Patriot Run 2023: Six Years Running

This was my sixth year running the Patriot Run. Patriot was my first 5K after moving back to Arizona in 2016, and for all but two years (2018 and 2020), I have kept up with the event. This was my third year at the 10K distance. As long as the Lord allows me to keep running, I think I will stick with this distance.

The Training

I once again sort of wrote my own training plan. I ran Hal Higdon's (n.d.a) novice 10 K training plan distances and did Nourish Move Love strength work (Bomgren, n.d.) during the week, and ran the intermediate plan distances (ish) on Saturday (Higdon, n.d.b). That got me up to a total of eight miles for my long run the week before the race. I only did speed work for the month or so before the race because it was hot, and well, I forgot until then. (I did speed workouts from the Women's Health (2015) plan I used run my spring 10K). Overall, it was a good and enjoyable build up, and honestly, I was just thankful to be well to run after being exposed to many sick people at work the week before the race.

Pre-Race

I kind of forgot about my normal race prep, too. I felt pretty chill about the race for most of the morning. While doing my hair and deciding to wear my Still I Run (n.d.) headband for mental health awareness, I was thinking about running for fun and what running means to me. That was about it. Then suddenly, about an hour before the race and around go time, I got shaky nervous. I still tried to do my warm-up stuff (physical therapy, climbing the stairs five times), and then I was off. I made my A, B, and C race goals in the car on the way to the race:

A-Run 8:30/mile or less pace

B-Get a course PR (Last year, I ran 53:38.)

C-Place

I also listened to, "Egypt" on the radio and committed the race to the Lord (Bethel Music, 2020).

I did my walk-up pickup of my bib and goody bag and drank 8 oz of water along with eating a large ripe banana. I chatted with some friends. Then I used the bathroom. (I think I am becoming a real runner by the amount of pre-race bathroom trips I make.) I did Lea Gender's (2020) warm-up and ran for five minutes. I could tell it was going to be a hot race! Then, I made another bathroom stop, and off to the start line.

Race

This is a pretty small race, so the start line is a chalk line. The timing is chipless. I got a new Apple Watch and decided to just run with it and see what happened as far as pacing myself.

I started with a friend, and then tried to pick up my pace a little. Still, that first mile was slow (8:53/mile). The second was a little better 8:45/mile), and at mile three, I felt like I was floating (8:26/mile). At 72 degrees and 38% humidity with full sun on parts of the course, though, I was already feeling thirsty, so I grabbed a cup of water at one of the stations. (They literally had people standing with a bottle of water and 1 or 2 Dixie cups. No water tables here!). I sipped and then dumped it over my head. That was the best decision ever! It cooled me off and felt like I had air conditioning for a bit.

I did not feel as great coming up on my fourth mile, though (8:30/mile). My mom remarked afterward, "You didn't look like the race was going quite like you wanted." She was probably right. When I saw my dad at halfway, though, I told him the second lap was for him, and I meant it. He's been through a lot post major surgery in June, and I wanted to fight for him, just like he's fighting for his recovery. That meant I had to work hard! I did feel like I was floating along for just a bit of those last miles (8:36 for mile five), but mostly, I felt a little nauseous as I tried to pick up the pace and catch people in front of me. I probably could have benefitted from some more water on in-run nutrition, but no time for that!

There was a guy in front of me clipping along at a good pace the last mile. I worked hard to close in on him. We ran together for a few steps, and then I was able to drop him. I told myself to go as hard as I could the last hundred meters or so, and I did my best. I had a true grimace face as I crossed the finish line! 

Post Race

I was breathing really hard post race. It took me a bit before I could drink my water. My watch said my pace was 8:32 a mile, which was two seconds slower than my A goal. The course came up short for me, but I later realized that if the course was a full 6.2, I had an 8:25/mile pace. Let's just say I was happy with the overall result of 52:18. I didn't take first place overall this time. (Those women were fast!) I did get first in my age group, however. I'll take it!

Thoughts

This was a hard fought race, not so much because I had to work hard at it, but because it's been a summer of hard stuff and changes for my family and I. I am so thankful to have been able to run through it, and to have made it to race day. Having my training plan work (helping me trust my body and my abilities more) and having three of the people I love most there to watch me were by far the best parts. As a bonus, I got to try out my new running watch and my husband used my new phone to catch some great photos. Blessings all. Thank you, Lord!

