20,000 Leagues of Running (comments welcome)

[Scootin'By]

I did it! I finished my 10 miler This distance is no joke. I was gassed when I got to the end with nothing left in the tank.

So, it was a beautiful day to hold the Parkway 10-mile Classic (presented by PNC ). Sunday was supposed to get up to 80+F, but the morning was cool and cloudy/foggy. AKA perfect weather for a race!

This was a one-way trip from Mount Vernon up the George Washington Parkway to Oldtown Alexandria. So I had to park in Oldtown and then take a shuttle bus down to the start. This definitely felt Disney-esque since the line for the busses was literally around the block. