Marigold 10k race

I'd heard great things about the Marigold 10k. It's fast and flat. So I've been training for it since my first 10k race April 1 (about 7 weeks).

Going into the race, I wanted to run a minute faster than that April 1 race (49:47 with wildly uneven splits) or run as close to 48 minutes as I could. My secondary goal was EVEN splits (to not run a 7 minute mile than a 9 minute mile).

That said it's my third 10k ever and my fourth race this year. I was hoping for great things. I've trained well and generally been getting faster. But racing is in part mental. And I didn't want to fall apart mentally and run slow miles 4 or 5 (that's where I tend to slow down).

Race prep
I ate clean all week (not counting a donut from the breakroom Tuesday or cookies in the breakroom Thursday. Oops) I got all my race stuff ready Friday night and went to bed early Friday.

And it was race day. I opted for my favorite neon pink tank (because I love it) and blue shorts. We got ready and headed out around 6:45 a.m. and parked around 7 a.m. I picked our registration up Friday so didn't have to do that. Matt had some trouble with his safety pins (NOTE TO SELF: BUY HIM BIB MAGNETS!). We walked around and stretched and tried to figure out where the start was. We followed the people and the race starts down the middle of main street.

Starting line

Drone shot. From start of race. 

THE RACE
The gun went off, and we started. I looked at my watch and I started out running 7-minute pace. So I slowed down. 7:30 pace and tried to slow some more.

My strategy was 7:50s.

Mile 1: 7:44 (right on track)
Mile 2: 7:56 (a little too slow. My watch was telling me 8:20 pace on the voice alert. Yuck!)
Mile 3: 7:46

So far in the race, I felt good. I tried to pick people with a good pace and stay with them. I ran the first mile with a guy I think I've seen at Fleet Feet. And then in miles 2-3 I fell in with some tougher ladies older than me. They were awesome.

Mile 4 is where I usually fall apart 8:01. Slower than I'd like, but still OKAY. And that's the mile with the "hill." Haha. I slowed down a lot here when I scouted part of the course last week.

I was running with a pack of guys now. Older tough dudes (40s and 50s) No ladies in sight. (And no ladies passed me in the last half)

Race photo of me! (I look skinny!) This is near the end, but this is pack of guys I ran with.

Mile 5: 8:08. So slowing down. I didn't look at my watch much in this mile.

Mile 6. This is where I completely died. I wanted the race to be over. I was counting down the tenth of miles. I could barely foot one foot in front of the other. I wanted to walk. I ran an 8:08 which is awesome for as bad as this mile felt.

Coach Mike told me to save some for the end because it was hard.

Yes. So hard. I was running in 100% humidity. It was so muggy. Should I get a medal for that!?!

And then I had NOTHING left for a kick. I saw the chute and did turn it up. I had wanted to run a 7:30 last mile. If the humidity had been less, then maybe it could have happened. I should have kicked it in for longer ran the 40 or so feet I did.

I finished in 49:12.

Which is not what I had hoped. But it still chops 30 seconds off my PR. And my splits were much more even than my last race.

I'm blaming the humidity for not being faster. I'll just have to find another 10k to drop another 30 seconds off.

I think my training at race pace for this helped. Maybe next time try 7 miles at 8 flat? That might do the trick. More longer runs and more race pace work.

Also, mentally I was tougher. I DIDN'T WALK A STEP IN THIS RACE (!!!!!) I knew I could do it.

MEDALS
I didn't expect to place in this race at all. There were so many FAST girls there. But when some of the girls on the competitive team were volunteering and NOT running, I thought I had a chance.

I turned my place card in. I got 39th place (out of 232). And second in my age group. WHAT!?!?!? I didn't expect that. I placed 10th out of 135 women and 2 out of 22 in my age group.

(I credit this to the fast women volunteering and the rest not being as fast as usual because of the humidity.)

And Matt got third in his age group. He ran a smoking 47:54. And he wanted to run 48 or faster to qualify for the Peachtree Road race in Atlanta next year.

That's the time I would have liked to run. But I'll get there. Slowly. I'll keep getting stronger.

So I got a medal. Yay! :)

This might be the prettiest medal I have to date :) 

We both got medals. YAY.

Overall, the race was great. The packet pickup was easy. There was parking the morning-of. The course was well marked, with LOTS of volunteers. And there were enough people to easily find a group to run with. The course was fast and flat and I can't wait for next year. They also had WATERMELON at the pavilion for the finishers which was AWESOME! And perfect after a race. And the medals were beautiful. A great race.

But now I need to find my next race :)

Cool drone shot of the race :)