Run for Hope 10k {March 26, 2017}

Run For Hope 10k

My third race of the season/1st ever stroller 10k

March 26, 2017 at 10:30 am

44:30.8 (7:10 min/mile) *PR of 61 seconds*

1st Overall Female (1/54)

8/93 overall

I am enjoying a leisurely Sunday afternoon while my sweet eleven-month old babe takes a nap on his mama. He fell asleep while I was feeding him and I thought about moving him to his crib so that I could go fold some laundry or something equally as "pressing," but decided instead to hit pause and enjoy these sweet snuggles while writing up a race report from this morning's somewhat-impromptu race and watching documentary trailers with Clint (we have become documentary junkies here in the Wells abode).

Lazy, unfiltered snuggles...

During a group run one day, some of us were lamenting the fact that there don’t seem to be may area 10ks.  I mentioned that I had seen the Run For Hope mentioned on Facebook and that I had done it back in 2013 and was at least moderately interested in giving it a whirl again this year. I thought it might be “fun” to try to push Gabe at the 10k distance.  I didn’t register for the race because I wasn’t sure exactly what I would feel like at the end of March and how my marathon training would be going - obviously that’s the (running) priority right now.

When Clint made my training plan for this week, it included a shorter long run for Saturday (10-12 "easy miles") and a 6-mile workout for Sunday with 1 mile easy, 4 miles at goal marathon pace (7:50), 1 mile easy. I thought that a 10k pushing the stroller could substitute for that 6-mile workout but still didn’t pull the trigger to commit.

Saturday (yesterday), we went to Clinton Lake to spectate our good friend Tanya who was completing the 50k there. Clint paced her last 10-mile loop. During her 2nd 10-mile loop, I did my long run with pals Amber, Holly-Rae and AP  - the so-called “easy run" ended up being NOT so easy seeing as they were run on the relentless-seeming hills around Clinton Lake on a windy day…pushing the stroller…and maintaining an 8:30 average pace. I was pretty darn tired at the end of this. Later on in the day, I tried to use a blowdryer on my hair as we got ready to go out to celebrate our friend Jillian's birthday and had to keep putting my arm down because my arms were so tired from pushing the stroller (not an exaggeration - Clint was my witness).

This morning, Clint surprised me by quickly getting Gabe up when he cried so I never even heard him make a sound. This meant I got to sleep in a bit for the first time in recent history. While I didn’t sleep the WHOLE night through (that’s been just a dream in my world since Gabe entered it! HA!), I still got some pretty amazing sleep last night which was awesome. THANKS CLINT!! When I finally woke up after 8 (!!) we tried to make our plan for the day. We threw around the idea of running the 10k as a “family fun run” just to get out of the house and do something light-hearted and fun as a family today but went back and forth on it.  Our good friend AP had been planning to do this race and had suggested that we do it with him…but we just kept hemming and hawing for one reason or another...

Finally, at 9:30, we decided to go for it. Race start was at 10:30…all the way in West Bloomington across town from our home. I hurriedly ate my typical race-morning fare (a GF pita + almond butter + salted honey) and I might have also eaten an oatmeal cookie (whoops) and we tag-teamed to get out the door. The stroller was already in the car from yesterday’s festivities, but we threw in the rain cover just in case (there was a decent chance of rain on this overcast day). We grabbed snacks for Gabe and got dressed…and we were out the door at 9:47.  As we drove we discussed our “plan” for the race and decided to shoot for an even 8:00 minute pace for the race - conservative but still working (for me).

Clint plugged in our destination’s address to his phone…13 minutes away. Race-day registration reportedly closed at 10:00. Oh boy. We plotted that one of us would hop right out of the car and register while the other found a parking place and got Gabe and the stroller ready to roll. We got to the race start a minute or two prior to 10:00…and of course the parking on site was full. So, Clint jumped out of the driver’s seat and I got in to drive to find us other parking while he went to get us registered. We parked up the road a bit and I got us set up with snacks and toys and we were on our way! We jogged the 0.15 or so to the race site to find Clint. Then, I realized that I should’ve put a hat on Gabe’s head (it was decently chilly and windy)…so we jogged back to the car and then back to the starting area….this action made for a nice little informal half mile “warm up!” (which is exactly a half mile longer than Daddy Clint’s warmup!).

We chatted with AP and hung out for a few minutes, and I also chatted with other area athletes Kelly and David (Kelly and I had run this 10k together back in 2013!)…and then all of a sudden it was 10:25 and time to line up in the starting area! Yeah - that happens quickly when you arrive at a race site just a half hour before the start!  Clint asked where I wanted to line up and I motioned toward an empty spot toward the front of the group about 3 rows back from the front line. I was a little wary of squeezing my stroller in that close to the front - but I knew that our projected 8:00 pace was quick enough to stay toward the front and out of peoples’ way.  I told Clint that my plan was to gun it and do the first quarter-to-half-mile or so quickly to make sure I was out of peoples’ way with the stroller and then I would settle the pace down to our agreed-upon 8:00 after a bit. As we stood in the starting area, I gave Gabe one of his fav applesauce pouches and hoped it would entertain him for at least a few miles of the race.

As we started out I lamented the fact that my body was SUPER sore and my arms truly HURT from yesterday’s HILLY run and from pushing the danged stroller up and down the hills of Clinton. I wasn’t really sure, frankly, how holding on to 8-minute miles would feel! I kept pushing, though, and mile one was over in 7:20. It was a little confusing because the people shouting splits at the first mile were about an entire minute off. When they said “six minutes and X seconds” I looked at Clint and said, “Whoops??” Good thing we weren’t really moving that quickly - I would’ve DIED after like 2 miles or less I am certain!  At this point I also commented to Clint that I was pretty sure there weren’t any girls ahead of us.  He confirmed my suspicions. The wheels in my head began turning a bit with the thought of running hard and trying to win, but I also knew my body was pretty sore and this might not be realistic so I didn’t say it out loud - yet.

