This was my first race in over a month since the Japan Day 4M on June 1st. I was happy to get back on the road and get my legs moving again. I wanted to use this race as an unofficial status check to see how I was doing after on again/off again running activity for the past several weeks. I didn't want to go all out per se, but I was planning on running this harder than a training or tempo run.
I wanted to be smart about this and not come back too hard too soon for absolutely no reason. This was about getting acclimated to racing again and running a quicker pace. Even though I had a red bib and could have started in the second corral, I decided to line up at the back of the yellow corral so I didn't feel compelled to go out too fast right out of the gate. I purposely took the first mile a little slower than usual and allowed myself to ease into the race, which was a smart move since the first mile included the Harlem Hill and it was already pretty hot outside. Although I don't enjoy running in the heat (the start of the race was in the low-mid seventies with very high humidity), I believe it forced me to control my pace and stay hydrated throughout the race. Usually, I would only take one cup of water during a normal 10K, but I made sure to stop at a few water stations along the way to drink a little and dump the rest on my head and face. I noticed that my mouth was pretty dry throughout the race (still some minor side effects from my treatment). My first race back in the middle of the summer was not the time to go all out.
All in all, I was happy with my performance. I had a goal of running at or about 8:00 min/mile pace and I ended up running an 8:02 pace, with mile splits that were relatively consistent. I was happy to see that my breathing was not really a problem at all, but I had a feeling of body fatigue midway through the race, which was expected. This race wasn't easy but I felt that it was a good sign that I am still in relatively good shape after a few week layoff. My goal now is to slowly build back up to 20-25 miles a week, including a long run which I have been able to do so far. I still have a few weeks if I decide to do marathon training this year. The summer is tough to run in and goals/expactations should be adjusted accordingly.
The splits for the race were:
Mile 1 - 8:35
Mile 2 - 8:05
Mile 3 - 7:49
Mile 4 - 8:00
Mile 5 - 8:04
Last 1.2 miles - total of 9:14 for a pace of 7:42
Overall time - 49:51 ; pace - 8:02
Totals for the week - Monday - 4.8 miles, Tuesday - off, Wednesday - spinning, Thursday - 9.3 miles, Friday - off, Saturday - off, Sunday - 6.2
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2 comments:
You ran so well, those splits are wonderful. I hope you are proud of yourself for posting such great times. After the last few months you have had, I would say you have played it smart and you are well on your way to being where you would like.
Well done.
nice one! You're doing all the right things to get back on track. Hope to see you tonight!
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