Yesterday was the Reston 10 Miler, a race I have now run three times in the last four years. Of all three occurrences, this one
might be the most memorable. It started with a text the day before from a coworker who asked a group of us if he should pick up our bibs. That makes race day logistics easier, so I agreed. Another friend of ours committed to delivering the bib to me at the start the next morning. I have done this before so it wasn't a big deal and didn't cause me any worry or stress...it probably should have. Next up on the list of reasons this race gets memorability billing is the worry that came along with the receipt of a text from Fairfax County Public Schools. In light of the crazy windy weather we had been experiencing (and the destruction it caused), they had made the choice to close all schools and cancel any events at said schools scheduled for the weekend. The race course starts and ends at a local high school, so now we would have to wait on a decision/Plan B from the race director. Fortunately we received an email from the race director a few hours later to let us know that the race was on and that the only update would be that we would not be able to use the school as a pre-race staging area. So on to race morning we go...
I got to the start area a little later than I usually like to. But because the school building was closed down for our usual pre-race cowering from the elements, I had opted to sit in my car and keep warm until I had to get to the start. With 10 min to start, I had dragged myself from my car to the start area to meet up with my =PR= family and secure my bib. Sadly, I wasn't able to hook up with them. The "gun" went off and the runners headed out...but still no sign of my friends or my bib. Finally, ten minutes after the race began, the race director (who I know from working for =PR=) caught sight of me milling around the start line aimlessly and asked what was up. I told her that I never found my buddy who had my bib and was hanging out hoping he hadn't made it to the start yet. She had seen him. So, she told me that I could just go and she would note my start time. And then I could catch her at the finish. An immediate sense of relief washed over me. I am a rule follower and a planner, so having no bib (even though I was registered) had me all overwhelmed with panic. No sooner had she said that she would send me off, bib-free, than my gaggle of friends came sprinting up the side to the start. They had been in line for the bathrooms and were going to get a late start as well.
What luck! Late start okayed by the race director AND company! Woo hoo! Finding my =PR= buddies was definitely a mood booster after the rough start, but I knew in the first mile that I was not going to be able to keep pace with them. The spike in adrenaline from not knowing what to do at the race start was already starting to fall off, and my Garmin was letting me know that this pace was faster than I was supposed to be running this race. So I made sure to let my buddies know that I wasn't going to be hanging with them for long. And then, at the 2 mile marker, I pulled up to take in fluid (water/Tailwind) and told them I would see them at the finish. And then another memorable thing happened. Johnathan pulled back and said that he was going to run the rest of the race with me! :) You remember Johnathan right? He's my friend that paced me to a crazy 18 min PR on this same course, same race, 3 years ago. He is a much stronger and faster runner than I am so I immediately had pangs of guilt that running with me would take away from his race experience. So I asked him if he was sure this was what he wanted to do. And, much to my delight, he said yes!! The next 8 miles were rough with all the hills of this course. Somehow I always manage to forget how many hills there are. But getting to spend those miles with my friend and catch up (since we don't really get to see one another since our schedules changed), made it go by fairly quickly. Well at least the first 5 miles did.
The back half of the course was tougher than it probably should have been. I am definitely chalking that up to the really fast first two miles and the adrenaline spike before the start. Ultimately we finished at a pace that was in line with my training plan...and 20 sec slower than my 10 mile PR!!!! I did NOT intend for that to happen! I didn't even intend to be anywhere close! And had I been paying attention and truly remembered my PR time, I might have pushed it a little harder in mile 9, because who can resist bringing home a shiny new PR. :)
Here are my summary points from this race:
- =PR= did a great job delivering a sold race experience even in the face of weather that left debris on the course the day before and having to contend with our pre-race staging area closure.
- Going into a race (even one that is being used as a training run) without a race strategy is a bad idea! It leads to going out too fast and having to make on course adjustments in the later miles.
- Running with a friend is ALWAYS better than running alone!!!
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