The 10k and 5k runners run together for about a mile before the 5k runners continue straight on the Constitution Trail and the 10k runners take a left around a curve, down a hill, and then up a hill before turning around about halfway up the hill. At this point, I noticed (as we turned around) two things - (1) the smell of manure was almost vomit-inducing and (2) the next two females were behind me a decent ways but well-within “striking” distance. At that moment my competitive gene (yeah, I have just one ;-)) got the best of me and I decided that I would do my best to maintain my lead and not get passed.

We powered through the second mile and it was over in 7:11.  Hmmmm…maybe the thought of trying to stay decently ahead of the two closest girls got the best of me!  We powered on and mile 3 was over in 7:27…the hills and wind caused me to slow down a bunch.  We saw Eric Fortune at the third mile marker, shouting out splits. He also took a pic of us as we passed. It was fun seeing a familiar face!

I looked down at my watch to catch our 5k split - it was about 22:50 or so. Not bad!! Even if I died and had to slow down the pace majorly, I could be satisfied with a 22:50 stroller 5k. We soldiered on toward the next turnaround - at mile 3.65. I did my best to quickly maneuver the stroller around the turn and we headed back toward the start - more than halfway done, but still a decent ways to go before I could REST my ARMS! Gosh - I really should start lifting or something (SHHHH don’t tell my coach!!).

After the turnaround, I got another glimpse at the female competition. It was hard to estimate exactly how far behind me they were - maybe around 200 yards?  Not far enough…I knew I still needed to put in work if I wanted to hold my position.

Mile 4 clicked off in 7:19. Even with the inevitable slowing-down around the turn-around, we managed to drop the pace back down compared to mile 3 which was great. Rich Beal was at the Mile 4 marker - great to see him, too! 2.2 miles. 2.2 miles. I could push it for 2.2 more miles, right?! I played the countdown game with myself for much of this race, looking down at my watch and mentally calculating how much longer I needed to push for before I could get some water and a banana. Speaking of water, Clint offered me water at each water stop but I declined…I knew I would be fine without any until the finish and I didn’t want to “waste” any precious spare seconds that I might have! 

At this point, I wasn’t quite sure where the next two women were. I knew that 2 miles is a short enough distance that if someone really wanted to/was able to pick up the pace and push it to catch someone…it was well within the realm of possibility. I knew I couldn’t let up!

I did my best to concentrate on my breathing and my stride and not think about anything that was hurting or uncomfortable. Mind over matter, baby. There was a graduate downhill at some point that we did our best to ride out.  Mile 5 was over in 6:56. WOOT! 

Mile 6 was slightly under mile 5 at 6:54 - craziness!  As we powered toward the finish, I was able to pick it up a little more. It was fun to move closer and closer to the crowd that had gathered at the finish and wonder what Gabe was thinking (he had stayed awake the entire time - many times a long run will lull him to sleep!) about all of the commotion. I know I was smiling as I crossed the finish line (sorry, Andy!). As soon as we crossed, I remembered to stop my watch and then I leaned down to check on Gabe.  He was wide-eyed and probably confused - it was pretty darn cute. He began widely grinning when he saw Mama and Daddy of course :).  The final 0.20 was a 6:47 pace - sweet!

AP came over to greet and congratulate us. He filled us in on his great race too - his goal was to keep his goal half pace and he was able to do so! As we chatted, I hit “save” on my watch and got the “NEW RECORD! FASTEST 10K!” notification. What?! Honestly, I didn’t see PRing my 10k as a possibility at all today (don’t hate me - I truly wasn’t trying for that). Turns out, my former PR was 45:31 (set at Canal Connection this past November)…so this was a PR of a minute and one second.  WOW!!

Chip time - 44:30. Next female was 46:38.

Bonus - Coach Daddy managed to get 3rd in his age group in spite of just fun-running this race with me + Gabey and not REALLY doing what he would typically be capable of :). Crossing the finish line with Clint = so much fun!

What I learned:

• I probably need to incorporate some sort of upper-body strength-training plan. Someday.
• Pushing a stroller for a fast 10k is hard, but possible
• Running as a family is a whole lot of FUN!
• Chip timing can make the whole finishing-order thing misleading. This is a good reminder to keep pushing as hard as you can because someone MIGHT be closer than they appear!
• Being a mom is awesome and being a running-mom is so much fun. Gabe was pretty pumped about the trophy (see pic below - as soon as it was handed to me, he grabbed on to it, carefully inspecting the colorful decal on the front) - it will be going in his room - he earned it as much as I did!

Next up - Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon (fitness check for the marathon!) next weekend. I plan to sit around a lot this week and rest my legs. And my arms. And probably eat a few more (GF/DF) oatmeal cookies.

THANK YOU to Mitch for allowing me to be a part of the Often Running Racing Team! THANK YOU to Saucony for the always-awesome gear. I love my sweet pink Freedoms more than any shoes I have EVER worn. THANK YOU to my teammates for always supporting one another and for all of the FUN we have together (even thought Clint and I were the only OR teammies at this race, we always feel supported by our teammates!). THANK YOU to Clint for the always-thoughtful coaching, fueling support, husband-ing, and dadd-ing!

Team Wells!

Me with Gabe and Jamey, the top male finisher!

Blasting out at the start!