Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Sporting Life 10K Recap

Last Sunday was my first 10K race, the Sporting Life 10K.
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Bag check closed at 7:40 and as this was a big race with a lot of people, I wanted to get there early.
I completely overestimated how long it would take me to get there - I was at the race by 6:15 (race time = 8 a.m.) They were still setting up.
It was chilly, overcast, still dark so I went to sit in a coffee shop for a bit. I didn't fully warm up though for the entire day.
This was by far the largest race I've participated in (15,000 people). It didn't seem crowded though on the course as we were running on the street so there was a lot of room.
I was doing alright for the first 6k. Looking at my nike+ after the race, I apparently hit 5:55/km for a bit which is a bit ridiculous for me. Around the 7K mark, I hit a wall. I switched from run/walk intervals of 4m/1m to run 2 minutes/walk 2 minutes.  I was tired, cold, thirsty - there were two water stations on the course which wasn't enough for me. I hadn't brought my fuel belt either.
My main goal for my first 10K was just to finish, but I was hoping to finish in 1hour, 20 minutes. I made it in at 1 hr, 20 minutes, 39 seconds so not too far off.
Things I like about this race:
  • Few bands along the route.
  • Running down Yonge Street.
  • Great t-shirt
  • Medal!
  • Lots of people – so many people running = great energy.
Things I didn’t like about this race:
  • Lots of people – was very crowded. Especially at the post race party.
  • Post Race Area – crowded. Really spread out so it was hard to find where to pick up my bag. The food selection was lacking (bananas, apples and bagels).
  • Lack of water stations – there were 2 along the course. Probably fine for the speedy people, but being out there for over an hour, I needed more water.
My husband came to meet me at the finish line. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it down there until after I had finished. Ah well. He took a picture of me anyways.
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Afterwards, I was a bit sore. I didn’t stretch which didn’t help matters and I was still cold! I came home and dove under the covers for a much needed nap.
My next 10K will be at the end of August. I’m hoping to improve my time a bit, finish feeling stronger and I’m going to wear my fuel belt!

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