Clarendon Day 10K - Race Report

Most of the times I line up for a race and can tell whether I am having a good day or a bad day; whether breaking a PR is even worth contemplating. At the start line for most races, I know whether I have the focus to stay on pace for the entire distance (even when that focus isn’t equal to the task of keeping me on pace because I just don’t have it in my legs). On the other hand, I also know at the start line whether the race is just one to be enjoyed, that I am better off taking it easy than going for a fast time.

In this respect, I have been pretty good about predicting races and this is probably why I don’t have many races that result in me completely blowing up on the course – my second marathon and the Jonas Cattell 10-Miler. At the start line of the former, I felt good, not great but I didn’t have the discipline to stop myself from running it much too fast, and I simply shouldn’t have lined up for the latter because of an injury (that one was just dumb).

However, on Saturday morning, I was honestly unsure how the race was going to unfold.

This race, the Clarendon Day 10K, was the inaugural event but I’ve run the course numerous times (the now defunct Battle of the Boulevard 10K was moved from the spring to the fall, renamed and the course was altered to remove the mile and half uphill slog at the end…too bad, I enjoyed the challenge of that course). Pacers put on the race and they always do a nice job with their events.

I woke up Saturday morning, dressed and headed out the door. I’ve never been one who saw much merit in warming up before a race. I’ve always just figured I warmed up in the first few miles since my racing paces were never drastically different from my training paces. However, the location of this race (less than 2 miles away) in downtown Arlington made it a good one to test out a warm up. I ran to the start line of the race, leaving about 15 minutes (next time I want to be done warming up even closer to start time) to stretch and get in line.

As I waited for the start of the race, I thought about the pace I wanted to run. After plugging in my 5K time from my last race, the McMillan Running Calculator suggested I could run a 10K in 52+ minutes, maintaining an average pace of 8:30 or so. I was leery of this prediction because my previous 10K times have been in the 54-55 minute range and I had a hard time believing I could sustain such a fast pace.

I decided that “just run” had been working well for me in training so it would be smart to employ it in racing. My plan was to take off running at a fast pace but one that felt “right,” like I could sustain it; check my pace at the first mile marker to see what exactly that “right” pace was and go from there. I would assess how I felt and see if I could home in an 8:30 pace. I had no idea how this strategy would turn out but I will say I was feeling good after having warmed up for a race for the first time. I can honestly say, physically, I felt ready to go.

Now it was just a matter of getting the mental game in check.

“Just run” I told myself as the starting horn blasted and with that I took off.

I maintained a fast pace along the slight downhill of the first mile or so but missed the marker so I had no idea whether I was hitting the 8:30 pace I wanted to hit. I felt good, my legs were strong and I had started focusing – fast but not too fast, pass people as needed but don’t start racing anyone this early, run strong, run steady. Finally, I hit the second mile marker – 16:29.

Woah! That’s 8:15 per mile. OK. Now I’m feeling great.

I tell myself to back off the pace just slightly but then I change my mind. I’m really in the zone, why break the spell? Let’s see how this plays out. One of two things would be the result: I would have great race or I would start slowing down and the ending would be less than fun; either way I will finish the race. Let’s see what these legs can do!

Mile 3: Great, near the halfway point. 8:17. Man, this pace feels great. I’m running strong and steady. I’ve got 3 woman in front me that I want to hang on to – “Bibs” (she had a long sleeve shirt tied around her waist and her bib was showing in the back) who was directly ahead of me, “Reds” (red shorts) who was slightly in front of Bibs and ultimately “Blondie” she was a good bit ahead of me but I didn’t want to lose sight of her. At this point, I didn’t necessarily want to pass them just keep them in sight to know I was staying on pace in between mile markers.

Mile 4: 8:21. Maybe I really can keep this pace up, don’t lose the 8:15 pace. Only 2 more miles to go and all 3 women are still in sight. Legs are strong but that could be a hint of fatigue I detect. I’ll choose to ignore it.

Mile 5: Holy crap! I’m not slowing down – 8:16. Fine, I’ll admit it: my legs are feeling slightly tired but at the same time I’m still running strong. I tell myself to just keep a steady pace for the next mile and that what I was feeling wasn’t tiredness. It just wasn’t…not ifs, ands, or buts about it. All 3 targets are still accounted for but Reds has fallen behind Bibs. I start thinking about whether I want to try to pass them but tell myself to keep running my race, don’t get caught up. I decide to keep them in front of me until we hit Mile 6 and then to see what I could do in the final .2 on the way to the finish.

Mile 6: I hit the lap button but didn’t bother to look at the split. As we headed up the exit ramp toward the finish line, before setting eyes on the Mile 6 sign, I decided to make my move. I picked up the pace and easily passed Reds and then Bibs. For a second, I thought I may have been too hasty; maybe I should have waited until the finish line was in sight but I couldn’t help myself. Now was the time and just as I passed the final mile marker, surging uphill faster and faster, I passed Blondie. I am surprised, and incredibly excited, that my pace for this mile was 8:06. (That’s quarter mile interval pace!) Just call me Furious Feet!!

Mile 6.2 – The Finish Line: I get a boost of adrenaline as I pass Blondie and round the corner to see that the finish line clock stays 51 minutes. My brain is exploding as I thunder to the finish, crossing the line with a gun time of 51:35 – chip time 51:04.

Unbelievable, I think, as I stop my watch and look down at the 51 minutes 4 seconds staring back at me. Not only have I bested my 10K PR by over 3 minutes but I beat my goal time by nearly a whole minute. On top of it all, I feel great. My legs are powerhouses, workhorses, locomotives…they will carry me to great things. (Oh yeah, and maybe warming up for a race really is a good idea).

Miles Splits:
1 & 2 – 16:29
3 – 8:17
4 – 8:21
5 – 8:16
6 – 8:06
6.2 – 1:33

Total 51:04

Pros:
-Location
-Pacers puts on a great local event
- Race shirt was nice

Cons:
-No corrals or pace groups, the start can be congested
-Finish line 2 miles from the food…uphill! (There was a shuttle but I didn’t take advantage of it)