Canal Connection 10k {November 5, 2017}

Canal Connection 10k

Sunday, November 5, 2017 10:00am
46:14 (7:27 average pace per mile)

2nd out of 44 in 35-39 AG
12th out of 301 females
70th out of 556 overall

(My 19th race of the 2017 season)

1st 5k - 22:53
2nd 5k - 23:21

Previous Canal Connection Results:
2014 - 47:23 (7:38 average pace per mile/1st in 30-34 AG)
2015 - 48:04 (7:45 average pace per mile/2nd in 30-34 AG) *15 weeks pregnant
2016 - 45:31 (7:20 average pace per mile/1st in 30-34 AG) *6.5 months postpartum/10k PR

10k PR one year ago with my 6 1/2 month old little Baby Gabey!

2017 Splits:
Mile 1 - 6:51
Mile 2 - 7:25
Mile 3 - 7:33
Mile 4 - 7:45
Mile 5 - 7:40
Mile 6 - 7:27
Final 0.24 (according to my watch) - 1:36/6:45 pace

If you read my previous race report (2017 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon), you will know that I came into this weekend under-trained and really unprepared to run a back-to-back marathon and 10k.  The Canal Connection 10k is a great relatively-local-to-us race (just an hour away) that is one that our Often Running Racing Team is strongly encouraged to do each year.  For those reasons, I wanted to make an effort to run the race - but I knew that I couldn't really plan on a super-speedy time and that I would have to really make a game-day decision the morning of the race as far as actually completing the thing.

I filled out my entry form the week of the race and Clint chatted with Gary (who wasn't planning on running Canal due to planning to run Indy hard) about watching Gabe while we both ran.  Canal Connection is a point-to-point 10k and is run almost entirely along a relatively narrow canal path - I wasn't thinking it would be the most stroller-friendly race due to being potentially muddy as well as potentially being really close to/tight with other participants along the path...I wanted to be safe and conscientious. Gary said he was down to watch Gabe (thanks, Gary!), so I made mental preparations to run the race.

Indy Monumental came and went...I was DEFINITELY tired after that long effort, but I wasn't totally dead. I waxed and waned throughout the rest of the day Saturday regarding Canal plans. I didn't sleep the greatest Saturday night due to sore legs...but it was daylight savings so at least I got to lay there for an extra hour, right?! Ha!

Sunday morning we got up and made preparations to hit the road for Canal. I dressed as if I was running (and donned a pair of my trusty Pro Compression socks for SURE!) and we hit the road. I STILL didn't know if I would be running - frankly I was leaning toward "no" at that point. I told Clint that maybe I would just go for an easy 2-3 mile shake-out run with Gabe in the stroller while he ran the race. I texted with Holly-Rae a little bit who was going up to the race with her family (her hubby Tim was going to run!) and told her I wasn't sure exactly what I would be doing.  It was also supposed to rain - if it was raining, I was certainly planning to NOT run - heck, I didn't have anything to prove, right?! HA!

When we got to the race (the finish area anyway - racers are bussed from the finish and then dropped off at the start a few miles away to run back to the finish and their waiting cars), I looked around for Gary - he wasn't there yet. I decided that I would let him be my deciding factor - if he showed up, I would run. If he decided to sleep in/sleep off Indy, I would not run - and I was totally fine with either decision.  I texted Gary as it got really close to crunch time (aka boarding time for the final bus to the starting line). He was about 15 minutes away at that time and the bus was about to leave...I decided that I WAS going to run and left Gabey in his stroller with Holly-Rae and Mitch (thanks guys ;)) with a few hurried instructions...and then I passed Gary walking in as I was walking out to the bus!  It takes a village, people. Thanks, guys!!

I boarded the bus and sat down next to a nice lady and chatted with her on the ride to the start as I texted Gary and Holly-Rae a few last paranoid requests re: Gabe - I, of course, had no reason to be concerned as he was in very capable hands. However, I did feel badly leaving him so quickly and in such a haphazard fashion!