References:

Bethel Music. (2020, April 3). Egypt. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEeCl1KyXiI

Bomgren, L. (n.d.). Nourish Move Love. [YouTube channel.]. Retrieved September 9, 2023 from https://www.youtube.com/c/nourishmovelove

Genders, L. (2020, January 15). 6 weeks to a 10K training schedule. Lea Genders Fitness. https://www.leagendersfitness.com/news/6-week-10k-training-schedule

Higdon, H. (n.d.a). 10K training: Novice. Hal Higdon. https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/10k-training/novice-10k/

Higdon, H. (n.d.a). 10K training: Intermediate. Hal Higdon. https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/10k-training/intermediate-10k/

Still I Run. (n.d.). https://www.stillirun.org/

Women's Health. (2015, July 7). The training plan that'll help you run your first--or fastest!--10-K. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19981641/10-k-training-plan/

Sub 50: A New PR at the 2025 Mesa 10K

My pre-race peptalk: Running a sub-50 10K is a big, hairy, audacious goal, maybe the biggest running goal I have set yet. But with the Lord's help, I think I can do it. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, it will probably hurt. But I can give myself or excuses, or try. If I try and fall short, I have a shot at a PR, and that, if not the moon, could at least land me in star zone. And if I fail? Try, try again. Or decide I don't want to. This isn't life and death....

(Apparently I was no the only one thinking about this.)

And with that, I set off to run. More than once, I though about hobby jogging it. Midway through, my paces started to drop, and I thought it might be a "Positive splits for positive people" type race, even if I met my sub-50 goal. And then, by God's grace, I did it! And is 47:43! Here's part of what it took to get there:

The Training:

I ran the Mesa half-marathon last February, a 5K in November, and then Tucson Marathon. I did Hal Higdon's (n.d.) return to running program for three weeks, and then moved into the appropriate week (based on weeks until race date) of Run's (2024) Sub-50 minute 10K program. I tried to be careful. PT helped the hip that hurt post marathon, but I still had a cranky right foot. I did not, and could not, hit the paces prescribed until the two weeks right before the marathon (and that was only in my racing shoes). A sub-50 10K seemed possible, but definitely not certain, especially given that my last PR was 51:06, and when you only have 6.2 miles to run, you have to shave a lot off every mile to get to a new level.

The Day Before:

I went to the Hoka shakeout run to demo the new Cielo X1 2.0 and then tried to stay off my feet. I felt unbothered by the race, until I wasn't. Around lunchtime, I realized that I had not run a 10K in about two years, and that made me a little frazzled. Having spent so much time over the past year preparing for longer distances, it felt foreign to not be carb loading, to only have 6.2 miles to run, and to know that I would have a day ahead of me after my race. I did manage to eat a little higher carb Friday, however. I also went to bed early, not quite enough to get seven hours of sleep, but close enough.

Race morning:

Race morning was beautiful, about fifty degrees, and clear. I got up at 4 am, did my PT exercises, got dressed, went up and down the stairs five times (my pre-run "warm-up") and out the door we went at 4:40 am. My husband is an amazing navigator and took a back way to the bus drop off, and that was, for a change, not a problem at all. The buses left about 5 am, and dropped us off around 5:15 am. The workers told us we had 0.25 miles to walk to the start, but it was more like 0.25 miles to the porta potties, which were once again, in the dark (can we please fix this next year, Mesa)?, and then another 0.25 miles to the start line. I used the porta potties when I got there, and then I sat down on the curb for a while. I ate my banana at 5:40 am and went for a mile warm-up. I decided to use the porta-potties again, but then I still had about 30 minutes until the start, so I decided to do another warm-up mile. Each time, I included a few fartlek strides, as per my research on 10K race prep (Brooks, 2023). I opted to get back in the bathroom line again at that point, feeling like I *might* need it. I got out of the bathroom at like 6:20 am, so barely had time to jog to the start. It was at that point that I realized I needed water if I wanted to take a gel. I swiped one cup to dump over my hands, took a few sips of the other, and then took a caffeinated vanilla bean GU. A short three minutes later, we were off!

Mile 1:

I started off way too fast (that, or my watch was off). The paces said 7:10-7:30/mile and felt good. I decided to keep at it. A little over half a mile in, my pace settled at 7:45/mile, and that was what my first mile clocked.

Mile 2:

Mile two still felt good, and I kept pace with the woman in front of me. I saw my husband at the corner of the street where our house is, gave him an "I love you" sign, and kept running. The water at the aid station looked appealing, but by the time I realized that, I was past it. I kept going: Another 7:45/mile.

Mile 3:

I started to fall off pace during mile three. I lost step with the woman in front of me. I told myself that it might be a "positive splits for positive people" race, but I was still on pace for sub-50, so I kept going. Somewhere around partway through, I got back on pace. That mile was 7:48/mile.

Mile 4: 

I was doing okay, but still not up with the woman in front of me. I told myself to get through to five, and then push. This was another 7:45/mile.

Mile 5:

Mile five got a little better. A few people were moving back and forth in the pack. I started to get out by myself, though. That's okay. I was doing well and I told myself to get ready to push starting at 5.2. I hit hit 7:38/mile.

