Walk For Rights 10k

I must say that I haven't planned my events too well. When I was looking over what I could race my eyes were much bigger than my legs could handle and I started booking back to back events. This is the third weekend in a row that I had an event on Saturday and Sunday. And this is the third event in a row where my legs felt heavy and tired before I was into the first mile on the Sunday event. But, surprisingly, this is the third weekend in a row where I have been able to set a new PR on the 10k.

Walk For Rights 10k - 0:46:32 (7:30 pace; 3/16)

Ever since Muddy Buddy my brother has started getting into running more, so I was happy to see that he wanted to run this 10k with me. We both arrived at around 7:30 and were one of the first to check in. Right away we saw that this was going to be a rather low key event, one with only a few participants and where the organization of the race itself could have been better. After we get our bib and go to the bathroom we loiter around for a while as the event brought in someone to go through a morning spiritual/yoga type exercise routine. It seemed a little out of place, but whatever floats your boat, right? 10 minutes after 8:00 rolls around and the stretching is done and we are ready to start. Right away a group of four people took off, two of which I knew there would be no way to catch them. The other two were close enough that it was still possible.

The course itself was at Shoreline Blvd. as a 2 loop course near the marshlands, very similar to the Run For The Future event I ran last weekend. A flat fast course, and very dry. As I went into the home stretch of the first loop I hear someone come up behind me and am passed. Five people now in front of me. Soon enough, though, I turn into the first loop finish where the 5k racers finish and notice that three of the leaders were all running the 5k race. This was a quick buoy to the morale that was steadily being pushed down from having to run a loop course, running exactly what I had just ran over again. Ahead of me in the distance I could see one runner, but I knew then that I wouldn't be able to catch him, so trudge on and begin firmly lengthening my lead on whoever was behind me, which I couldn't see anyone at that time.

Eventually I had to stop and walk, but for only 15 seconds, just enough to get my breath back and get a little feeling into my legs. Doing the triathlon yesterday took a lot of energy and I was doing all I could to not walk more than this short walk. Rested, I picked up my pace and pushed to the finish line in 46:32, 22 seconds faster than my previous 10k best! The one nagging thought, which usually is only recognized in hindsight, is if I wouldn't have walked would I have still set a PR or would I have ended up going slower without the quick rest? At the finish line I drank some water and waited a few minutes, got some feeling back into my legs, and then ran back until I found my brother in order to run the last of his race in with him. For running only two weeks and this being his first race (and he was sick to boot!) he did a great job.

Sum it up: great run, set a PR, and ran a race with my brother. Organization of the event could have been better but, ultimately, the charity benefits from this 10k and comes out a winner.