Rockville 10K Race Recap and A Zombie Run

My local Fleet Feet holds fun runs every Thursday night. Basically you just show up and run about 3-4 miles. Some weeks they hold raffles, and have games, pizza, and beer. I was taking Jack over the summer before it got too hot. I still shop there but haven't run with them since July. When I heard they were doing a zombie fun run on the day after Halloween I knew I had to go!

I left Jack with Grandpa and headed out not knowing what to expect. We ended up doing the same 3.2 mile route I was used to and right from the beginning I was on the lookout for zombies. They weren't allowed to grab you which was good to know! There would be 2 or 3 standing around any given point. Not scary, just really funny. I even laughed out loud a bunch! See, running can be fun! In the last half mile or so there were 3 zombies out in the open and as soon as I passed them, one jumped out from behind a fence right in front of me. That got a scream out of me!

Afterwards we were given a ticket to take to a wine bar in the same shopping center for a free drink. I grabbed a bottle of beer and tried my best to socialize. I recognized some people but don't really know any of them. I stepped out of my comfort zone and ended up having a great time. I had to relieve Grandpa and couldn't stay too long but all in all, it was a fun experience! I'm really glad I went and will definitely participate again next year.

Yesterday was the Rockville 5K/10K. I ran the 5K in 2006 and the 10K in 2008. This was only my 6th 10K and I was hoping to get a PR. I knew it was going to be close. My fastest 10K is 1:04:10 and my fastest time for the Rockville 10K is 1:05:39. If nothing else, I wanted to beat my course record.

It was freezing! Jack and Sidney came to cheer me on with Jack bundled up in the stroller. I wore a hat and gloves, it was that cold! I ended up taking my gloves off with about 2 miles to go. There were some rolling hills but mostly it was a pleasant enough race.

The last quarter mile I gave it my all and sprinted to the finish. My official time was 1:05:29. 10 seconds faster than in 2008. Not a 10K PR but I'll take it!!

This happened to be my 35th race overall and it's crazy to think I've run 35 races! But that is over a 6 year period. I love running and I love racing even more. Here's to 50 and beyond!

Here's my official race photo. Notice how I'm smiling and waving this time? Looks much better than my "running face" right?

I also got to see some friends I hadn't seen since April at the last 10K we all did. They commented on how skinny I look. That definitely made my day and gives me motivation to keep going!

Sorry for the super long post. I should've broken this into 2 posts but it is what it is!
Have a great week!

Rockville 10k

Last week I was supposed to run with someone on Sunday but I got really sick. I spent Saturday night and Sunday morning throwing up so I wasn't able to run. I did run 4 miles at the track that Tuesday and our race was this past Sunday, Nov. 2. I felt great and finished strong. I ran the 10k in 1:05:39 which is a 10:34 pace. Not too shabby! Even though our program is officially over, we're meeting Wednesdays at a local track to continue running. I think we're also meeting Saturdays for a long run but I don't have all the details yet.

I feel great and I'm defiitely going to continue running. I just spent a good chunk of change on some cold weather running apparel and I'm not letting it go to waste! I've also been pushing myself in class and I'm now up to 275 pounds on the leg press! I'm getting stronger and hopefully leaner too! I'm definitely running a Thanksgiving race so I'll post those results when I have them.

The above picture is our running group pre-race (I'm in the middle next to the coach) and below is me with about a quarter mile to go giving it all I've got! :)

Pikes Peek 10K

Yesterday was the much anticipated Pikes Peek. Saturday night I didn't sleep very well, tossing and turning throughout the night. It thunderstormed Saturday and I was really dreading the possibility of running in the rain. Sunday morning was cold and dreary but luckily it didn't rain a single drop on us. It was definitely better than blazing hot sun. I had to stop once to re-tie my shoes (I did run in the new ones)and I stopped to get a drink at one of the water stops. Other than that, I ran the whole way not stopping to walk at all. The last half mile or so is all downnhill and knowing this, I had planned to increase my speed for a great finish. When the road started going down and I could make out the balloons, I sprinted to the finish. I have seriously never run that fast before in my life! I was breathing hard and zooming past the other runners left and right. It was amazing! And the verdict? I ran 2 1/2 minutes faster than I did 2 years ago for a net time of 1:04:11. That's a 10:20 mile. 2 years ago I finished in 1:06:45 and ran a 10:45 mile. My main goal was to beat my previous time which I did, so I'm thrilled. My goal for next year is to finish in under an hour.

I did experience some shin pain during the race but afterwards felt fine. I hope I'll be able to continue my training for the Army ten-miler in October. When I hit the 5 mile mark yesterday I was glad to know I only had about 1 mile left, but then I thought, "holy crap, I would only be half way done if this were a 10-miler!" It's a good thing I have 6 more months of training.

I'm going to give my muscles a rest today and tomorrow just do the bike and/or elliptical. I'll probably run easy on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday and start back with my normal running schedule next week. I'll continue to post how it goes and I have many more races scheduled for the summer that I'll definitely write about!