Mile 6:

I started trying to run faster! I began my practice of counting down from 100. I knew it would only take four or five times and I would be at the finish! I hit four, and then I could see the line. I whittled down to 7:27/mile.

The Finish:

At the corner, I was pretty much by myself. I could see the line. I was by myself and people were cheering. I pushed. It was 7:04 for the last 0.2, and 47:43 for the finish. I raised my hands as I crossed, and then got my medal. Shortly after, my husband started calling me. I didn't see him at the finish, but he had seen me. Sweet!

Post race:

I collected a water and chocolate milk. Sprouts gave us a snack bag with a protein bar (thank you races for realizing runners need protein for recovery!), chips, and fruit. Some other booths had juice and frozen treats. I got my time card and took my medal to get engraved with my time (such a cool feature this year-thanks, Hoka)! I picked up my bag, and then went back to the finish line to wait for the half marathoners. I got to see the leading men and women finish. Pretty cool!

I drank water standing at the finish. I should have eaten a protein bar then, but I didn't want to. The lactic acid definitely accumulated, and when I walked to the car, I felt it in both my biceps and hamstrings. I did get in protein and carbs when I got home, but recovery probably would have been better had I actually got nutrition in that 30 minute post-race window. Work for the future!

Final thoughts:

Long run training really does build your aerobic engine (or whatever they call it). I always thought people who ran before the race were crazy, but I saw all the elites doing it on race day, and I am finding it helps me, too. I don't like fueling so much, but it makes a difference, and as long as I try to avoid over fueling to the point of stomach upset, I would rather over fuel than leave things on the race table. Lighter, faster, plated shoes also help make PRs.

I am so thankful for this race, for my husband's support, for the God who made my body, for health, and for so, so much more. Running is a gift, not one everyone gifts, and never guaranteed. May I never take running for granted and always give thanks to God for it!

References:

Brooks, A. (2023, May 18). Tips for 10K race day: Pacing, strategy, and fuel. Run to the finish. https://runtothefinish.com/tips-10k-race-day/

Higdon, H. (n.d.). Post marathon recovery: Novice. Hal Higdon. https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/post-marathon-recovery/novice-post-marathon/

Run. (2024, December 28). Run your fastest 10K ever with these training plans. https://run.outsideonline.com/training/training-plans/5k-10k/training-plans-fastest-10k-ever/?scope=anon

Pre-Run Fuel, Polarized Training, Post-Run Workouts, Pacing, and More (Patriot Run 2022)

After years of running, maybe I'm finding my identity as I runner? And I'm definitely trying to start implementing research-based training techniques. I think it's paying off. Read more below.

I ran the Patriot Run 10K again last Saturday, September 10, 2022. I ran the Patriot Run 5K in 2016, 2017, and 2019 before switching over to the 10K last year. (No race was held in 2020 due to COVID.) I think I really prefer the 10K. Yes, it's two laps. Yes, it requires more training, but I like it. I'm really not a speed girl. I'm a "in it for the long haul girl." At least in this race, people start out fast, and then slow down. Since I do the opposite, this gives me a chance to move up in the rankings as I go, rather than do a mad sprint from the start. It's my style.

I trained for this race with a little flair of my own this year, too. I honestly didn't know if it would work, but I couldn't find a training plan I liked, so I took Hal Higdon's novice plan and personalized it. Monday, Wednesday, I did speed work (fartlek, interval, and tempo runs--some from the training plan I did for the Mesa 10K), but added on some strength training afterwards. Tuesday, Thursday, I ran a mile or so and then did a longer strength workout. Saturday, I also tacked on strength. Friday/Sunday, I walked three miles, stretched, foam rolled, and called it good.

Pre-Run Fuel 

I'm really not a pre-run fuel girl, but after hearing one two many podcasts about the importance of pre-run fueling for women, I decided to do it for my long runs. It meant getting out the door a little later, but it worked. I started with half a banana, tried applesauce once or twice, and ended up with a whole banana and 8 oz water being good before most runs (and this particular 10K race). I found that I could make it through the runs easier, still strength train afterward (with more water intake) and not be a grumbly mess by breakfast. I found that I felt better the rest of the day when I did this, too. Running dietitians have preached these benefits of pre-run fuel for a while. I guess I just had to prove the benefits to myself.

Polarized Training

I also attempted to take up a more polarized training pattern this year. After listening to Ben Rosario on C Tolle Run (2022), I picked up Matt Fitzgerald's (2014) 80/20 Running book. I am sure that I didn't quite make 80% of my runs easy, but I slowed way down and did try to eliminate moderate training as Fitzgerald suggested. I felt pretty uncertain going into a race without much speed training under my belt, but I was very pleased with the results.