We got off the bus at the school near the starting line and I went inside the packed entry area to use the bathroom. While inside I saw two familiar faces - fellow local stroller runners Brandi and Ryan with their respective littles and strollers!  I immediately felt twinges of regret (along with some feelings of "I'm a slacker!") for not bringing Gabe - apparently the course was more stroller-friendly than I was thinking! Oh well - too late now!

Clint + Tim pre-race

After the bathroom visit in the toasty-warm school, I made my way outside to the starting line.  Teammates and friends and other runners were busying themselves with warmups, but I really didn't feel like wasting the effort. I wasn't even sure, at that point, if I had 6.2 miles in my bod! I didn't want to use up any running mojo that I maybe had hiding in there, leftover from the previous day's 3:43 marathon!

I made my way to the front-ish of the starting area, though I wasn't sure that I really deserved to be up there. I located Amber and Clint and others...and then the rain started coming down. BARF-O! Oh well - once again, TOO LATE NOW!

The REAL runners doing some warm-up strides before hitting the starting line.

Sadness - raindrops are falling on our head!

Andy + Me

Clint is all, "What's a little rain, you pansies?!"

PAUL!

MERLIN!

I jumped around, warming up my body just barely, while taking some silly pics (totally worth running with the bulky phone - when Gabey not in my immediate possession, I always run with my phone!) and soon it was time for the national anthem and then we were off!

This race starts with a significant downhill portion for approximately the first half mile before leveling out after a turn to the left down a quiet downtown street.  I tried to keep myself in check and did my best to keep my legs under me - I wasn't sure what such a significant downhill would do to my tired and beat-up legs!  While Amber and I started side-by-side, she very easily flew down that downhill portion much more quickly and efficiently than I was able to (and she had just run a half marathon PR at Indy the day before - you GO GIRL!!!).

One of the stroller runners, Ryan, passed me with his daughter. We chatted a bit and I told him I was lamenting leaving Gabe and then he carried on, leaving me behind easily.  The course then turned to the right and we ran a small ascent over a bridge that crosses over the canal. Here to the left I saw Holly-Rae standing in the rain with her sweeties, cheering on the runners and snapping fun pictures at the first mile marker as my first mile beeped in 6:51 - even with the downhill portion, this was certainly faster than I imagined running one mile the day after a marathon. As usual, thanks for the support/cheers/pics HR!

Shortly after passing by the Van H family, I turned to the right again and ran down to the entrance of the canal path.  I could see that Amber was ahead of me - within striking distance on a "good day," but since today wasn't really a "good day," I kept myself in check and ran my own race - keeping things steady and not picking things up to catch up to her even though I could've really used the company!

Mile 2 clicked in 7:25, I had slowed down just over 30 seconds per mile compared to my first mile but I really wasn't concerned about it. Today wasn't a day for PRs - I needed to just finish this thing in once piece!  Sometime after mile 2, I ended up catching up to Amber and exchanged a "great job" before continuing on past he - she had run a HARD 13.1 the previous day and certainly deserved to not kill herself at Canal! Girl, you are SUPER strong!

Some portions of the trail were super muddy and wet - I found myself being grateful after all that I had left Gabey with Gary. The thought of packing up the muddy stroller into our vehicle made my stomach turn. Ha! Mile 3 was over in 7:33 and shortly thereafter, I crossed the timing mats at the halfway/5k mark in just under 23 minutes. I'll take it! I was definitely feeling spent at this point and wishing that the race was closer to being over than it was though!

Mile 4 was in a slower 7:45.  While it didn't really matter, in the scheme of things, that my pace was slowing down pretty significantly, my slightly competitive nature started to take hold and I started to identify people ahead of me to "pick off." This helped me drop my pace ever-so-slightly and Mile 5 was over in 7:40.

As Mile 6 starts, the course heads off to the right, up an ascent, and off of the canal path.  My legs burned as I pushed up the slight hill and into a neighborhood.  I did my best to close in on a guy ahead of me and caught him with a half mile to go.  Next up - a girl a few yards ahead of me. Mile 6 was over in 7:27 - my 3rd fastest mile of the race.  I picked up my pace and turned to the left with the finish line in sight. I saw Clint and Gary and Gabe and Holly-Rae and her kiddos cheering to the left and did my best to bring it in strong.  I made the final left turn and ran in to the finish line - the final bit of the race was completed in a 6:45 pace, apparently my legs did have a bit of juice left in them!

