Cancer Challenge 10K

I ran my first 10K yesterday and set a new PR! This is the fourth local race that I've run, and it's definitely one of my favorite events, second only to the Bentonville Half Marathon. I haven't run any long distances since the half, so I was very worried about how this race would go.

The night before, I was so nervous that I couldn't sleep. I had my snazzy new orange and blue outfit laid out with by bib pinned on and my chip already on my shoe. I checked and double checked to make sure my Garmin was charging, and I made sure my favorite playlist was ready to go on my iPod. In the car on the way to the race, Trea and I were talking about how long it took us to finish the course last weekend when we ran it for practice. It was tough with big hills, and it took us 1:12, which we weren't happy about. I thought maybe if we were lucky, we could finish in 1:10. Maybe. Trea said, "Nah, I think we can do it in an hour, or an hour and five minutes." I told him he was crazy and that you can't shave off 5-10 minutes just because you want to.

Boy, was I wrong.

Ready for 6.2!

There was a 5K that started at the same time as the 10K, and I was not looking forward to a crowded start, dodging little kids and walkers. But we didn't have any issues at all because they lined us up on the road facing opposite directions - we got in one lane, and the 5K runners got in the other. The gun went off, and we all went in different directions, which sounds chaotic but wasn't. We had no problems getting started and running a good pace immediately. In fact, I was running a lot faster than I needed to be, but there's always this urge to keep up with everyone else at the beginning of a race. I KNOW not to start too fast, but I do it every time. I was thinking when the field spread out a little, we would slow down into the pace we knew we had to run to make it all the way to the finish. But for some reason, I just kept running way too fast.

I kept watching my pace, but not doing anything about it, so I ran the first 2 miles worrying myself sick that I was going to hit the dreaded wall when I got to the huge hills on Tiger Blvd. I ran with my Nathan Sprint handheld filled with G2, so I pretty much ignored the water stops and just focused on taking little sips every 5-10 minutes. Trea, however, hit every water stop so he could pour water on his head. When we got to the biggest hill, I slowed down a lot. I was struggling and I could hear my heavy breathing over my music, which is never a good sign. I was starting to feel awful and had convinced myself that I had overdone it at the start and I was going to end up walking at some point.

And then I saw my friends!

I was so happy to see friendly faces!

My sweet running friends had gotten up early, woken up their little ones, and trekked to the top of the hill with funny signs to cheer us on at the hardest part of the course. I knew they were there and had seen them at the start, but I didn't expect to see them again until the finish line. The three couples - Charles and Jenn, Lori and Jason, Tiffany and John - had a total of 6 kids with them, so I was surprised to see them in the middle of the course. It was just the boost I needed! Even though I really wanted to sit down on the curb with the kiddos, I was able to push ahead and make it up the next big hill. Trea and I spectated the Race for the Cure, so I know how exhausting it is to walk and cheer all morning. I cannot express enough how much I appreciated them!!

After we made it past the hills, we only had 2 miles left and I started to relax a little. I knew at this point that I could make it all the way and keep a decent pace. I kept checking my watch and realized we could actually finish quite a bit faster than we had in training. I had expected to be one of the last to finish, but the closer we got, the faster I ran. First, I just wanted to come in under 1:10. But then I realized we could do even better than that. When we saw the finish line and the big huge clock counting the seconds, I ran as fast as I could. I wanted to come in under 1:07, and I knew I wouldn't make it if I didn't sprint. I crossed the finish line at a 6:19 pace and my official chip time was 1:06:48! So I guess Trea was right; maybe you can shave off 5 minutes if you aren't afraid to push yourself. I had nothing left at the finish line, which is just how it should be. I did my best, had a great run, and I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out. 

We made it!

About the event
The Cancer Challenge did a great job putting together a fun event, and one of my favorite things was the course map. Instead of posting a blurry homemade PDF on their website, they linked to someone's run on Garmin Connect! Since I run with a Garmin, I'm familiar with this site and use it all the time. It was awesome to be able to zoom in and see exactly where the course went and see the elevation. ALSO, I noticed a handy little button on the Garmin page that said "Send To Device." I clicked this, and it transmitted the course map to my Garmin, so when Trea and I went out to practice last weekend, I just followed the arrows on  my watch and didn't have to worry about remembering every little turn. Thank you, Cancer Challenge!

This race also had the best goody bag I've ever gotten. We got a t-shirt, a hat, and a super nice backpack by Outdoor Products filled with TONS of samples and fun stuff. Most of the products were for women, so Trea wasn't as impressed, but that means I got double!

The event was well-organized, parking was easy and it wasn't too crowded. There were plenty of water stops along the way, though it would've been nice to have mile markers and the traffic could've been controlled a lot better. I came way too close to cars on several occasions when I thought at least one lane of the road had been closed for us. At the finish line, a volunteer handed me an icy cold rag. By my reaction, you would've thought she had given me a $100 bill. That cold cloth was amazing, and I was so grateful for it. There was plenty of fresh fruit and ice cold water for finishers, and the results were posted online within about 24 hours. All in all, it was a very well run event, and it's one I hope to run again next year!

Run your face off!

