Running Ruminations

October is super packed with running stuff, which makes sense with CIM being in early December. Between the usual XC action and supporting my friend, Stephanie’s, inaugural 10k in her community, I also returned to the East Bay 510k race in Emeryville in mid-October. It was the day after the WDR 10k, so it was going to be a different experience from the get-go. Last year, I won the 10k in the throes of a workout; in 2015, it was an entirely different race (and I was newly postpartum/coming off an appendectomy/runaway IUD removal surgery). Suffice it to say that the 2018 iteration would be different, indeed.

I typically don’t race back-to-back weekends, much less back-to-back days, but mid-October presented me with the opportunity. I had paid for my entry to Stephanie’s race, and as a social media ambassador for Represent Running, my 10k entry was comped to the 510 race. It’s hard to pass up free, ya know? Plus — more importantly — I genuinely enjoy RR’s races and feel like they’re well executed and organized, super fun, and a fantastic way to see lots of familiar faces. Even if I wasn’t going to race it race it, I’d still have fun. That would be without question. Local (or local-ish) races are my jam.

Coach Lisa and I planned to approach the 510 a little differently than usual, particularly because I was going to be racing the day before. The original plan was to race the WDR HAM and then do the 510 on Sunday as part of a LR effort, not going much faster than just under sub-8 minute miles… or whatever.  We figured a long warm-up (about 5 miles, so most of the course in reverse), the 10k, and then another 4 miles or so. Meredith and her teammate, McKayla (sp?) met-up with me at Ikea (near the finish line), and we ran to the start, picking up the lovely Paula along the way and seeing off the 5k runners.

I felt pretty good for having raced the day before, with the only noticeable niggle being some tired hammies from running hard on the WDR’s descents. I ran into my RR ambassador buddies in the starting area — having missed the group picture, per always — and some Wolfpack teammates, Stephanie and Kristina, and before long, we were rollin’. (Seeing Katie, from she.is.beautiful, on the mic race morning was also super fun! These races are so reunion-esque; I love it).

As much as I can recall, the 2018 510 course was the same as it was in 2017; the biggest difference was that this year, we weren’t running into a wall of wind for the entirety of the race (hooray!). Aside from getting out of the gates faster than I would have planned (6:5x, I think), I hung and stayed pretty steady near 7-teens. I wasn’t clockwatching, nor was I really going for a high placement or finishing time or anything like that. I just wanted to cruise and make my drive north that morning worth it (true story). I could see my teammates, Stephanie and Kristina, not too far ahead of me for just about the entirety of the race, and I don’t think I passed, or was passed by, anyone after mile 2 or 3. I just kinda held steady and stayed there, dropping the pace ever-so-slightly on the back half.

All told, I felt pretty solid during the 510, even with the WDR still obviously in my legs. I told myself that I could definitely bring the pace closer to what Coach Lisa had suggested (7:5xs) but for whatever reason just didn’t or couldn’t. I just did my thing and went with it. I finished faster than I did the day before at the WDR and as the 8th woman, and afterwards, Meredith, McKayla and I went out for some more easy CD miles. It was a lovely morning, and my legs felt really, really good, all things considered.

The 510 was the last of the races in the Run the Bay series, so if people participated in the other races — virtually or IRL — they earned their RTB series medal. Folks get super jazzed about that, and I think that’s great; whatever gets you out the door, ya know? Just like the day before in Belmont, Emeryville on Sunday gave us fantastic running/racing weather and another little mini-reunion with lots of runners whom I don’t get to see too often otherwise. Races are really awesome in that way, I think; you have the opportunity to show up and work hard, and then afterward (or before, or during — whatever you want!) you can play and have a good time with buddies. I love it. Work hard; play hard. Can’t go wrong.

I don’t have any more double race weekends on my calendar before CIM, thank goodness, and all that’s left between The Big Day and me are some more XC races and a half. It’s hard to believe that we’ll be closing out October so soon — and thus, that much closer to The Big Day — but man, it’s exciting. I am so, so lucky that I get to do this stuff.