Finish time was 46:14 which was just 45 seconds slower than my time from last year (run on fresh legs :)).  I made my way to my people to cheer in the rest of our runners.  After our runners were in, we made our way into the crowded gym to wait for awards.  Before long, Gabey had had ENOUGH and I took him to the car for snacks and snuggles and quiet while daddy Clint waited to collect our awards. He had gotten 1st in his AG and 17th overall with a time of 39:05 (average pace of 6:17 per mile - wowsa! :)).

Gabey was ALL DONE with the stroller and had to get out to play for a bit!

Dirty socks after that muddy canal!

All in all, I was really pleasantly surprised with my ability to rally and run a pretty great race the day after a marathon.  It was another fun morning with teammates and friends, as well as with my guys Clint and Gabe.

Clint really DOES fly!

THANKS to Mitch, Saucony (I wore my more sturdy Saucony Rides for this race as opposed to racing flats because I knew I would need more support after the marathon the previous day), my teammates, and of course Coach Clint and Baby G.  Once again, I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in these events with some pretty awesome people.

Next up: Race reports for Oglesby Turkey Trot and FOLEPI

Next Race: BRRC 5k!

Bling!

Post-race snacks in the car...

Canal Connection {11-1-15}

Canal Connection 10k

11/1/15

48:05

(7:45/mi pace)

1/43 in 30-34 age group

23/353 females

95/676 overall

14 weeks, 2 days pregnant

{Baby's seventh race!}

This was my second time running this race. I'd always heard area runners talk about loving it but never made the trek up to Utica to run it until last fall when Clint dragged me along. After just one time running it, I was hooked! It's a beautiful course and it's fun how so many BloNo runners make the drive out there. It feels like we are at "home" yet we are in a fun, different locale.

I've kind of turned into a "weekend warrior" during this pregnancy and haven't been running much other than weekend races. I've never been a morning person, so getting up to run before work is just too much to ask. While I haven't been plagued by morning sickness, I have had a fair amount of "evening sickness"/nausea after work...so running after work just feels terrible and I usually don't do it (other than Thursday night group runs). However, this week I did manage to run on both Thursday and Friday evenings and I hit a morning yoga class on Saturday. Add in this race Sunday morning and this consecutive 4-day streak of working out is officially my longest work-out streak of this pregnancy. Kinda sad ;).

Sunday morning we carpooled with friends/teammates Gary and Amber. Somehow, I was entrusted with the duty of driving to the race and managed to get us all there in one piece in plenty of time. I also somehow managed to remember all of my parts and pieces (leaving my watch at home has happened more than once now). We left home around 8 and arrived in Utica a bit after 9. I visited the bathroom a few times while Clint got our bib numbers and then we hopped on a bus to head to the start in LaSalle.

While the rest of the team headed out for a warm-up, I hung out in the school near the start guarding the gear bags. Right, wrong or otherwise...I wanted to conserve every bit of energy for the 6.2 miles to come. I was feeling a little "off" that morning with some minor cramps and nausea so I just played it safe until the start.

Soon enough, it was time to head to the starting line. By this point in the day (nearly start time/10:30 am) it had warmed up to the mid fifties and felt GREAT! This race is not chip-timed, so I lined up with Amber in the second row right at the front. After the national anthem, we were sent off on our way. The first part of the race is a pretty significant downhill and I had planned to use this to "bank" some seconds (as I am sure everyone does!). My first few steps were a little awkward (creaky ankle!)...maybe a few warm-up strides really would've been a good idea ;). Oh well, no time to lament that! I peeked down at my watch as I descended the hill to see sub-7 minute pace. HA! Hadn't seen that for a while. Thanks, hill!