Post-Run Workouts

I used Lindsey Bomgren's Nourish Move Love workouts post-run. She has a good variety of bands, barre, weights, and cardio; plus, she sends out weekly workout plans if you get on her -email list. Those helped! I tried to lift heavy towards the beginning, but towards the end, I did more resistance band workouts. I also eliminated my Thursday runs and training when I felt extra tired and/or my HRV was low. (My brother gifted me a FitBit Versa that tracks HRV.) I did my last post-run workout the Monday of race week and just did barre with fairly light weights Tuesday/Wednesday. 

The RUN!

I did not sleep well Friday night, and I woke up with somewhat of an upset stomach. I still managed to down my banana and half a water bottle, though. We had light rain and temperatures of around 64 degrees for race morning. It rained a little bit during the race, but too much.

Running at altitude, I had no plans to try to best my Mesa 10K PR. Rather, I wanted to compete with myself and try to beat last year's time in this race by at least six seconds (54:20). As such, my pacing plan was to warm up for five minutes, rest, and then go out at 8:50/9:00 minutes a mile for the first half of the race and try to speed up from there. Thankfully, I calculated my halfway time (as per advice from Run for PRs, 2021) as my RunKeeper app was off. I ran mostly by feel, trying not to get too upset about the ladies out in front of me. 

Near the end of lap one, I noticed that people had gone the wrong way. Therefore, I no longer had anyone to chase, so I just had to run. I felt pretty good, so I kept at at moderately hard pace. Things started to feel harder at mile four, and somewhere around mile five, I just wanted to quit. (I wasn't really that tired, but somehow I lost motivation.) Much to my chagrin, I had to come to a complete stop with less than a mile left due to lack of traffic control issues. I think I lost about 10 seconds there. The guy behind me also caught up, and after not having to stop at the intersection, blazed right past me. I tried to gun it the last leg of the race despite not being able to catch him. I felt like I was going to puke, but I told myself to keep going. I came away with a time of 53:38, over forty seconds faster than my goal, and if we take away the 10 seconds I had to pause, I was less than a minute off my PR of 52:43. I'll take it!

Thoughts

My husband asked me what the best part of the race was. I told him I was encouraged that my training plan worked. It feels more sustainable than the plans I have used in the past. I also enjoyed running in my new Brooks Ghost shoes (such an investment, but so worth it!). As bonuses, he and my parents got to see me race. I saw a few friends who ran the 5k. AND...I took first in the women's division overall! (Mind you, this is a small, local race, so take that with a grain of salt.) I felt pretty toasted afterward, but thankful and proud, too. Next up, a little training reduction before moving into a preparation block for some spring racing. You can be sure I'll be taking the lessons I learned in this training cycle with me!

References:

Fitzgerald, M. (2014). 80/20 Running: Run stronger and race faster by training slower. Berkley.

RunforPRs [@RunforPRs]. (2021, April 29). 10k RACE WEEKEND. https://www.instagram.com/p/COP3y9YFWk9/?utm_medium=share_sheet&epik=dj0yJnU9UFM5dnpvYlpaLXNLaUpWWEt6UjZKUXdMNFIwV0U0RUMmcD0wJm49LVdOU04wajRYb1JHbEUtM2pFVzhpdyZ0PUFBQUFBR01kTUNj

Tollefson, C. (Host). (2022, March 17). The best ways to train. [Audio podcast episode]. In C Tolle Run. https://www.ctollerun.com/ben-rosario-the-best-ways-to-train/

Pat's Run 6.0

Six time's the charm? I mean this was the year to run and get the final medal to complete the set honoring Pat Tillman as ASU Sun Devil, Arizona Cardinal, and US Army Ranger. Overall, I would say I had a pretty good build into this race. The Lord blessed me with my fastest 5K in the fall, my first marathon in December, and a fast 10K in February. I was pretty confident I could top my 8:01/mile pace from 2023, but then I got sick. I was thankfully only down for a few days and was able to run easy on those days. I did miss my 12-miler, though. (I was using the Sub-45 minute 10K plan from Run, but not quite running the assigned paces.) I felt a little froggy throughout the week and still had a little bit of a runny nose. I tried to prioritize sleep and carbs (bagels!) during the week so I could give the race what I had.

Goals

A: Better my time of 33:40 from 2024 and my 10K pace of 7:41/mile

B: Enjoy my time in the first corral (Will that ever happen again?)

C: Run miles afterward if possible (on my way to training for my last race of the "season")

Packet pick-up

I need to remind myself that this takes a little bit of time. Packet pickup is not difficult, but there is traffic. This time, I think the issue is that the left turn arrow was only letting through a few cars at a time. I found a parking spot right away when I entered, even though the lot was full. I had to stand in a line of about six people to get my packet, but when I got to the front, pickup was quick. I told them my bib number, got my bib and shirt, and was out.

