Fitness Swellness: 2018 Global Energy Race race recap

September 27, 2018

On Sunday, I ran the Dempster’s Global Energy Race for the second year. (Disclosure: I partnered with them to promo the race; this recap is for my personal running journal hereon the ol’ blog!).

So, how’d my race go? Well, it was a little disappointing; while I know I’m not in shape for a 10k PB (my training focus is endurance since I have the Chicago Marathon coming up next weekend—did I mention I’m anxious about it? And that I learned and gained a few things this training cycle?), I was hoping for a better time than the Ultra Night Run a few weeks ago.

Although the weather was not nearly as hot as last year’s Global Energy Race, while I was happy to see the temperature was 10 Celsius when I got up that morning, by the time the 10k started at 10:30, it had warmed up a ton. I knew that the fact that I was waiting for the race to start wearing my shorts and a tank and that I was perfectly comfortable meant the race would be a hot one. I should’ve run in only a sports bra on top, but at that point, I didn’t have time to go leave it in the car. Oh, and I also wore the wrong cap! I grabbed my stuff together quickly and this new cap, I didn’t realize it’s not a lightweight one for working out, but rather a heavier fashion-type cap. As evidenced here, it’s soaked in sweat! I spent much of the race thinking, “Don’t think about this heavy, running-inappropriate hat on your head in the hot sun!”

Pretty much as soon as I started the race, I could feel that my legs were tired, not fresh and rested. I’d planned to run it as a tempo, and I found my focus drifting off several times and sure enough, I’d glance at my pace, and I’d be a good 30 seconds slower than I intended to be, and I regularly shifted back to that pace on and off throughout the first 8k.

Then at 8k, after shifting places with one guy a few times through the race, I was fed up with being slower than him (because to be frank, he didn’t look like a runner…) and I picked up my pace for the last 2k. And then I sprinted to the finish. Or what I thought was the finish! I slowed after crossing the first blue mats…only to realize there were more mats ahead (I’m usually pretty conscious of making it over all the timing mats before slowing down — why are there so many, does anyone know? — but as I said, my focus was off that morning).

I ran a 50:19, much slower than my fastest 10k from several years ago. Still, I placed 3rd in my age group out of 34 women; 17th out of 156 women; and 66th overall out of 318 participants. That’s alright. I wanted to finish in the top 10 women based on my 2017 GER finish, but ah well. Next year!

After the race, there was a ton of food: burgers, hot dogs, french toast, hummus, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, ice cream (which we’ve got very happily in hand in the pic above, first race I’ve been to with ice cream avail!). And a swag bag including a towel, socks, Sanissimo crackers (which I’m addicted to), and a bag of Takis (think spicy corn chips sorta like Doritos but rolled up). And there’s the cute mascot, Bimbo, who was dancing and posed with so many of us runners after the race.

So GER post-race is great. As is of course the grand prize of a trip to Madrid that went to the top male and female 10k finishers (congrats Robert and Melissa!). And the fact that a food donation is made to a local food bank!

I do wish the race would start earlier. 10:30 is a late race start, which would be fine if the weather weren’t warm, but having the 3k start and finish earlier and us 10k runners racing in warmer temps isn’t ideal. Another improvement? Race kit pickup. It was only held on Saturday so I made the trek to the Beaches to get the kits for me and my friends (and got there just as they were about to close up at 4 p.m., and there were a few other people who scrambled in after me — clearly, more race kit pickup hours would be better for some of us!). The alternative was picking it up at the race but it closed at 9 a.m., and our race was only at 10:30.

All and all, a fun race, and I’d recommend this as a fun, small race to add to your race roster. Maybe I’ll see you there next year, I’m determined to finish with a better standing!

 

Filed under: Fitness Swellness