The Internet is a funny place. When I signed up for Twitter, I thought I would just be following headlines. I never dreamed I would meet strangers, who would become my friends, who I would wake up at 5:30 a.m. (!!!) to cheer for. But almost all my local Twitter pals were running the Ozark Race for the Cure 10K Saturday, and I couldn't pass up the chance to yell for them at the finish line. I wanted to run too, but I knew I wasn't prepared. One month ago, I ran my first half marathon. Then I took some time off. And the next thing I knew, a month had flown by, and I had run (not counting my 13.1 race miles) a total of 10 miles in April. TEN. So, no, I wasn't prepared to run a 10K after four weeks of leisure, which I spent patting myself on the back for running a great race, partying and sipping mai tais. So instead of running, I did the next best thing. I cheered myself hoarse!

After the Bentonville Half, I promised myself that I would go out and cheer at a race. Running 13.1 is the most physically challenging thing I've ever done, and it would not have happened without the support of my husband and dozens of strangers. Trea was the best motivator I could have asked for. But the volunteers and spectators who came out to support the runners were awesome too! I had the best time reading funny signs, giving high-fives and simply hearing encouraging words. And nothing could top having friends cheer for me at the finish line. I knew they would be there, so I worked even harder to do a good job. Without all that, I would have given up at mile 10. That's when I realized that being part of a running community is not just about running races; it's about being a good race supporter.

The 5K and 10K runners started together, so by the time we made our way to the finish line, some 5K sprinters were already finishing, but I didn't expect to see my friends for another half hour or so. I looked down at my phone to text someone, and I heard a familiar voice screaming, "ANNA!" and saw my maid of honor running down the road! I didn't know she was going to be there, and it was such a fun surprise. Although I felt kind of bad not paying attention and having HER yell for ME even though she was the one running and panting!

Michele!

Trea and I did such a good job cheering that we almost didn't have any voice left by the time our 10K finishers got to us. Trea came up with our sign idea and held it the whole time, so he was the life of the party. People LOVED him. He yelled over and over, "Good job, good job!" And in between runners, there were these gems: "This is a race; why didn't we bring any water?" "We need a vuvuzela. My throat hurts." And finally, "I could really go for a lozenge." Cheering is fun, but apparently, that activity requires some preparation too. We'll know better next time.

My friends did great, and I was so glad I was there to see them finish!

Go John go!

After they finished, they came over to help us cheer on the rest of the runners. I didn't think we would ever get John and Trea to leave! John discovered his long lost love of the high-five, and Trea posed for pictures with random people who loved the sign. We tried to stay until all the runners had finished because, as Trea said, the ones coming in at the end probably need encouragement the most.

Getting back on the race scene definitely motivated me to put some races on the calendar and start up a training plan. I learned this month that if I don't have a goal and a training schedule, it's way too easy to talk myself into doing nothing and procrastinating for a day that never comes.

So I'll be running the Gold Rush 5K this Friday evening! And next up is the Cancer Challenge 10K in June. And then, I'll be running my first marathon in December!!! More on that later!

Three Things Thursday...and a special request

Several running blogs have a weekly series called Three Things Thursday. It's Thursday and I just happen to have at least three things to share, so who am I to not jump on the bandwagon?

1. I still have a lot to learn about running, so I look to more experienced runners who also blog and pick up tips and ideas from them. I always enjoy reading Chic Runner and Evolving Through Running because they're entertaining and instructional, and this week, I've snatched up some extracurricular reading ideas from That Pink Girl. She mentioned Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes and Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald, and since I know she knows her stuff, I ordered both books today. I can't wait till they arrive next week! If I spent half as much time actually running as I do reading about running, I would be AWESOME at it.

2. I have more races on my schedule! Even though I'm incredibly slow and would be happy finishing in the middle of the pack, I know I need a goal to work toward to motivate me to lace up my running shoes. So I'm running another 5K on Thanksgiving Day - the Turkey Trot  - mostly in hopes that the t-shirt will look like this:

Next on the list is a 10K at the Fayetteville Half Marathon on December 12. This is going to be a huge challenge, not only because of the distance, but also because of the course. The race starts and ends on the University of Arkansas campus - which alumni affectionately refer to as The Hill. Everything at the U of A somehow seems to be uphill, so I need to start training on hills now.

3. Ben Davis is a fellow Arkansan and runner, and his blog, bendoeslife.tumblr.com, has recently achieved international fame. He posted a video on YouTube of his journey to lose 120 pounds by running. Within just a few days, the video had thousands of views, and last time I checked it was up to more than 841,000 views. Since he's been discovered, he's gotten a sponsorship from Active.com and gets free running gear sent to him from major brands, like Brooks. He's gotten so popular that he has started selling t-shirts with his slogan: do life. He's a nice guy, so I ordered mine today!

And now for my special request. Technically, this is a fourth thing, but this isn't something that belongs on a lighthearted numbered list. A coworker, who I only know as an acquaintance, lost her husband to a terminal illness this week. She's also 8 months pregnant with their first child. She has been on my mind constantly in recent weeks, and my heart breaks to think of what she's going through. She and her husband sort of remind me of myself and Trea. Trea is my best friend, and I love him more than air. I can't imagine losing him at all, and certainly not at a young age, when our lives together are only just beginning. So hug your spouse, your kids, your best friend or your parents. Tell them that you love them and be thankful for one more day with them. And if you pray, please pray for Hannah.