This was my 4th time running this 10K race and my first time NOT being part of the Turkey Trot Challenge training group (They changed their meeting day from Mondays to Tuesdays.)

I really enjoyed this race my first time I ran it in 2014 (in spite of the snowstorm) so now I look forward to this race every year.

Then in 2015, I decided to run both races – the 10K and then the 5k.  Why not? I was already dressed and ready to run.

The weather was a lot better and I had a blast even though my finish times were not the greatest.

So last year again I ran BOTH Races. I did better in both, as well.

The course was the same again this year.

I picked up my bib on Wednesday after work so I didn’t have to rush on race morning.

But I did want to arrive early to get parking. I parked in the bowling alley parking as I did in previous years and walked a few blocks to the Atrium where I could wait indoors for the race to begin.

I checked my jacket and 5K bib since I wouldn’t need them until after the race.

This year it was very cold – in the 20s when I arrived and only predicted to be in the 30s.  I was hoping the sun would come out but I was undecided on how many layers to wear. I get hot when I run and I HATE to be overdressed.

So at the last minute, I decided to shed my light jacket and just wear a long sleeved shirt with my race shirt over it. I also added my DIY arm warmers, a warmer hat and gloves.

I chatted with members of the training group and some other friends until it was time to brave the cold.

The 10K started at 8 am followed by the kid’s one mile race and a one mile walk and then at 10 am the most popular event, the 5K.

Laurie and I squeezed into the crowd at the 9 minute pace group although we knew that we would be left in the dust.

My plan for the race was to not to start out too fast and to run at an even pace and to save some for the last mile.

For some reason, this race seemed a lot more crowded than last year. For my pace, it never thinned out. I was running in a crowd the whole race.  At the beginning, I would barely move.

The course is pretty flat. You run over the Green Island bridge twice near the beginning and then run through Troy before you turn around and run back.

Though I had not done any speed work since May (Freihofer training group runs) and I “trained” for three half marathon this fall, my legs felt pretty strong…not PR strong but better than during my last half marathon.

The sun did come out and I felt perfectly dressed. I rolled down my arm warmers and even took off my gloves during the last few miles.

There was a some crowd support. (Much more for the 5k.) There were even guys handing out bottles of beer and a bakery was handing out donuts.

There were quite a few water stops. I skipped the first and third one but I was dying for a drink by the second one and walked for a bit to catch my breath (It seems so much harder to breathe when it is cold out.)

Timing clocks were placed at every mile. I didn’t have to look at my watch to know that I was too slow to PR. I wasn’t sure if I would even finish under one hour.

Finally I could see the finish in the distance. I wanted to at least sprint through the finish line. Holly was on the side line cheering me on but I had a hard mustering up any real speed.

I tried to cross under 58 minutes but did not but my chip time was 57:42.

Not a PR but really a decent time and faster than last year so I was happy.

I got my medal, drank some chocolate protein milk, had a bagel and then checked the results.

10K Splits:

mile 1 –  9:14
mile 2 –  9:10
mile 3 –  9:18
mile 4 –  9:24 (water stop)
mile 5 – 9:14
mile 6 – 9:14
.25 –  8:22

57:42

I was surprised about my splits.  They were more even than I’ve ever had before.  My last mile was as fast as my first. 🙂

There were some speedy older ladies in this race.  The winner of my age group ran it 48 minutes.  A 72 year old lady ran it in 55 minutes.

This year, like the previous two years, I signed up to run a second race, the 5k about an hour later.

So I walked back to the Atrium. Boy, was it crowded… More than five thousand runners squeezed into a small building.

I just wanted to find my friends and rest my weary legs.

I had already picked up my bib but I needed to get it from my checked bag and ditched my arm warmers.

I did find my tennis friend and we hung out until it was time to line up.

This was the third time that I had run the 5k race.  It was just an out and back course and you didn’t run over the bridge at all.

Finally it was time to get into the starting area. You were supposed to line up by color but we just squeezed in anywhere we fit.

Of course, my legs were tired from having already run 6.2 miles (at race pace) so all I wanted to do was finish.  My  stomach was also queasy from the milk and the bagel. I was hoping to come in under 30 minutes but I wasn’t sure that was possible.

The 5k is the fun race.  Many runners are dressed in costume.  Many families were running together.  There were walkers, etc. Everyone was there to have a good time.

It was so crowded that I had no problem slowing down in the beginning. Like the previous race, it was crowded the whole race.

And my legs were not cooperating. They wanted to run slow. And so I did. And it seemed to be colder.  The wind had picked up and the sun went in and out.

Before I knew it, the race was over. (After a 10k, 5k seems so short.)

I crossed around 31 minutes which was 30:10 chip time. (Faster than the past two years so a course PR!)

I got my medal (the same as for the 10K), some more chocolate milk and then went back to the Atrium to get my bag and meet my tennis friend.  We had planned to go out for coffee after the race.

No chance of an award in this race either.

5K Splits:

mile 1 – 9:39
mile 2 – 9:50
mile 3 – 9:35
.14 –  8:28

30:10

Gee…look at that..my last mile was the fastest. That never happens.

But they were way slower than my 10k splits!!! (Just like a 15k race would have been. LOL)

The Good:

• The weather – the sun made the cold temps bearable. It was actually perfect running weather.
• Race organization – considering the number of runners, it was very well organized.
• Race location – place to stay warm indoors with indoor bathroom and bag check
• Chocolate Milk at the finish
• Medals for both the 10k and the 5k
• 15K PR – each of my race times were disappointing but if you add them together, it was 1:27:52 which is a PR.
• My spits were pretty even.
• I got my long run for the week done and I don’t have to do it on the weekend.
• Running 9.3 miles lets me eat more Thanksgiving food
• Knowing lots of runners.  Racing is fun with friends.
• NO PAIN…no blisters…lower back and feet felt great. Thumbs up to my Nikes! (and compression socks.)

The Bad:

• my 10K time – Besides the crowd, it’s a flat enough course to PR on.  It is my 10k PR (from 2014).
• post race refreshments – I would have liked pizza or soup or cookies but at least they had bagels this year
• same medal for both the 5k and the 10k (if you run both, you have 2 of the same medals)
• unisex tee shirts (in my case, 2 shirts that don’t fit)
• my 5k time – my slowest of the year.

Overall, I enjoyed the races. I am glad that I ran them. I think I will do both next year too. I was 7th in my age group for both races and next year, I will be in the next age group.  (I would have won an award this year if I were 65.)

After the race(s), we went out for coffee and we debriefed about our races.

Then later that evening, I ate back all the calories that I had burned off.

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Today I am linking up with a Sunday Fitness and Food Linkup hosted by Ilka from Ilka’s Blog and Angela from Marathons & Motivation

Happy Running! Did you run off that turkey?