Ran in a 10k race this past Saturday, and it was great! I love races where I feel good, get a PR, have fun, enjoy the after party, and everything just goes right. We departed around 6:20 a.m. on Saturday because the race location was about an hour from our apartment and we had to pick up our packets beforehand. We got there in plenty of time and had no problems parking. This was a tiny race, with about 215 people, and it was the organization's first time putting the race on. They did a fantastic job.
We got our race numbers and T-shirts, then went back to the car to get everything ready (For me that means put on Garmin, iPod, spiBelt, take Gu, put on sunscreen, etc). We were parked very close to the start so we walked over to get ready for the race start about 10 minutes prior to 8 a.m. Someone sang the national anthem and they counted down to the start. I started off really fast, finishing my first mile in 8:18 -- really fast for me! I settled down and got into an 8:30/mile pace for the next couple of miles. There were water stops at miles 2 and 4. The 4th mile was my toughest, and I slowed down to 8:43 pace for that. There was a nice breeze but it was really warm outside.
The last mile included a 4-story parking garage that we had to climb up and then down! It was a beast! As soon as that was done, we ran into a football stadium, went one time around the track, and then finished on the 50-yard line. I got a PR by about 2 minutes. My previous 10K time was 57:33 if you went by the gun time and 55:50 if you went by the Garmin time, so with a 53:09 chip time, I PRed big time!
After the race, Garrett Hartley from the Saints came to the stadium to take photos with fans. The race being so small meant there wasn't much of a line at all, so my husband and I jumped in line and got to meet him. It was really neat!
The after-race party had good food like jamabalaya and pulled pork sandwiches, sweet tea and lemonade, Powerades, etc. It was just really well done!!
Now it's Monday and back to the grind. Our half-marathon in Dallas is two weeks away, and we're doing a 5K that my husband's law school is hosting next Wednesday. Speaking of law school, my husband interviewed on Friday for a summer clerkship, and he'll find out this week if he got it or not. I'm really praying he gets it! It's about 2 hours away so we'd be apart for 6 weeks, but we'd fit visits in and it would be over before I know it! He just really needs the experience and it would be so encouraging for him to get it!
Plan for the next two weeks:
1) Checking out a local fitness center today to see if I want to sign up - with the summer heat coming on I really want to have an indoors option to run on treadmills, and also to be able to use the other equipment and not be a "marshmallow runner"!
2) Running Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, with a long run on either Saturday or Sunday. My nieces' birthday party is Saturday so we might not fit the run in -- we're planning on 14 miles so that will probably take 2 hours and 15 minutes or so.
3) Next week -- running Monday, Tuesday, with a 5K on Wednesday night, traveling on Friday and Saturday (And arriving in Dallas Saturday afternoon. Need to go to the expo, check in to our hotel, and meet up with friends for dinner.) Half Marathon on Sunday! Traveling back home afterwards.
Once the half marathon is over, speed training for the Crescent City Classic commences. It is a 10K on April 23. I want to finish around 50 minutes. Can I take off 3 minutes in a month and a half? We'll see! Not having a 4-story parking garage in the course should help a little! :)
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