Valley Thaw Out 10K
This is a new local race and starts less than 10 miles from my home. The race director advertised it as walker/all ability friendly so I had to give it a whirl. After a bout with a severe cold/sinus infection last week that sidelined me from running I was hesitant to give it a try, but I did it anyway.
The race field was small with only about 20 runners for each event (5K, 10K, and half marathon) and none of the fanfare of big city races (large crowds, blaring music, long port-a-potty lines). It started at an elementary school and the bathrooms were open and the heated building provided a nice pre-race shelter. Pick up and parking are a breeze because they are in the schools lot. This is NOT a flat course, but has a nice balance between long uphill grades and long down hill grades. The uphills really made you appreciate the down. On the way out there was a head wind, but I didn't notice a tail wind on the way back. It seemed to just have stopped. We had a windstorm two days prior so I was thankful for what the weather gave us.
I relaxed into the race, listened to the Another Mother Runner podcast* and kind of drifted a long. I had given myself an attainable goal and just tried to maintain a comfortable pace. My splits were a little uneven but understandable based on the courses highs and lows. I took the uphill with the advice I had heard in a podcast earlier in the week. Run the hill at a pace as if the whole race was that hill. I managed a nice negative split on one of the down hill portions and kept each mile under 15 min/mile, which was my second goal of the day. There were great signs posted along the route, to help with the entertainment and enjoyment. I wish I had taken a picture on the one long stretch, where it is pretty much you and a gorgeous overlook into the hay flats and mountains. Aid stations were stocked beyond belief but I kept to my standard Gatorade/water mix. I probably drank a little too much at that last aid station. I finished second to last in the 10K and about 11 minutes slower than my PR but I am still happy and pumped to have spent the morning out on this gorgeous run with the nicest fellow runners you could imagine. I plan on using this course for long slow distance and hill training this summer.
Post race - I managed to make it back in time to see the awards handed out. I wished I had made the boys run the 5K as they both would have placed. The awards were very generous for the top 3 finishers (male/female) in each race and then the bonus of the door prizes. I won a $50 coffee card and if that doesn't pump you up I don't know what would!
I have a busy race spring planned. The only question is do I take the Gold Mint Challenge and run Hatcher Pass and Archangel Marathons? Hatcher Pass is an all, most of the way uphill event that is sure to take me all day. Archangel is the reverse marathon run a month later.
*AMR Podcast on Sleep and one of my FB questions was answered! Thanks for answering!