There is not much in the race bag in the way of swag. I got my shirt, a restaurant coupon, and a packet of Squirrel's Nut Butter (new this year). That is not what this race is about, though. Many people do not even choose to "race" it. Rather, they choose to run in memory of a man who gave his all for his country. 

Sometimes I get race nerves. This race, though, got me excited on Friday. I looked actually looked forward to being with so many people working together for a great cause!

Race Day

As in past years, I got up at 4 am, and we were out the door by 5 am to catch the 5:13 am light rail. I got a little chilly on the light rail and walking to the arena, but I knew I would warm up quick. Praise the Lord, the morning went mostly according to plan. I went to the restroom for the first time. We walked through the vendor tent. I picked up a lot of loot. I got my husband to take pictures.

Warm-Up

Two miles was a good warm-up for my most recent 5K and 10K, so I aimed for that again. It was a little tricky finding enough space to run, but I got it in. I threw in a few strides (bursts of speed) during the second mile. All of this I did from 6:20-6:40 am. Then it was back to the restroom, and into the corral by my goal time of 6:50 am. At 6:55 am, I took a caffeinated vanilla GU gel, and at 7:05 am, we were off.

The Run

The first bit of the race (the jag to get the 0.2 mile, I think) is a little crowded. Thankfully, I was able to keep a good pace. My first mile came in at 7:28/mile. There was a little downhill for mile 2, and that brought me to 7:16/mile. There is a slow uphill around Papago Park, which is not hard, but did slow me down some. That mile came in at 7:36/mile (still faster than my 7:41/mile 10K, which was my goal). I tried to keep a good pace and keep passing people for the last mile. At 4 miles, I told myself to work and get into the stadium. I knew there was a small uphill, but figured I could count down from 100 twice, and it would be over. I lost cost in the first hundred. I did remember to throw up my hands at the finish line, and for once, I got a decent photo.

The finish line was a bit different this year in that they hustled us through the chute and completely out of the arena to get medals and refreshments. It could have been cool to get a medal photo on the field, but my husband was not there anyway. No big deal. 

Pat's Run hosted a tailgate this year, but we did not attend. I just got my husband to take a few photos, and then I went out to run the rest of my miles around Tempe Town Lake before heading to brunch at 10 am. Let me tell you. That brunch was delicious!

Results

My final time was 31:18, and 7:27/mile. That is two minutes and 22 seconds faster than last year. As my mom taught me to say, "Yeah, God!" And also thanks to all the running dietitians who put out free information about nutrition for athletes. That has made the biggest difference in me being able to train more and run further and faster.

Final Thoughts

This race is so cool because it is not just a race, but a community event. The event is SO well-organized. I so appreciate the fact that it is made accessible for as many as want to participate, from wheelchair racers, to families who want to push their children in strollers, to kids who want to run the 1K. What a great way to commemorate Pat Tillman, a man who put others before himself and gave all to protect our freedoms to engage in activities like this race today. His legacy is truly a great one!

Making Memories: 10K Number Three

I completed my third official 10K! (I did three virtual ones between my September 2019 one and now.) I finished with an official time of 54:23, a PR by 0.06. The course came up a little short on Runkeeper, but my pace was still my fastest yet, so I will take it. Overall, I have been doing things a little differently, and I think it paid off.

What I Did Differently

After taking several running breaks in 2020, I started back with a base building plan. [Thanks to Instagram for introducing me to the concept (Sugar Runs and Elizabeth’s Healthy Life)]. This got me running four or more days a week, which took a little getting used to, but I think it built stronger running muscles. I used Lea Gender’s 6 week 10K training plan, which made for a shorter buildup, and fewer weeks running more miles, which may have left my legs fresher and reduced likelihood of over training. For the first time, I actually did the prehab warm-up exercises before running each day. I also reduced my Tuesday/Thursday miles and did 15-20 minutes of strength training instead. I read that strength training for runners should include single leg exercises since running is a one leg at a time exercise. Lea Gender’s plan had some of those exercises, which made runner specific strength training easier. Since I had the opportunity to run at altitude before the race at altitude, I did. I took the two days before the race off running (per the plan and per my tired legs.) Nutritionally, I focused on getting in a lot of carbs the evening before the race (four to six servings at nighttime snack, plus carbs from the other things I ate alongside.) I also sipped eight ounces or so of water before running (new for me). I think that’s all I did differently before the race.

The Race

I ran in the 9/11/21 Patriot Run, a race to remember the lives lost, and to support the local fire district’s honor guard. I have run the 5K race three previous years, but wanted to up the challenge this time, and I did. The course is pretty much completely flat, and is a loop course, which helps with pacing. The race is also small. I would guess 50 or less people ran the 10K.

The race started at 7 am, a blessing for my used to early running body. This meant I would be under 12 hours of fasting, which is supposed to be about the most you should go without eating before a run. I had not trained to do that, and since I had not, I tried not to do anything new on race day. The temperature was around 70 degrees, cool compared to the 80 plus degrees I had been running in. I hoped my heat training would make up for the altitude difference. I was that runner and did go for a five minute shakeout jog before the race, for a total of 0.44 miles.

My Strategy

I had A, B, and C goals, but I wanted to focus on my B goal of finishing in an hour. Even this seemed like a challenge, as I had run slower than that in my altitude run. With these goals, having run the 5K race in the past, and having studied some 10K pacing strategies, I decided to start off slow. I know that I normally get faster as I go, and I was banking on that.

I ran miles one and two around a 9:30/mile pace. I was happy with that, as I knew that would get me to my B goal. I tried not to go too fast, as I wanted to leave something in the tank for the last two to three miles. I kept an eye on the women in front of me, but was not sprinting to catch up.

I started feeling the effort around mile four, but gave myself a Steph Bruce pep talk and told myself to grit my teeth and grind it out. I saw the lady in front of me pass someone between miles four and five. I thought about adding in a goal to medal, but told myself to stick with the plan. I would rather race myself than other people. Around mile five, though, I also passed the same lady as the front runner. This lady had led the whole race up until this point, but was so encouraging and yelled, “Get it, girl” as I passed. The other lady was still ahead, by at least 100 meters or so. I, however, was starting to feel nauseous. I had some left in that tank, so when I saw myself getting to 5.8 and 6 miles, I tried to speed up. I hit 6.13 miles at the finish line and tried to run through to get to 6.2, but they stopped me with an official time of 54:23. (My Runkeeper said 54:26 and 6:14.) I grabbed some water and settled in to wait for results. I thought I might be second or third in my age range, and I wanted to see.

The Results

Racing during COVID has many unique challenges. A challenge of this race was that the timer got COVID before the event and could not make it, meaning the race organizers had to scramble. They ended up giving everyone wristbands and timing the runners with stopwatches. Understandably, this made tallying results very time-consuming. I think we waited one to two hours in total. We all wanted to get home to eat breakfast, but we also wanted to see results. We chatted with a few other runners, and the time actually went by fairly quickly. It’s the first time in forever that I have had “nothing” to do, and it actually felt good!

Thankfully, the awards ceremony started with the 10K. I don’t remember how fast the male winner ran, but he was in the 21-30 group and fast! The they called the 31-40 group and said I was the winner. I was pretty dumbstruck and just went up on stage to get my medal. They gave me a flag kit, 50 dollar Visa card, and 50% off next year’s race, too. (All are blessings, but I am a big fan of that last prize, as racing is expensive these days!) Mt family was like, “Let’s go!” and so we left directly afterward. By the time it registered that they said I won the race, we were already in the car and driving home. I started asking, “But what about the lady in front of me? I hope I didn’t steal her win!” It was too late to find out, though. My parents thought came in first, and the race organizers took their time to tally, so I told myself to thank the Lord and trust him with justice and fairness.

The Memories

This race was special for many reasons. This was my first race to run after COVID shut down in person racing. I ran in my hometown. It was the 20th anniversary of 9/11. My husband and my parents came to watch (only the second time this has ever happened). The nature of the loop course and the low crowd volume let me see my family at least four times. My husband even gave me a high five as I hit the hard part of the second loop. My parents talked about leaving to make breakfast, but they stayed, so all three of them got to see me medal, a first! My dad and mom texted my siblings about the race, and I received sweet (and silly!) messages of congratulations. I found out a friend from college ran a sprint triathlon the same day as well. These “people factors” meant a lot to me. In fact, I think they meant the most to me. A race win is super special, but without people to celebrate with, it does not mean much. Having a family that supports me in everything I do, even running is the greatest win. This race reminded me of that.

My First 10K

I saw a meme on Pinterest that said:

Yeah, maybe that applies to me. I ran Pat's Run last weekend, and my first 10K today. A long run last week was part of the 10K training I did, but yes, it was still a lot of running. At least this race was local.

The Whiskey Row Marathon is pretty iconic, mostly because of the hills. The 10K I ran accompanied it. The race supports the YMCA, so I felt good about registering, even if I couldn't run (but I'm glad I did.)

I picked up my packet and bib Friday evening at the YMCA. The goody bag wasn't the greatest, but I'm not necessarily in it for the goody bag. I'm in it for the run, and the medal and the t-shirt (if I can have the latter two). 

