Race #187
10k #15
2021 Race #3
2021 10k #1
Peachtree 10k Road Race #1
For most of my running years, I ran the local 5k on my birthday, the Red, White, and Blue Shoes 5k. Last year I chose to run 35km to mark my 35th birthday since the race went virtual. This year, I entered the lottery for Peachtree and obviously got in. I discovered later that the local 5k had moved to Saturday the 3rd rather than Sunday the 4th so I’m glad I chose Peachtree to run on my actual birthday.
To make things easier, I purchased race day packet pick up; the expo closed in the early evening on Friday. Mom and I headed down midday Saturday, staying at the same hotel we stayed in last year for the marathon. As I made my race plan, I factored in the lovely hills I remembered, telling myself that although I planned to run at an 8 minute pace, I would be okay with slowing down but still pushing the pace.
Race morning dawned bright and early with my wave B report time of 6:10. I planned to arrive a few minutes prior to that to pick up my bib. Initially Mom and I planned to walk together but Mom wanted to drive me there since the sun had not yet risen. unfortunately, we did not realize that the road right beside the hotel was the eponymous Peachtree Road and had garbage trucks blocking it off. We changed plans again with me running from there to the start. I would say no more about this save for the fact that around half a mile from the pick up area, the top of my head clipped an overhanging sign and sent me off balance. It all happened in slow motion that I can’t describe well. As I got up I realized that my left foot had rolled in a way it probably should not. I kept running, hoping that I had not damaged anything.
About 20 minutes or so after retrieving my bib, I had entered my corral and moved to the start line to begin the race with wave B. Finally, three paragraphs into the post, I get to the actual race recap.
Through the first mile, I found myself running faster than goal pace thanks to the downhill course. I definitely did not expect the downhill. The hills did not come until mile 4. I spent most of that first mile reigning in my speed and attempting to lock onto goal pace.
Mile 1 – 7:54
Unfortunately, I remember only a couple things about the next two miles since my post race/run thoughts focused on the potential injury to my foot (thankfully no injury!) and because I did not write this until the day after the race.
Miles 2 and 3 continued the downhill trend of the first mile. I also remember really enjoying the scenery, something that I could not say about most of the marathon course.
Mile 2 – 7:41
Mile 3 – 7:41
Shortly after the fourth mile started, so did the hill. For some reason my brain named mile 4, the mile of carnage since i continued running while many others slowed to walk throughout what felt like a never ending climb. At first I checked my Garmin but stopped after a little while, telling myself to focus on effort alone so that I would not push myself too hard and deplete my energy for the final two miles.
Mile 4 – 8:10
In the fifth mile, the hill abated a bit, but included a few rollers. Once that happened, I checked my Garmin a couple times to get back to goal pace. As more rollers came, I stopped checking my pace and instead focused on continuing to put in the same level of effort just to get to the finish.
MIle 5 – 8:03
The last full mile also included a few rollers, including a climb that claimed a few more victims. My legs felt incredibly tired but I knew I had only a mile or so to finish. I kept pushing. The final half mile had one small slight incline, a bit of flat terrain before finishing with a lovely downhill. When I realized how close I was to the finish, I put on a sprint to finish strong.
Mile 6 – 7:43
.3 nubbin – 6:50 (pace)
Overall – 49:13
I finished feeling really good. I accomplished my goal fairly easily and enjoyed the experience. I absolutely love big races like this, especially when I get to start in early corrals, corrals where you know that the people around you have the skill to run fast and that you have run faster than the people in the later corrals. It got me so excited to continue to train seriously, especially when I realized that with no specific 10k training I notched my third fastest 10k time, only the third time I have run a 10k under 50 minutes.