Time for another race report! Even though it was almost a week ago , I like recapping my races - I think it's helpful for people thinking of doing them, it helps me focus on my strengths and weaknesses, and it's kind of neat to compare performances from year to year (especially with tri's!)
With that said, last Saturday I did a 15k in hilly Mendon called the Spring Forward 15k. It was mainly for Greg, as he is training for the Unity Half Marathon in April, but since I had a 12 miler on tap for the day, I decided to run the race and then tack on a 3 mile run to finish it up. The race course went right by Greg's godmothers house, and since she is amazing beyond belief, she agreed to watch our little cutie pie.
Race morning - up at 5, quick shower, breakfast of oats, dried cranberries and almonds. We dropped off kiddo and headed over to the race site- this race has gotten super popular, due to the distance being a great tune up for a spring half/full, and the cost - can't beat a tech tee, 15k and post race treats for $20. When we got there, we did the potty stop, a quick warm up, said hello to some friends, and made our way to the start.
My last stint with this race was in 2009 when I squeaked in at 1:19:42, which was roughly an 8:30 mile. This course is horrendously hilly, so that was a pretty decent time for me. My goal was to try to get under 1:20 again - I knew my legs could handle it, but MTD training has not been about speed, so I was cautiously optimistic. My real litmus was the fact that I ran 10 miles the day before and had 10 planned for the day after....time for ultra training to get real, yo!
The race had a new start- uphill. Pretty sure Boots, our RD, just likes to see us hurt. And we love him for it. There were about 1000 people running, so I seeded myself appropriately and before I knew it, we took off. The first mile was quite the roller coaster, I was trying to regulate my breathing and cursing my lack of hill work. Mile 1 = 8:46. OK, not bad. We twisted around the park, and I found a friendly face to run with for a bit. Mile 2 went by fast, and we turned onto the main road, which was a brief uphill, followed by a nice long downhill...and my little dude!! Debbie, Greg's godmom, had Rob all bundled up and I Blew my little sweetie a kiss. With a big smile on my face, I hit mile 3 in 25:34. Mile 4 was pretty uneventful, then the fun started. Two massive Placid style hills in a 10 minute span, and I started to wonder why I don't just cash it in and race in Florida.....but since I must be a masochist....this is fun, right? RIGHT! Mile 6 came in at 51:02, and I knew an 8:30 pace was mine if I could take the next 3 miles smartly.
The last 5k featured 2 steep hills, some nice neighborhoods, and a fabulous half mile of slight downhill at mile 8. Score. I found someone to "race" with with a half mile to go (I don't think he knew we were racing, but I beat his pants off!), and tucked in to the finish line at 1:19:50, 8 seconds slower than 2009 and in the top quarter of my AG, top third overall. Sweet. I'll take it :-)
No rest for the wicked....I grabbed a drink, found Greg and gave him a hug, then tackled 3 more miles in the hills of Mendon to get back to Debbies, where a fabulous brunch was ready. Total mileage = 12.36 miles in 1:50. Not bad before 10am, in my book.
Recommend this race with a big thumbs up. It's not easy, but what's worth doing isn't always cake. Next up = MIND THE DUCKS. Holy crap.
With that said, last Saturday I did a 15k in hilly Mendon called the Spring Forward 15k. It was mainly for Greg, as he is training for the Unity Half Marathon in April, but since I had a 12 miler on tap for the day, I decided to run the race and then tack on a 3 mile run to finish it up. The race course went right by Greg's godmothers house, and since she is amazing beyond belief, she agreed to watch our little cutie pie.
Race morning - up at 5, quick shower, breakfast of oats, dried cranberries and almonds. We dropped off kiddo and headed over to the race site- this race has gotten super popular, due to the distance being a great tune up for a spring half/full, and the cost - can't beat a tech tee, 15k and post race treats for $20. When we got there, we did the potty stop, a quick warm up, said hello to some friends, and made our way to the start.
 |
| HBO catching my dorkface at mile 4. |
The race had a new start- uphill. Pretty sure Boots, our RD, just likes to see us hurt. And we love him for it. There were about 1000 people running, so I seeded myself appropriately and before I knew it, we took off. The first mile was quite the roller coaster, I was trying to regulate my breathing and cursing my lack of hill work. Mile 1 = 8:46. OK, not bad. We twisted around the park, and I found a friendly face to run with for a bit. Mile 2 went by fast, and we turned onto the main road, which was a brief uphill, followed by a nice long downhill...and my little dude!! Debbie, Greg's godmom, had Rob all bundled up and I Blew my little sweetie a kiss. With a big smile on my face, I hit mile 3 in 25:34. Mile 4 was pretty uneventful, then the fun started. Two massive Placid style hills in a 10 minute span, and I started to wonder why I don't just cash it in and race in Florida.....but since I must be a masochist....this is fun, right? RIGHT! Mile 6 came in at 51:02, and I knew an 8:30 pace was mine if I could take the next 3 miles smartly.
The last 5k featured 2 steep hills, some nice neighborhoods, and a fabulous half mile of slight downhill at mile 8. Score. I found someone to "race" with with a half mile to go (I don't think he knew we were racing, but I beat his pants off!), and tucked in to the finish line at 1:19:50, 8 seconds slower than 2009 and in the top quarter of my AG, top third overall. Sweet. I'll take it :-)
No rest for the wicked....I grabbed a drink, found Greg and gave him a hug, then tackled 3 more miles in the hills of Mendon to get back to Debbies, where a fabulous brunch was ready. Total mileage = 12.36 miles in 1:50. Not bad before 10am, in my book.
Recommend this race with a big thumbs up. It's not easy, but what's worth doing isn't always cake. Next up = MIND THE DUCKS. Holy crap.
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