the nearby golf course. It was 28 degrees, so I decided I would warm up for a little longer than usual. 

I wanted to dress festively but also appropriately for the weather. I wore green capri tights, a red short-sleeve shirt and arm warmers. I find that a short-sleeved shirt plus arm warmers is better than long sleeves for racing because it lets some air into the core. When I ran the Indianpolis Half Marathon last

Photo by Cheryl Young

year, it was 28 degrees, overcast and windy. I wore a long-sleeved shirt, and I regretted it.

Some people wear shorts in this weather. I find that tights do not slow me down or weigh me down, and my legs don't overheat. And if my legs are too cold, they won't move as quickly. So I will race in capris if it's 35 degrees or cooler. I overheat in my face and chest area, so wearing a lightweight short-sleeved shirt was perfect, with the arm sleeves keeping my arms warm. I wore convertible mittens with hand warmers inside of them.

I wore my new adidas Adios Pro shoes that I wore in the Marathon. I really wanted to wear my green Nike Vaporfly Next% because they matched the outfit so perfectly, but those shoes simply don't work as well for me as the adidas.

After putting on my bib and using the bathroom, I warmed up for 3 miles. I paused to watch Greg start his 5k. He looked strong! I made sure to include strides and faster running in my warm up. At 28 degrees, it can be difficult to get moving and I wanted my legs nice and warm starting at mile 1.

After the warmup I lined up at the start line in my mask. The 10K race had only 15 runners total! Very small. Of those 15 runners, 5 were female. I did not know this at the time, I only know because I looked at the race results afterwards. There was no chip timing so I wanted to line up close to the starting line. However there were other serious-looking runners up there and I didn't want to crowd them (social distancing and all).  So I lined up about 10 feet back. 

Miles 1-2
As the race started, three women were ahead of me. One of them was Cristina, a long-time friend and fellow blogger. So I started out in 4th place. For a race with 15 total runners, that's quite the competitive field!

I eased into my pace during the first mile and focused on Cristina. She's a great pace setter and even though I knew she would be faster than me (the goal wasn't to keep up with her) I knew her start would be strong and controlled. As I said earlier, I knew that all I had to do to PR was execute and stay mentally strong. I had the fitness. This race would be all about my mindset.

I focused on finding a rhythm and establishing a flow. During the first mile, I saw Greg running on the opposite side of the course in the final stretch of his 5k. I could tell he was working hard and that motivated me to increase my effort level. I also saw my friend Cheryl in the 5k, which was a nice pick-me-up.

Mile 1: 6:45
Mile 2: 6:37

Miles 3-4
In terms of pacing, I knew I needed to average 6:40 to PR. But I didn't want to just PR, I wanted to run my fastest race possible. So I reminded myself that the Garmin was for informational purposes only, and I shouldn't slow down if I saw a pace that I thought was beyond my ability. Miles 3 and 4 were the hardest, and I think this is true of any 10K. By the time you reach the 3rd mile, you are already tired and

Just before the turnaround

 you have been running hard for awhile. And yet you still have over half the race to complete. So it can 
be really discouraging.

We turned around near the start line and ran the entire course again to create the 10k distance. I saw Greg at the turnaround and he cheered for me and snapped some photos. The course was fast and flat, but there were 3 momentum-stealing hairpin turns. I personally think I need to work on my hairpin turn and I am not great at executing it. Partially because I am a cautious runner and I am afraid of falling or hurting myself if I do a movement that isn't straight forward. 

After I turned around it was time to run the entire course again. That thought was exhausting and intimidating so I started to break the race down into more manageable chunks. I knew this race would be all mental so I played little games of creating small goals. Usually that goal would be "stay strong until you reach that point up there on the road" or "run really hard until your watch beeps for the next mile." This was a good way of distracting myself so I didn't think about having to run that entire course again. 

Mile 3: 6:35
Mile 4: 6:40

Miles 5-Finish
That 6:40 mile was slower than the previous two but I was not discouraged by it. There was a slight headwind during that mile and once I got out of it I was able to pick up the pace a little. With just two miles to go I knew I was on track for a PR and so I needed to stay as strong as possible. I was

Approaching the finish line

successfully able to battle any negative thought just as soon as it arose. And most of the time I was too busy with positive, happy thoughts, that there was significantly less negativity to battle. I just had to constantly focus on pushing and staying positive.

As for my competition, the three women stayed ahead of me for the entire race. Cristina remained in my line of vision for most of the race. I didn't expect to catch her, but it was still nice to have the competition and be reminded that this was a race and not a training run. 

With just 1 mile to go I started getting really giddy and excited inside. I thought about the PR cake and I wondered if Greg had also PR'ed. I kept telling myself that if I gave up now, there would be no PR cake! The closer I got to the finish, the more excited I became. And the race was still hurting a lot. I am not a religious person but I somehow found myself praying to God to help me get to the finish. I sprinted it in while Cheryl and Greg cheered me on.

Mile 5: 6:35

Mile 6: 6:34

The last 0.28: 6:10 pace

After the Race
I stopped my Garmin at 41:33, which is a PR by 18 seconds! Of course, my Garmin measured 6.28 miles (as did other people's Garmins) so my official pace will not match my Garmin average pace of 6:36.  But wow, a 6:36 pace for a 10k?! That is way faster than I could have imagined!

I was so happy to finally break that PR. In a real, live race! I was the 4th overall female, but interestingly enough, there were only 5 women total. It's crazy that with a time of 41:33, I was the second-to-last place female. This just shows that placement is all about who shows up and it's never really in your control. 

Greg was very close to his 5k PR of 19:24. He missed it by a few seconds. 

We briefly chatted with Cristina and Cheryl and then ran a short cool down. Afterwards, we drove straight home and I got in my epsom salt bath. One of the best things about running in really cold weather is that the bath afterwards feels amazing. 

Cheryl and me after the race

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
I was so excited to PR. . . have I mentioned that yet?  I hadn't set any PRs in 2020 that weren't virtual. And while I do count virtual PRs and real PRs, it's more satisfying to have the time be official.  Speaking of official times, I ended up with a time of 41:35, even though my finish line photo showed faster on the clock:

Based on this photo, it looks like my official time should have been 41:32. Or at least the 41:33 that my Garmin logged. But it ended up being 41:35 officially. Based on this photo, I am going to claim 41:33. After all, Personal Records are 'Personal' and there's no way this is a 41:35. I know I am splitting hairs but when you work your butt off for every little second, they all matter.

Other final thoughts:

• I think the adidas Adios Pro shoes helped. I am not sure how they would be in a 5k but I did think that they were a fast shoe for the 10k.
• Knowing that I can run 6.28 miles at an average pace of 6:36, I think I am also in shape to set a 5k PR
• It's awesome to compare this race to my 49:36 of 2008. I've come a long way for sure.
• I will be racing another 10k on New Year's Day. That race also offers a 5K, but I want another shot at this distance to see if I can go even faster. I needed to breakthrough that 41:51 plateau, and now that I have, I feel like I can keep going!
• The fueling strategy worked perfectly. No issues during the race aside from some burps here and there.
• I beat a guy who once gave me grief at a 5k for being too loud when I ran. He had told me that my sounds distracted him. I was over a minute ahead of him today.
• PR cake tonight. I have not decided on a flavor yet.