Race #200
10k #17
2022 Race #8
2022 10k #1
Spinx Run Fest 10k #2

Originally, I planned to run the half marathon with Mom to get closer to logging 100 half marathons. Then I considered the timing with this weekend falling immediately prior to my goal half at Hilton Head so I registered us for the 10k instead. A little bit of time and the purchase of a marathon training plan helped me realize that my goal is the marathon. Thus, Mom and I made the plan to run to the race and then back afterwards, wedging the race into a long run.

Mom brought her headlamp since we had to start before the sun came up to get to the race start on time. I really liked starting early and wish that I could do that before school but I need a little bit of time before getting started in the morning, more time than my normal mornings allow. Unlike the last race, I did not underestimate the distance, at least not by much so we even had enough time for a pit stop.

A few minutes later it was time to start. This time I hit the lap button prior to starting so I have accurate splits.

Unlike the last race, I did not feel the urge to run really fast, faster than I had planned prior to starting so Mom and I ran together. Obviously, we ran faster than long run pace and settled in fairly quickly. We also managed to place ourselves fairly well at the start and thus avoided congestion, even when we merged onto the Swamp Rabbit Trail. While I love the SRT, there’s so much other amazing territory that this race could cover if they weren’t such cheapskates on everything else leaving them with not enough money for the road closures.

I next noticed that once again we ran a different course. Last year we ran less than half a mile on the trail before turning off and weaving through a nearby area before engaging in a complicated turn around for the various races, complicated because no volunteer pointed out the turnarounds leaving it to electronic signs with confusing abbreviations. This year, we stuck to the main SRT, the portion that Mom and I typically run each week on our long runs

Mile 1 – 8:47

Even when my Garmin indicated the mile split, I did not look down. In fact, I glanced at pace only a handful of times during the race.

The next mile took place on the portion of the trail that has a strip of softer surface on one side which I always try to avoid. This ends up narrowing the path making navigation a little tricky during a race, especially since time has caused the surface to pull away from the regular pavement of the trail. I nearly tripped a couple times as I moved around some walkers not participating in the race.

Mile 2 – 9:00

The turn around came a little sooner than I expected but only because I forgot about the “extra” distance to get around and into the stadium for the finish. Just before we reached the volunteer indicating the turn around, a girl cut in front of me, turning significantly sooner than she should have. Um…okay. No one said anything to her so she continued on her merry way.

Mile 3 – 8:58

A little after the turn around, once we got out of the most congested area, Mom and I slowed to a walk to take in fuel. Normally in a race this short I would stick to liquid calories. In this case however, we needed more substantial calories for the rest of the run. While we walked, people passed us, of course, including a group of three or 4 girls which I figured we would pass soon after we started running again. However, when we resumed running, it seemed like those girls started to pick up their pace to perhaps keep us from passing them but we did manage to pass them; it just took a little longer.

Mile 4 – 9:28 (includes fuel break)

I don’t remember much of the last couple miles until we started to approach downtown getting close to the end of the race. A little before we left the trail, those girls passed us again. Mom and I had not really changed our pace. Cleary they had some negative splits going.

Mile 5 – 8:42

A large part of me wanted to pass those girls again. (I’m competitive. What can I say?) When we approached the turn onto Main Street, I told Mom that I wanted to try to pass them. As she usually does, Mom told me to go ahead so I switched into a higher gear, managing to pass them about a minute later. Then my competitive drive switched into high gear to try to pass as many people as I could before finishing.

The last hill leading up to the stadium felt difficult but I reminded myself that I would soon get a downhill and just a little after that, the finish line. Of course, as I did this, I had to navigate around the slower 5k walkers.

Once onto the warning track in the stadium, I targeted a guy just in front of me, not sure if I had enough track left. With mere steps to go, I managed it. Afterwards, when I realized that the organizers had moved up the line significantly (who knows why) I feel even more proud of managing to cross the line in front of him.

Mile 6 – 8:23
Overall – 54:51

Mom finished less than 30 seconds after me, snagging 3rd place grand masters.