Arbor Day 10K: Race Report

Arbor Day 10K this morning.  Race started at 8:30 am.  It was 37 degrees, and there was frost on the ground.  It almost felt like being back at WDW in January...at least it wasn't snowing/sleeting (fortunately it was sunny and only slightly breezy)!

I had already picked up my packet at Whole Foods earlier in the week, and ran this one by myself, so I got there about 8, and prepped myself in the warm car, then quickly walked to the start.  There were real restrooms by the amphitheatre, so I made a quick bathroom stop and was good to go.

Between the cold and the kids (including one who almost tripped me by cutting me off right as I crossed the chip reader), I had a slow start.  I was so bumfuzzled, I actually forgot to start my Garmin until over 0.1 miles in!  Oh well...

The race was a Fun Walk/5K/10K, and very family-friendly, so the road and trail were fairly congested through the first mile or so until people naturally spread out based on pace.  Then, after the 5K turnaround, it was just me and a few other slowpokes...  Around mile 2.5, we started seeing the fast 10K-ers who had already turned around and were headed towards the finish - definitely made me want to kick it up a notch!

I finished all by myself, with no one in front or behind me as far as I could see (although there were plenty of bends and turns, so I couldn't see more than a couple tenths of a mile ahead of me for approximately the last two miles or so).  But there were tons of volunteers on the course who were really upbeat and excited, despite the cold!  Plus it was a great course - I really enjoyed running through the Oak Pointe Nature Preserve - we'll have to add that to our library of trails, especially once we get into the truly long runs.

The after-party was really fun, with a live band, award presentations, and a tree planting ceremony.  There were also tons of  post-race goodies provided by the sponsors, including: beer, coffee, fruit, muffins, Muscle Milk, Wheaties, tea, Cliff Bars, etc...  Good thing the Muscle Milk booth was also giving out bags, otherwise there's no way any of us would've been able to carry all that stuff!

All in all, a really good run!  Race stats:

• Official time: 6.2 miles; 1:22:35; 13:19 min/mi
• Arbor Day 10K Garmin Results (not completely accurate b/c of snafu @ start)

A Scene Straight from Hitchcock

I experienced my own personal version of "The Birds" during my run today.  The large amount of rain we've had lately brought all sorts of bugs, worms, etc. to the surface.  This, of course, attracted hundreds of birds to the open areas of the electric transmission line easement the trail runs through.  As I ran past and disturbed them, they all took to the air and, voila!- flashback to the movie.  Now I'm no Tippi Hedren, but for a few moments this evening, I could certainly identify with her character, because it was definitely freaky being surrounded by all those birds!  I'm just glad I made it through bird-poop-free!

Today's stats:

• 10 min warm-up walk
• 3 mi run; 0:37:38 min; 12:33 min/mi

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

It's the last week of Daylight Savings Time here in Texas, which means tonight was one of two last opportunities for an outdoor after-work run (no after-dark running for us), and I was stuck inside on the treadmill because it's raining.  Granted, yes, it could've been a chilly, wet, outdoor run, but we're nowhere near that hardcore!

Today's Stats:

• 10 min warm-up walk
• 3.0 mi; 0:40:02 min; 13:21 min/mi avg

True Trail Running Kicks My Butt!

On Saturday morning, I ran my 6 miles on a hilly, gravel trail, and quickly realized how spoiled I am by the relatively flat, paved trail on which I'm used to running.  Between sinking into the gravel with every footfall, and dealing with the constant elevation changes, I was wiped by the second loop of the 2.1 mile trail, and I still had a 3rd left to go!  So I ended up walking a pretty significant part of that third loop, which slowed down my average pace, as did deciding to count my 10-minute warm-up walk towards my overall mileage total (which I normally don't do)...  Well, even though that trail kicked my butt, the change of pace was probably a good thing, and it definitely mixed things up a bit!

Saturday's stats:

• 10 min warm-up walk
• 5.8 mi run; 1:23:40; 14:26 min/mi