Winter Series #1 (15K)

Hudson Mohawk Runners Club sponsors FREE races throughout the winter for its members. The course is pretty boring but free is free.

winter series #3 in 2013 (10K) – I wore the same hat & gloves today

This weekend, they offered distances of 3M, 10K and 25K.

I usually run 8 miles the week before a half marathon but I didn’t want to overdo.

So I signed up for the 10K and hoped the conditions would be good enough for running and warmer than it has been.

This would be my 8th 10K:

2014
Spring Run Off 10K -1:00:51
Camp Chingachgook 10k – 1:04:54
Troy Turkey Trot 10k – 57:03 PR

2013
HMRRC #3 – 1:08:18 -same course
Helper’s Fund 10K – 1:06:10
Monster Scramble 10K – 1:03:18 (it was SHORT)

2012
Camp Chingachgook 10k – 1:09:07

My expectations for this one was to be around 1 hour and have a course PR.

I ran a half marathon on New Year’s Day but haven’t run much since then.

I got lucky with the weather.  It was no longer sub-zero but a balmy 15 degrees. Probably single digits with the wind chill.

I left early to get parking since these races are crowded and there are other events going on at UAlbany. I think I got the last spot in the parking lot and I was 45 minutes early.

What I love about this local race is that you get to see a lot of people that you know.

I immediately bumped into Bridget & Elisa, some SRMs.  I also got to chat with Judy from FB and Sue from Adirondacxk Runners.  I even saw some runners from the STEM group, the Turkey Trot group, my coach from that group as well as other familiar faces from races.

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

I lined up with Judy who was running the 10K also.

The race is very informal – no bibs, no starting mat, no timing chips, etc.

I just told myself that this was simply a training run and just do it.

My Garmin actually found the satellite right away for a change. Judy & I lined near the back. So it was slow going for a while weaving in and out of the crowd. It took me about a 1/2 mile to get a rhythm.

Do they look cold?

And it was cold especially with the wind blowing in your face.  The hands, as usual, were frozen for the first 2 miles.

The course is very boring but it also has inclines.  Nothing steep, just enough to keep it interesting.  This year, I have tried to be better about hills and not walk up them. And I didn’t.

There were 1 water stops (mile 4) and I stopped to take a GU and walk. This is where I actually caught up to Elisa & Bridget.  They are much faster than me and I quickly lost them as I was trying eat a frozen GU and not choke on the ice in my water.

The problem with a small race of about 200 and being a middle of the packer, I usually ran almost all of the race by myself – no spectators, no scenery, no music. However this race since I was not running the longest distance, there were people running with me.  I even passed a few guys.

I dressed perfectly.  My hands warmed up and I wasn’t really cold.

The amazing thing was that I felt great the whole race.  No aches and pains.  No blisters. I actually felt stronger as the race went on.

Eventually I did catch back up to Elisa and sprinted across the finish line right behind her at 1:00:24.

I think I was 161st out of 205. This is a fast group as usual.  They gave awards for the top 2 in each 10 year age group.  I was 6th in my age group.

I was 6th

I was happy with the results.  Though it was over 3 minutes slower than my last 10K (and PR), it was my 3rd fastest 10K and almost 6 minutes faster than my 2013 on this same course

I went inside to warm up and have some soup (red pepper & quinoa), bread, cookies, fruit, hot chocolate.  Not a bad spread for a free race .

post race

Race splits:

mile 1 – 9:50 (congestion)
mile 2 – 9:41
mile 3 – 9:36
mile 4 – 10:40 (water & gu)
mile 5 – 9:32
mile 6 – 9:43 (brief walk)
.2  – 8:18

After the race, I did some errands and when I got home, I ran 1.8 miles more in my neighborhood to bring the day’s mileage up to 8.

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