It had been a long week, so I decided to do a little self-care Friday evening and painted my nails. How funny that the Sally Hansen color was called Red-y to Run!

Wake-up came at 5 am Saturday. I listened to my Bible readings and got ready to go. It was cold! Chris picked me up at 5:45 am.

Unlike last weekend, the roads were dead. Downtown was dead. We kind of just roved around for awhile. But then they started the half-marathon, and the two mile. A Guidance helicopter flew over before my race.

At 7:20 am, the Regulators shot their rifles and we were off! I knew the first part of the course was hilly. I saw a lady from church and she told me where the worst was. (It was bad, but I guess since I made it back down the other side, it doesn't seem as bad now.)

I told myself not to go fast, as I wanted to finish, and have never run a documented 6.2 miles straight before. I wanted to enjoy a little of the scenery along the way, because it was pretty. 

I mean, look at Thumb Butte!

I wanted to finish in an hour if I could, and by my phone pacing, thought I could.

And guess what, I did! The last hill and corner were a little hard, and I was tired, but I finished! And I ran the whole way!

My dad and Mom and fiance were all at the finish line. That was pretty sweet. 

                            

   

And we all went to breakfast afterward. I've wanted to go to Lone Spur Cafe for awhile, and there wasn't even really a wait!

I got the skinny cowboy skillet with basted eggs and raisin toast. (I think the strawberry jam was homemade.) Yum!

Then it was off to run errands, home for a shower, and more errands. I got pretty tired after lunch, so I took a nap.

All in all, it was a good day. 

Praise the Lord! 

Praise the Lord that I was healthy. 

Praise the Lord that I finished. 

Praise the Lord for the support of loved ones.

Praise the Lord for good food.

Praise the Lord for nice weather.

Praise the Lord for rest.

Praise the Lord, and to Him be the glory!

Mesa Marathon 2023 10K

Race: Mesa Marathon 10K

Time: 51:06

Pace: 8:14 min/mile

Place overall: 165/1519

Age Division: 7/118 (F 30-34)

What I liked about this race: It is in the streets of my hometown! This year, the race ended in Riverview/Sloan Park, which was nicer than the Mesa Riverview parking lot. Watching the sun rise over the park lakes was truly beautiful!

What I didn't like this year: Packet pick-up was rough! The bibs apparently weren't organized alphabetically in their boxes (though the lines were), and it took a long time for the person to find mine. The person was nice about it, but it really did back up the line. (And in hindsight, we went for bib pick-up fairly early, so maybe they fixed this later in the day?) 

The race requires riding a bus to the start line, which makes the morning REALLY early. The start line park was not well lit. Runners had to use their cell phone lights to use the porta-potties. The porta-potties were also at a slant, which, let's just say, made using them a little interesting. The announcers told runners to wait by the few lights there were until the National Anthem played, and then move to the start line. The National Anthem was apparently late, because when they told runners to move to the starting line, they kept saying to "hustle" so that the race could start on time. Umm...we were following their instructions. The place the race started in the street sloped down to the right. Awkward!

Post-race, my husband had trouble getting to the parking area. It was hard for us to figure out how to connect, and we had to go a long way around to get through the detours and back to our house. Perhaps next year, when the race organizers have had a year to figure out the new race ending, the routing will be better?

--

Training: I am to the point that I am making up training plans myself, or at least combining them to fit what I want to do. This is growth for me! This year, I combined Hal Higdon's (n.d.) novice plan  with Jenny Hadfield's Rock that 10-K advanced training plan (Women's Health, 2015). I ran at least one mile a day, added in a shorter run from the Hal Higdon plan, a workout from Jenny Hadfield's plan, and then the long run from Jenny Hadfield's plan. For cross-training, I threw in some Nourish Move Love (n.d.) workouts at the end of shorter runs. I also did a concurrent 30 days of yoga in January. Every day, I tried to do five minutes of stretching, followed by five minutes of foam rolling (How to Run Guide, 2018). I achieved this most days.

Race week: As noted in my taper crazy post, I only did one short workout the Monday of race week, followed by a rest day, and two 30 minute easy runs (Earles, 2023). I did not strength training. I finished my yoga program, so I just did my stretching and foam rolling.

I did make an intentional effort to go to bed earlier every night. I maybe only went to bed an average of 15 minutes or so early, but that added up. I actually got in bed about an hour early the night of the race, which was good given the early wake-up time.

I have read a lot about nutrition this year, and though I knew I did not need to carb load for a 10K, I did intentionally replace some of my normal lunch dairy/protein intake with brown rice to try to increase my glycogen stores. I made more carb heavy meals, and I tried to have a lot of carbs at snack the night before the race (like 5-7 servings of grains!) Yep, I felt a little bloated by week's end, but apparently that is normal if you carb load (Taylor, 2019). It is temporary discomfort to improve performance.

