Tag Archives: Races

I’ve been running 10Ks since 2002, when I made my first attempt at “distance running” — at least as I saw it at the time — at the Oxford Day 10K while I was living in Easton, Md.

I was running 30 minutes or so a few times a week, in addition to other workouts, but didn’t train, per se, and felt like death the whole second half of the race. I don’t even remember my time, which is probably a blessing.

Now, even with two marathons and a bunch of half-marathons and 10-milers on my running resume, the 10K continues to stump me. I’m faster and smarter now, but still, I have a sneaking suspicion I should be turning out faster 10Ks than I have been.

A typical 10K time is about 52 minutes for me. I say “typical” because that’s how fast I ran my last two. Sure, they were hilly courses, and yes, one of them was sullied by some stomach issues. Still, 52 minutes and change is pretty far from what the McMillan Running Pace Calculator predicts I should run for a 10K — a 49:08, or slightly faster than 8-minute miles, which truly seems to make sense given my other race times. I understand why my marathon times don’t line up with the rest of my PRs — 26.2 miles is so long, any number of factors can change the course of the race. But a 10K? If I can run a decent 5K and a good half-marathon, why can’t I figure out this strange little middleman?

I don’t think I’m being unnecessarily hard on myself — 52 minutes means I’m running at a pace that’s slower than my best half-marathon, and also slower than my 5- to 6-mile training runs, which are usually right around 8-minute miles.

So what am I doing wrong?

I have played around with the pace at which I start a 10K without any definitive results. I’ve had a few races where I’ve started around 7:30-minute-mile pace, only to slow down the second half. But when I start slower … well, I just sort of stay slow. I just have a hard time wrapping my brain around how much I should hurt if I’m running the race right. I understand that during a 5K, I basically will feel like I’m running hard the whole time. I understand that during a half-marathon, I want to constantly remind myself to push the pace any time I feel too comfortable. I guess I don’t understand how I should feel in a 10K, and waver between going too hard and going too easy.

I’m had planned to run the Jingle All the Way 10K on Sunday morning, but scheduling conflicts intervened. But I’m thinking a fast 10K might be my next short-term running goal.

So who knows how to race a 10K rather than just run it clumsily and unevenly? Tips would be much appreciated!

In other news, I’ve started experimenting with new pre-run breakfasts, the first frontier in figuring out how to manage my stomach while running. This morning, before a rather intense lifting and core workout, I tried my typical slow-cooking Quaker oatmeal with banana slices rather than pumpkin mixed in. Delicious, and didn’t bug me a bit while working out! Trying something that worked made me feel like I learned something about how my body works — part of why I love running to begin with.

Is there anything more fun than picking out your next few races?

Paging through a race report, or through fliers you get in some other race’s goody bag, you feel full of possibility. Could the 5K with the flat, fast course be your next PR? Could daydreams about a great-sounding post-race party carry you through your next couple long, hot runs?

Here’s a glimpse of what I’ve got ahead. Race schedule subject to change at racer’s discretion.

The Crystal City Twilighter 5K in Crystal City July 25.

Blue Crab Bolt 10K Trail Running Series: first race on Aug. 1 is held at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, Md., second is Aug. 15, in Little Bennett Regional Park in Clarksburg, Md.

I’m also planning on a good half-marathon to run as a pre-MCM tune-up. Something flat, fast and fun to massage my ego before the marathon. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach on Sept. 6 is the current front-runner (ha), and the Philadelphia Distance Run on Sept. 20 is trailing just behind.

And to keep me honest in the pool, I’m looking at:

Chris Greene Lake Cable Swim, Charlottesville, July 11. I’d do the two-miler.

Wildwood September Splash, Sept. 26. A fun-sounding 1-miler.

Any other suggestions for open-water swims in the Washington area this summer? If so, suggest ’em below!

Looking for more great summer races in the Washington area? Check out my Examiner post on that very topic.

I’m finding inspiration today in my next race, which I signed up for without hesitation over the weekend.

Regular blog readers will know that this is quite an accomplishment for me. I like to slink into races at the last minute, afraid that if I sign up for things too early, I’ll injure myself and be unable to run. Or, worse, that I’ll ruin everything by taking myself too seriously and failing to meet unattainable goals I’ve set for myself.

Yeah, I know. Kinda messed up. Which is why I just make the plunge and signed up for the ZOOMA Annapolis 10K on May 31 without thinking about it too much. It’s a women’s only race that promises free wine tastings and spa treatments post-race.

Better yet, I’ve roped my two best friends, Jen and Alexis, into running it with me. Jen is my high-school cross-country buddy. Lex surprised Jen and I both by first agreeing to walk the race, then casually mentioning that she finished four miles of walk-running in 42 minutes as a pre-race test. We are still gushing at her about how awesome this is, and are trying to keep the running peer-pressure to a minimum.

Also inspiring me today is Chito Peppler’s fun and exciting story. Peppler ran to almost 30 EU embassies Saturday for European Union Open House Day, in which EU member states open their embassies to the public, offering music and cuisine specific to each country.

He met three new friends who found him through a DC Running Examiner post I wrote last week. The three of them ran 12 miles through the city, seeing new neighborhoods, meeting new people, and experiencing unexpected things (Steven Spielberg posed for a photo with them in Georgetown).

It struck me while writing about this unique experience that it’s not unlike any long run, in which you gain a new appreciation for where you live, make new friends you might have never encountered otherwise and encounter some surprises that remind you why it’s fun to be alive.

Read Peppler’s running blog for more details, and follow his Tweets for updates about his exciting plans for next year’s event.

Steve is such a good sport.

For those who don’t know me personally, Steve is my husband, who I frequently drag to road races as my pace team and cheerleader, and sometimes peer-pressure into running himself. He’s fast, posting a time of 1:12 for the ten-mile Broad Street Run on Sunday, and will run a 5K at the drop of a hat, but just doesn’t get excited about long-distance running the way I do.

Our different attitudes about running make for interesting discussions over post-race dinners, as we inevitably have different takes on the race. Two gems of advice from Steve, as heard over post-race pizza last night:

On the fact that this was a fast course, leading both of us to post quicker times than we expected to: “We still had to run. I mean, we weren’t on roller skates or anything.”

On his attitude when he’s passed by a runner who clearly has to pick up the pace to pass him early in a race: “He can pass me now. But he’s going to pay for it later.”

In other post-race news, I was shocked and somewhat amused this morning to discover my post-race sore  spots: shinsplints! I haven’t gotten shinsplints for years, when I was forcing myself back into harder running after a few years of casual jogs. Must’ve been the downhill course. I’ve decided to consider the slight pain a small price to pay for an ego-boosting time.