Once again the Hudson Mohawk Runners Club sponsored a FREE race for its members and this weekend, they offered distances of 3M, 15K and 30K.

I was hoping for better weather than last weekend so that I could run one of these races. Remember, I don’t like rain or snow of ice….

Well, it was great – in the 30’s with just a little wind.

Since I have a half marathon in 3 weeks, I chose to run the 15K and then add on more miles after.

I have run several 15Ks (including 3 on this same course) and as you can see my times are all over the place:

2015
HMRRC #4 – 1:34:29 -same course
Stockade-athon 15K – 1:31:35 PR
2014
Stockeadeathon – 1:33:23
HMRRC #1 – 1:34:55 – same course
HMRRC #4 – 1:42:40 -same course
2013
Stockeadeathon – 1:42:22
2011
Stockeadeathon – 1:36:08

As I said previously, I am NOT stating any goals for my races. I just wanted to enjoy the race, not have any pain and get my training miles in for my upcoming half marathon.

Without all that pressure, I felt relaxed for the race.

These races start at 10 am so you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn. I always leave early to get parking since these races are crowded and there are other events going on at UAlbany.

Because this race was organized by ARE, I thought that they would have bibs & chip timing like last year so I wore my race belt but they didn’t.

And since it was a holiday weekend, the attendance seemed to be down from 2 weeks ago so I was there earlier than I needed to be.

What I love about this local race is that you get to see a lot of people that you know. And I immediately bumped into running friends, Judy & Barbara again.

We stayed indoors until the last minute and then made out way outside.

I lined up with Barbara who was also running the 15K.  I hoped that she would run slower than the 3.5 mile race a few weeks ago and we could run the race together.

With all the races that I have run (about 175?), I have never raced with anyone.  My friends are either slower or faster so I always run solo.

Well, I did stay with Barbara for about 3 miles.  We were running in the 9s and I had wanted to run this race around 10. It was a training run and I was afraid of straining something.

So I let her run ahead and as she did last time, she seemed to maintain her pace and I did not.  I could only keep her in my sight for a few miles and then she disappeared from view.

For most of the race, I felt fine.  I was warm so I unzipped my jacket and took off my gloves but by the end, I felt chilled.

I walked through the water stop around mile 3 and then several times after mile 6 including to take a Gu (Orange – gag!) and another water stop around mile 7. I ran up most of the hills until the last one (I was pooped by mile 9.)

I was very happy with how I ran this race as a training run – I pushed myself just enough but not too much. It wasn’t a PR 15K but it turned out to be a course PR and my 2nd fast 15k.

Race splits:

mile 1 – 9:28
mile 2 – 9:53
mile 3 – 9:41
mile 4 – 10:16 (water)
mile 5 – 10:07
mile 6 – 9:58
mile 7 – 10:50 (gu & water)
mile 8 – 10:07
mile 9 – 10:26 (walks)
.3 – 8:38

Finish Time – 1:33:13

Barbara whose time was 1:29:xx was waiting for me at the finish line. (Judy had run the 3 miler and was long gone.)

We chatted and had some refreshments. There was pumpkin bisque and vegetable curry soups – I had both and some bread and hot cocoa.

After Barbara left,  I dragged myself out the door to run some more miles. It was tough. My legs had stiffened and I was cold & sweaty but I ran the scenic part of the campus.

2.2 miles more to bring my total up to 11.5 for the day.

My hubby won his tennis match so we are off to celebrate that, my race and our wedding anniversary.

  

Happy Running! How you are enduring the winter?  Did you run this weekend?