Race Recap: Frostbite 15k

The Frostbite 15k. This race has been on my radar for awhile. I knew I had to get a few races under my belt before Shamrock and there are not many options in January and February in the DC area so I headed down to Richmond for the weekend. Track workouts and long runs are certainly a good indicator to me about where my fitness is but there is no better way to truly gauge than to race. 

I can honestly say that although I was excited to race again, I wasn't expecting too much out of myself. The longest tempo run I have done in the past couple months is a 5k and sometimes breaking 24 minutes is tough in those workouts! I have many fears, questions and uncertainties about running and racing in general right now. I set all those aside, took a conservative approach to the race, decided to stop thinking/analyzing/worrying and just do it. My plan was to run the first mile in 8:10, then slowly bring it down to 7:45 by mile 4 or 5, then hold on for dear life. Ha. 

I saw Rich (who came in 2nd place overall with a time of 52:54) at the Start and we chatted for a bit. He talked more about the course and told me that it was so hilly that he would be happy if he ran it in the time he ran the Cherry Blossom 10-miler. I was still holding on to my pacing plan, but had that in the back of my mind. My 10-miler PR is a 1:14:35. 

The race started at 9am sharp at Clark Springs Elementary school. The weather was near perfect - sunny and 40 degrees. There was a little wind, but it wasn't too bad. It was a nice, quiet, low-key race (in general) and start. After the first mile, I threw my pacing plan out the window. The first mile was slightly downhill. I felt good, relaxed, in control and my breathing was calm. I wasn't too upset about going out a little too fast because in hindsight, 8:10 may have been too slow. I was so thankful for the hill workouts over the next few miles. I was bounding up the hills while others around me visibly and audibly struggled.

Throughout the miles that followed, I just concentrated on staying relaxed. I will tell you that I looked at my watch. A lot. Probably a mistake, but I did NOT want to run slower than an 8 minute pace if I could help it. I saw my teammates around the half way point and cheered them on which always gives me a boost of energy. I am always so proud to see them leading the races and chasing after their competitors. I see how hard they push, day after day, week after week and they deserve to be rewarded and honored for all their hard work. Also, their cheering for me means so much. The last stretch is uphill. I saw Rich at the top of the hill, just before the turn to the Finish. I had been leap frogging with this woman for the last mile. Hearing his encouraging words gave me the rush I needed to pull past her during this stretch as well as another guy. THAT felt awesome!

Thanks for the picture and the words of encouragement, Rich!

All things considered, I am pretty happy with this race. It was a confidence booster. Two months ago, I struggled to run a sub-8 minute mile average 8k. Today, it was comfortable and controlled. Don't get me wrong, I pushed it - HARD - but I had a lot of doubts whether or not I could do this and now those have been squashed. This makes me happy. 

PACING/SPLITS:

Mile 1: 7:45
Mile 2: 7:51
Mile 3: 7:51
Mile 4: 7:50
Mile 5: 7:59
Mile 6: 7:55
Mile 7: 7:59
Mile 8: 7:58
Mile 9: 7:44
Additional .44: 3:12
TOTAL TIME (according to my Garmin): 1:14:06

OFFICIAL TIME: 1:14:02
35-39 Age Group: 4 out of 45
Females: 33 out of 234
Overall: 111 out of 457

Best teammates around!