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Preface - the race course sort of has a special place in my heart because it's the same course that I ran my first 10k on when I started running 4 years ago.<br><br>
The Richmond Road Runners has started what I hope will be a New Years tradition for many years to come. It's a 10k race through a fairly rolling/hilly neighborhood in Southside Richmond. For a small race (about 275 runners) there was excellent crowd support (i.e. lots of people waiting near their driveways with noise makers).<br><br>
This particular course is what I like to call a <b>Gut Check</b> course. It's not a super hard course (like the University of Richmond Turkey Trot or the Hatfield McCoy Marathon), it's just not a particularly easy course. The course winds through a nice neighborhood with lots of rolling hills. In the 6.2 miles, there really isn't any 'flat' until you get to the last two tenths of a mile. So 6 miles of ups and downs, .2 miles of flat.<br><br>
This is the kind of course that you reap what you sew. Throw down a good pace, maintain, and maybe a little race day magic will carry you to a good time despite the challenges. That was my game plan.<br><br>
Going into the race, my 10k PR was 41:59. I kind of hoped to change that in the back of my mind - but I knew it wouldn't be easy.<br><br>
My race began as it usually does - warming up. I started off by warming up on the track for 1.25 miles. Then I jogged over to a field, and did some knee lift drills... then one more potty stop, and I headed to the start.<br><br>
Once the commands were given, I took off... probably a little too fast, but the first mile, is more downhill than up - that wasn't the case for the miles after that though. I have a bad habit of not hitting splits on my watch anymore. I did look when I went by the first mile marker - 6:11... I knew I wouldn't keep that pace up. I eased up... so did the group I was with... I settled into a good rhythm... I began to breathe... and then the hills came.<br><br>
Going up the hills, I relaxed as much as I could. I made up as much ground as I could on the downhills. I skipped the first water stop at mile two. All I could hear in my head was, "If I start taking water in a 10k next thing you know I'll need it in a Marathon" - it's something a friend of mine tells the water stop people instead of 'no thank you'. I ran on.<br><br>
Somewhere around mile 2.5 I got passed by 3 people. DAMN... I thought I was going good... I focused... I checked my watch... a PR seemed out of the question... I grunted up the next hill. I focused on the next downhill... the next mile came... I made up some time... PR still out the window.<br><br>
I passed 2 people, one of whom passed me, and another guy. "It's halfway over" I told one of them. I pressed... I came up on mile 4. I passed another person who had passed me earlier... I got passed by two more people too though.<br><br>
I checked my watch... maybe I can PR, it's going to be close. I reached mile 5, at this point there was lots of slicing and dicing, I've been passed, and passed people, I can't keep track of who's who... it's just a whirlwind of singlets and shirts at this point. I see a friend of mine on the side of the road with his kids... he's blowing a noise maker... "Welcome to my neighborhood he shouts - LIKE THE HILLS" ... "Um no... I don't" I think to myself... I checked my watch again... did some quick math. "Maybe... Maybe I'll do it... " I think to myself, "It's going to be tight". The road starts to go up... but I have a tailwind.<br><br>
I pass by some other runners, I even passed by the kid who passed me so effortlessly at mile 3... I see mile 6, I look at my watch... "Sh!t I might actually do this" I think to myself. I gave it all the gas I had left... the road leveled out. At this point, I can feel the lactic acid churning in my legs, I vow not to give up. As I round the bend, I see the clock, I'm so close, I can taste it... I get to a few meters, and I watch it turn... 41:58... 41:59... 42:00... my heart sank a little... but I pressed on. I hit the line at 42:04.<br><br>
I wasn't disappointed for long. I warmed down for about a mile, and saw some friends - I realize that was a much tougher course than I ran my 41:59 at. I ran a good race. I wouldn't change anything, I really don't think I could.<br><br>
Just to compare notes:<br><br><b>May 2004 - 48:48</b><br><b>January 2008 - 42:04</b><br><br>