My first mile ticked off in 7:11. I smiled, knowing that my pace was about to decline significantly. My "goal" was to be under 8:00 or as close to a flat 8:00 average pace as possible at the end of the race. After mile 1, we turned to the right to enter the beautiful canal area. I had been warned by Aimee Dziekan and Kelly Ruiter (who had run the course backwards from Utica to LaSalle that morning to the start to make a long run instead of taking the bus) that the canal area was pretty muddy in spots and footing might be questionable. I made a mental note to be cautious. No need to scrape my preggo self off of the muddy canal because I got too crazy! ;)

Mile two was a much-more-reasonable-but-still-fast-for-my-current-state 7:40. For the most part, the first mile of the canal wasn't too messy. I picked a few runners to slowly pick off. One guy was really annoying (sorry...truth ;-)). He was running some really irritating intervals as he "raced"...I passed him as he was running quite slowly....and then after a minute or two he came screaming down the canal and passed me, only to slow down a minute or so later. This went on for much of the race. I really can't remember if he beat me or if I beat him. I vaguely remembered (at least I thought I did) someone doing this same behavior during last year's Canal Connection...but maybe I made this memory up.

Mile three was over in 7:47. Heck yes, positive splits! ;). Whatever...I was still safely under my target 8:00/mi pace so I was content. My breathing felt pretty good and my body in general felt decent. After the halfway point I remember thinking that I would've been just fine had this only been a 5k-distance race ;-), but soldiered on.

Mile four was 7:56. Somewhere around here, I saw a guy who runs in a cut-off shirt, tiny shorts and no shoes. I recognized him from Town and Gown the weekend prior. He was visibly in pain (uh, dude, the canal is ROCKY!!!!!) and was LOUDLY grunting with each...and...every...freaking...step. It was these loud, guttural groans that sounded just plain miserable. It was kind of annoying...but I did my best to concentrate on my own breathing and blocking his noises out. He was nearby me for the rest of the race, though, so it was a lot of concentrating on ignoring him ;).

Mile five was an even-slower 8:06. Eh, whatever. I was still under that 8:00 average!

As I started the final mile, though, I knew I could press a bit harder to finish it off. I knew I wasn't too far off of what I had run last year (which, believe it or not, is actually my 10k PR! I hadn't run another 10k since then). I saw Carol spectating as I turned right to make the exit off of the canal and back to the road (thanks for the cheers and the caution, Carol :)). I saw Karen as I rounded a corner to the final quarter mile (thanks for the cheers!). I saw Clint and a group of the rest of my teammates at the next corner as I turned to the left toward the finish. About that time, some chick decided to pass me. I didn't really feel like responding...but the *slightly* competitive part of me got the better of me and I dug in and passed her back (and Clint may or may not have shouted words of encouragement as well;-)). My pace for the final 0.2 (0.22 according to my watch) was 6:59...who knew, there was actually still something left ;). I beat the girl by a second...and it turned out she wasn't in my age group anyway ;).

I crossed the finish in 48:05....my average pace of 7:45 was fifteen seconds under my goal pace, so that felt good! I went inside to check the results and saw that I had managed to get 2nd in my age group. WOOT! However, turns out I actually got FIRST in my age group thanks to the first place girl in my AG being in the top 6 overall and therefore getting taken out of my AG. So...I was the 1st place 30-34 female back-to-back years! Wonder if I can manage a three-peat next Nov?! ;)

After I finished, I snagged some water, a banana and hot chocolate and went to lay in the grass behind the gym. It felt amazing to lounge in the sun for a while while everyone else did a responsible cool-down.

Big congrats to all of the other ORRT members and area runners who ran Canal Connection (lots of awards were taken home to BloNo!) and set PRs, etc.! Thanks to Mitch for the privilege of being part of this team. Thanks, Adidas, for the sweet gear. Thanks to Clint for coaching me through this new stage in my running "career"...uncharted territory!

Next up: Furrow Euro Race Report!

Look at that hot, fast, bearded runner! ;)

Nice job, Guy Savage

Drama.

Surprise 1st place in AG!

Race Love :)

ORRT Award Winners! :)

Run proud, all! :) Enjoy this beautiful, mild fall-winter weather (at least here in the midwest!)
~Rachel