Heart and Sole 10k Recap

I didn't have a lot of goals going into this race, I think I loosely decided to beat last year's time.  If you want to skip the whole recap here is the spoiler: I did not beat last year's time.

bathroom selfie on the way out the door to the race. I got tons of compliments on my InknBurn shorts.

The race shirt was pretty color this year and actually a really nice one, although still unisex.  But I do see this one getting worn more than most.

The 10k didn't start until 8:40 and the 5k started at 8:00. There was also an Active Life Festival going on at the finish so I made plans to meet my friend Victoria at the Festival.  The Festival was close to the finish and not far from the start.  We decided to go right at 8 when they opened because I knew from experience that if you wait until after the 10k most of the fun freebies are gone.



We scored some good things including

• a reusable ice pack
• water bottle
• salad shaker cup thing with a fork and salad dressing cup
• pizza cutter
• sunscreen
• reusable bags
• magnets
• a new running magazine
• pens
• a coffee mug and coffee (okay that may have come from signing up for a half marathon)
• granola bars, and other misc snacks. 

We hit the bathrooms in the stadium before dropping our prizes off at our vehicles and heading to the start line. We got there with about 5 minutes before the gun went off.  Just enough time to say hi to some people and get my Garmin connected to the satellites!

Mile 1 7:01 The first mile clicked by pretty fast, but it is also a lot downhill and easy to go out too fast so I made sure to reign it in a bit.  I could tell my legs were not feeling it already.  Maybe I shouldn't have ate a hot dog for supper?

Mile 2 7:44  There is a hill in this mile that evidently kicked my butt!  I had a hard time recovering and getting my pace back up.  The sun was feeling HOT! I think it was only like 65 degrees, but I am not used to at all apparently.  Maybe I shouldn't have drank that iced coffee half an hour before the start, it was not sitting well at this point.

Mile 3 7:26  I hate mile 3 of a 10k.  I was not feeling on my mental game at all, but I was hopeful I could still pull off a faster time than last year.  I just wasn't feeling like I could get in a rhythm. Maybe I shouldn't have run so many hills last week!

Mile 4  7:34 There is some slight uphill in this section and it once again kicked my butt.  I was feeling a little frustrated at this point, but at least no one was passing me, at least not any girls.  I was trying to catch up to a girl in front of me, but I just couldn't quite reel her in.  Maybe my long run should not have been Thursday this week.

Mile 5 7:28 Finally!  My legs were finally starting to get into a sort of rhythm and it wasn't feeling like quite a struggle.  I think mentally it gets easier at this point in a 10k anyway.  More than half way done!  Two point two miles to go isn't so far at all!

Mile 6  8:10  This is Garmin data, but I also know that that Garmin loses contact for a it while we run 5 stories up a parking garage and go through a tunnel, so I think this mile really was faster.  I normally hate the parking garage part, but this year I was loving it, because... SHADE! 

Last .15 6:45 pace  The reward for going up the parking garage and through the tunnel is that the last part of the race is all downhill and you can really fly!

I ended up 2nd in my age group and 14th female overall.  Exactly the same as last year just slower by about 30 seconds.  Wah wah wah.    

This is a well run, well organized race.  I however completely disagree with starting the shorter race earlier and having the longer race when it is hotter out.  I get why they are doing it, so that the 10k people don't have to weave through all the walkers and slower 5k runners at the end.  That used to happen and it sucked.  Every 10k person I talked to said they would rather run an hour earlier, at least or more than run it so late though.    I whine about it every time, but I keep doing it, so I must not hate it that much.

I helped at the Team Beef booth at the Active Life Festival for a bit and then talked Victoria into signing up for her first half marathon.  YAY!  

Lisa made over 500 beef bagel sandwiches for this event!  and they were all gone. YUM

Next up.. Ragnar Northwest Passage! I think I am leg 8, although we were noticing the legs have changed so I might end up with something else. Either way.. FUN!