Race #172
10k #14
2019 Race #17
2019 10k #2
Get Out Greenville 10k #2

I registered for this race back in either late December or early January, idealistically thinking that I would run more of the “Greenville Dirt Series” and rack up some points. I ended up unable to register for or fit in any of the other 5 races besides the Icebreaker 8k which I registered for the two races at once.

Although I just entered my 5k PR attempt training period, I knew that I had little speed in the tank for this particular race. We also ended up running over some significantly more difficult terrain for one of the miles which slowed everyone down. Thus, I settled in to run a solid race with Mom who registered a few days ago when I mentioned the race and my plans for today.

This morning I realized that my legs still felt the effect of first real speedwork session in over a year (way too long) run less than two days prior. (I had to run after school and a Youth in Government meeting.) This both excited me and tempered my expectations for the race.

Since we (I mean Mom since I did not actually look) could not find any information online about the time for packet pick up, we arrived at Conestee Park by 8:15 with a race start of 9, plenty of time to get the bibs, sit in the car for a while, take a restroom break, and leisurely make our way through the festival tents in the process of set up for the days festivities.

The race started right on time. As we made our way up towards the finish line before the first turn, it felt like most of the other competitors passed us on that stretch, a little disheartening for a competitor such as myself but I did not stress about it.

We made the turn and headed for the entrance to Lake Conestee Nature Park, home to the vast majority of the course.

As we entered the course, we headed downhill for a little but then spent much of the rest of the first mile plodding up hill. As soon as we started to head uphill, my body, many my heart rate, told me vociferously of its displeasure. I thought about walking several times and ended up doing so three times, I think. I did not walk then, however, just kept on going.

Mile 1: 9:40

We ran much of the second mile on an actual trail, part of which narrowed to enough space for a single foot. At least, a trench had worn away where people continue to run. For the most part, you could run alongside this “trench” although in places, you could not really run and thus you could not really pass either. Part of the trail also consisted of regular single track which when we first encountered it, I guessed that this was the first “trail” race Mom and I had run together. Later on in the race we figured out that King’s Mountain back in April had plenty of trail like this as well.

I believe that at about this point, we also saw Ryan on one of his loops as he attempted to finish the 50k.

I also think that we walked at some point in this mile but I do not remember where we walked the first time. It may have occurred just after the second mile or just before.

Mile 2: 9:45 (that time tells me that the first walk break likely occurred here)

We rejoined the paved trail which at some points links up with the Swamp Rabbit Trail before making it to the same turn around used in the Icebreaker 8k and heading back.

Since we turned before mile 3, I figured that the second half of the race would not run the exact same course as the first. I figured correctly although the difference did not come until the final mile.

Around the three mile mark, after the turn around, Mom and I again walked for a little.

Mile 3: 9:29 (this time does not reflect a walk break)

Throughout the middle of the course, we shared the path with plenty of runners, mostly 10k runners but also 30k and 50k runners. I think both had darker colored bibs while the 10k runners had white bibs but I do not know the difference between their bibs.

We held on to a fairly steady pace, aside from the walk break but at this point I started to wonder if I would have enough energy left for some miles after the race. (I planned on four but ended up getting in only two.)

Mile 4: 9:54

We rejoined the actual trail at some point in the next mile. I also believe that we walked again at some point as well. I do not remember the details of when we walked. I felt a bit fatigued but not too bad, reminding myself that I had no time goal for this race.

When we got back onto the paved trail before the start of the last mile, I figured that the soft sand I had heard someone talk about at the race start would not come, that he had mistaken this course for a different one. Nope. I was the mistaken one.

Mile 5: 10:40 (that pace looks deceptively slow but towards the end I started to feel like I might be able to pull off a decent time…before we hit the sand of course.)

We entered mile 6 and Mom enthusiastically called out something about the last mile. Only one other runner, at that time, followed behind. We had passed her a few times and she had passed us back. In the back of my mind, I really wanted to beat her because of nothing more than her strikingly unusual stride. She barely bent her knees and ran on her tiptoes. I have no idea how she could run.

Then…we entered the trail again and within a short distance encountered all sorts of obstacles, from wobbly boardwalk boards to the aforementioned deep sand. That slowed us down considerably from the fast finish we desired but the single track nature of this trail also kept the girl behind us from passing.

When we finally dumped back onto the paved trail, I could not keep up with Mom, especially since after we crossed the bridge, we had a massive hill to conquer before running to the finish line. On top of that, the girl that had trailed us for a while, started to pull off a sprint. Mom had just as much determination as me that we would beat that girl. Although neither of us ended up doing that, we still had great fun.

Miles 6: 10:11

We ran up the slight incline towards the finish line. Right before we got to the aforementioned hill, I told Mom to go on ahead. It felt strange since that’s usually what she says to me in races.

I watched her battle with the much younger runner beside her across the field but just before crossing the finish line, the runner pulled ahead, by just over a second.

.2 nubbin: 8:30
Overall: 1:00:15

Of course, I would have loved to snag a sub 60 time but right now, I do not have the fitness for that. Soon I will, on a regular road race because I have discovered that trails are just not my thing.

Here’s to more speed work and another half marathon next week!