I normally stand on my feet a lot on Fridays, as that is my meal prep day. I intentionally did less of that this time. (Cooking ahead and freezing was a lifesaver.) I tried to stay active, but off my feet where I could.

The race itself: I got up at 3:45 am, eased into the day for a bit, and then did my physical therapy exercises and five stairs. Then out the door! I was an early arrival to the busses, which put me to the park by about 5 am. I did DuoLingo lessons for about half an hour and then I fueled myself with 8 oz of water and a ripe banana. I have realized through trial and error that I need fuel very shortly before I run, lest my body burn it all off and I bonk while racing!

It was COLD to start, okay, at least cold for me. It was in the mid-forties, and once I shed my hoodie in the drop bag, I was chilly, to the point of cramping chilly. I did my 0.5 mile warm-up prior to shedding the hoodie, hoping that would keep me warmer, not really.

The race start was odd, at a slant down to the right. I got off okay, though. I purposely put myself more to the front of the pack, but still had to weave through a few people. My goal was to run a 8:30/mile pace, and then try to pick it up at the end in hopes of a small PR. When I looked down just a bit into the race, it looked like I was running 8:30, and it felt good, so I just kept going.

I expected to bonk at about three miles (as that is historically where it gets hard), so I just tried to keep at my 8:30ish pace. Honestly, it felt like I was cruising, and I was so, so happy! I had quite a bit of anxiety race week, and a lot of negative self-talk trying to get in race morning. Every time I looked down at my phone and saw that I was keeping pace while feeling good, I thanked God and thanked my body.

I thought about not picking up pace at all. That would make any PR smaller, but easier to beat. But who knows when I will have this fitness again? Given that thought, I planned to pick up the pace (if I could) at mile four or five. I ended up deciding to try to get a little faster, and a little faster, and then go hard 5.2 miles to the finish. I do have two more races I want to run this spring, so I didn't want to actually toast myself. Looking at my splits, it does appears that I achieved my goal.

I picked off a few people at the end of the race, but not enough of the women to place. While it would have been amazing to place in my age bracket, I don't really care. I was competing with myself, and I am so happy with my results.

Post race: I felt pretty good, other than that my hands cramped. Maybe it was from running with my phone? (Yes,  still run old style, as I do not have a running watch that keeps accurate pace.) Thankfully that eventually wore off.

I saw the male and female half-marathon winners finish! Molly Seidel, the latest US Olympic marathon bronze medalist, stopped right in front of me and I took lots of pictures and fan-girled hard! She was so kind and congratulatory to her teammates, which was awesome to see. I glimpsed marathoner Steph Bruce from Flagstaff, and almost went up to her to ask for a photo, but I wasn't sure it was her, so I didn't. Maybe one day I will be brave enough to ask one of my heroes for a photo with them.

Final thoughts: At this stage of my running journey, I am learning that training and nutrition make a difference. More than that, though, I am learning about mindset. Having success makes me feel more pressure than ever to perform. Trying to change my mindset to focus on giving my all and doing my best on any given day has done wonders for me! Also, I am working on smiling while I run. I get to do this! Smiling also supposedly wards off stress (SCL Health, n.d.). That's good for racing, as the effort itself is stressful. All in all, I am just so grateful and happy. Grateful to God for health and resources to do this. Grateful to my husband, friends, and family for their support. Grateful for my body putting up with my running craziness. And happy. Maybe happy for just a day, but happy, and I plan to ride the wave and savor it for as long as I can.

References:

Earles, S. (2023, February 3). Crazy, or taper crazy? Simple, Sacred, Sweet. https://simplesacredsweet.blogspot.com/2023/02/crazy-or-taper-crazy.html

Higdon, H. (n.d.). 10K training: Novice. Hal Higdon. https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/10k-training/novice-10k/

How to Run Guide. (2018, July 22). The complete guide to foam rolling for runners. https://howtorunguide.com/foam-rolling-for-runners/

Nourish Move Love. (n.d.) Videos [YouTube channel]. Retrieved February 4, 2023 from https://www.youtube.com/c/nourishmovelove/videos.

SCL Health. (n.d.) The health benefits of smiling. https://www.sclhealth.org/blog/2019/06/the-real-health-benefits-of-smiling-and-laughing/

Taylor, J. (2019, February 13). 7 things you need to know about carb loading if you're into exercise. Cosmopolitan. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/diet-nutrition/a26097531/carb-loading-marathon-running/.

Women's Health. (2015, July 7). The training plan that'll help you run your first--or fastest!--10-K. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19981641/10-k-training-plan/