Fitness Swellness: Race Report: Sporting Life 10k 2014

I consider my forte to be endurance rather than speed. So I surprised myself yesterday in the Sporting Life 10k.

I hadn’t put too much thought into my race since my main focus this season was Around the Bay 30k at the end of March and the Toronto Marathon last week. This 10k race I added mostly because I decided to take part in the media team Nike Canada had put together to help raise money to send a kid to camp (Haven’t donated yet? You can donate here!)

I don’t think racing so close to completing a marathon is very wise, but I did it two years ago and it went fine. In fact, it was the same two races, the Toronto Marathon in 2012 followed one week later by the Sporting Life 10k and I ran a 10k personal best.

Since I’ve done very little speed training this season, and my recovery from the marathon has been slower than usual (I can still feel tightness in my legs, I’m guessing because I walked less than usual last week), I didn’t think I could PB yesterday. My fastest for 10k is 49:50. I expected to finish in about 52 minutes.

The weather was just about right — a little too warm for my taste during the actual run (I tend to prefer cool temperatures); thankfully my outfit of a tank, shorts and arm sleeves was just the right gear (I took off the sleeves a few kilometres into the race).

Since I didn’t collapse in my experience two years ago (not joking — I fret about how wise it is to run 10k after a marathon and have all sorts of horrible visions of my body just giving out during the race — so I held back a bit in my 10k race in 2012) I just decided to go hard. I was pretty sure I could maintain about a 5 minute pace if I felt good, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, for the entire 10k. I hustled, and it was difficult. Remember, me, the one that is not a fan of speedwork.

The race has been greatly improved since the first time I ran it. The corrals are nicely timed apart, so no more bottleneck at the race finish area. (One complaint — people in the first red corral who have no business being in the red corral–red corral  means you think you can finish in under 45 minutes–saw way too many slow folks sporting a red bib).

As I crossed the finish line, I knew I had run a PB but wasn’t sure by how much. And my iPhone wasn’t having network issues so I was unable to search for my time. Thankfully, my running buddy texted me congrats and looked up my time for me. That’s what good running buddies are for! She understood how important it was to have this info ASAP.

47:50.

Exactly two minutes faster.

When I ran 49:50 two years ago, I honestly thought, “Well, that’s it, that’s my 10k personal best for the rest of my life.” There once was a day finishing under one hour for 10k was huge for me. So to complete this in 47:50? That blows my mind. My fastest kilometre? A pace of 4:10. I didn’t think I was even able to run a whole kilometre that fast. I finished 77th out of 1, 495 women in my category.

And now, this has got me thinking…”Can I qualify for the sub 45 minute corral next year???”

I think if I focused on speed training, I could. I really could.

And so the running craziness continues!

Next up? A few weeks of recovery, which’ll include some easy runs. Possibly a short race in three weeks. Then months of training for the Chicago Marathon will begin.

Leave a Comment May 12, 2014

Race report: Sporting Life 10k 2012

Yesterday morning I ran the Sporting Life 10k. 10k — not a big deal in the normal scheme of things as I usually run that at least once a week, but this is just one week after my first marathon (a marathon is 42.2 kilometres for the non-runners reading this).

The few marathoners I told I was planning on running the 10k race just one week after my first marathon usually reacted by first looking at me like I’d lost my mind, and then saying that I’d be tired and that I should run it easy. One person just plain told me I was crazy. (Non-marathoners usually replied by saying how short I’d find the race and how easy it would be for me.)

So I was a little anxious about the race, about possibly injuring myself. I’d hobbled about for the first two days after the marathon, but after that I felt that my body felt mostly recovered, but all I had on my mind were the microtears that I know are still in my muscles.

I should mention that it was Nike who offered me the chance to run in the race (I didn’t set out and go on my own accord to purposely run a 10k one week after my marathon) — with it being a sponsored spot, well, it was hard for me to turn down a chance to run a race… So I ignored everything I’ve read about race recovery (including this recent article in the New York Times about how long it takes to recocver from a marathon — as  long as a month mentally!) and I stuck to running the race.

I basically ran it comfortably fast. I could tell almost immediately that my body still had some healing to do (my legs felt tight). I ran comfortably fast for the first 6k and then a bit uncomfortably so (got slightly side stitches) for the last 4k. And I finished with a PB for a 10k, 49:50 (much faster than I expected — I thought I’d finish around 52 minutes if I felt good and 56 minutes if I’d taken on too much post-marathon and was hurting). I essentially had an even split (ie. I ran the first half and second half in almost the same time, less than 30 seconds different), so that’s good (although a negative split at some point in my running endeavours would be sweet).

Post-10k, I kicked back at the Nike VIP lounge where there were virgin mimosas, waffles, cupcakes, bagels and lox and more. Best buffet spread I’ve enjoyed post-race.

Thanks Nike Canada and Apex PR for the chance to run this race!

Now, for a couple of weeks of R&R!

Leave a Comment May 14, 2012

Sporting Life 10k. Let’s do this.

Another Sunday, another race. Tomorrow, I run the Sporting Life 10k. It’s only the second time I’ve run this race (something usually comes up the weekend it’s on) and it’s only the third 10k race I’ve ever done. I will try to run it slow and easy (rather than race it) since I really should recuperating from the marathon last weekend. Even slow and easy will likely be a personal best time, though, as I’m much faster than I used to be (oh yeah, I also don’t have a pesky overactive thyroid anymore tiring me out).

My message on the Nike “Never stop…” sticker ($1 will be donated to Camp Ooch for each one collected)? Never stop trying — I took it from Coach Taylor’s playbook. “But you gotta try. That’s what character is. It’s in the trying.” (sigh, miss that show)

Thanks for the opportunity to run this fun race, Nike Canada!

P.S. My nails for the Sl10k? I’ve still got my chevron-dot marathon mani.

Leave a Comment May 12, 2012