I'm happy with where things are going, bring on 2008 <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">
The Richmond Road Runners has started what I hope will be a New Years tradition for many years to come. It's a 10k race through a fairly rolling/hilly neighborhood in Southside Richmond. For a small race (about 275 runners) there was excellent crowd support (i.e. lots of people waiting near their driveways with noise makers).<br><br>
This particular course is what I like to call a <b>Gut Check</b> course. It's not a super hard course (like the University of Richmond Turkey Trot or the Hatfield McCoy Marathon), it's just not a particularly easy course. The course winds through a nice neighborhood with lots of rolling hills. In the 6.2 miles, there really isn't any 'flat' until you get to the last two tenths of a mile. So 6 miles of ups and downs, .2 miles of flat.<br><br>
This is the kind of course that you reap what you sew. Throw down a good pace, maintain, and maybe a little race day magic will carry you to a good time despite the challenges. That was my game plan.<br><br>
Going into the race, my 10k PR was 41:59. I kind of hoped to change that in the back of my mind - but I knew it wouldn't be easy.<br><br>
My race began as it usually does - warming up. I started off by warming up on the track for 1.25 miles. Then I jogged over to a field, and did some knee lift drills... then one more potty stop, and I headed to the start.<br><br>
Once the commands were given, I took off... probably a little too fast, but the first mile, is more downhill than up - that wasn't the case for the miles after that though. I have a bad habit of not hitting splits on my watch anymore. I did look when I went by the first mile marker - 6:11... I knew I wouldn't keep that pace up. I eased up... so did the group I was with... I settled into a good rhythm... I began to breathe... and then the hills came.<br><br>
Going up the hills, I relaxed as much as I could. I made up as much ground as I could on the downhills. I skipped the first water stop at mile two. All I could hear in my head was, "If I start taking water in a 10k next thing you know I'll need it in a Marathon" - it's something a friend of mine tells the water stop people instead of 'no thank you'. I ran on.<br><br>
Somewhere around mile 2.5 I got passed by 3 people. DAMN... I thought I was going good... I focused... I checked my watch... a PR seemed out of the question... I grunted up the next hill. I focused on the next downhill... the next mile came... I made up some time... PR still out the window.<br><br>
I passed 2 people, one of whom passed me, and another guy. "It's halfway over" I told one of them. I pressed... I came up on mile 4. I passed another person who had passed me earlier... I got passed by two more people too though.<br><br>
I checked my watch... maybe I can PR, it's going to be close. I reached mile 5, at this point there was lots of slicing and dicing, I've been passed, and passed people, I can't keep track of who's who... it's just a whirlwind of singlets and shirts at this point. I see a friend of mine on the side of the road with his kids... he's blowing a noise maker... "Welcome to my neighborhood he shouts - LIKE THE HILLS" ... "Um no... I don't" I think to myself... I checked my watch again... did some quick math. "Maybe... Maybe I'll do it... " I think to myself, "It's going to be tight". The road starts to go up... but I have a tailwind.<br><br>
I pass by some other runners, I even passed by the kid who passed me so effortlessly at mile 3... I see mile 6, I look at my watch... "Sh!t I might actually do this" I think to myself. I gave it all the gas I had left... the road leveled out. At this point, I can feel the lactic acid churning in my legs, I vow not to give up. As I round the bend, I see the clock, I'm so close, I can taste it... I get to a few meters, and I watch it turn... 41:58... 41:59... 42:00... my heart sank a little... but I pressed on. I hit the line at 42:04.<br><br>
I wasn't disappointed for long. I warmed down for about a mile, and saw some friends - I realize that was a much tougher course than I ran my 41:59 at. I ran a good race. I wouldn't change anything, I really don't think I could.<br><br>
Just to compare notes:<br><br><b>May 2004 - 48:48</b><br><b>January 2008 - 42:04</b><br><br>
I'm happy with where things are going, bring on 2008 <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">
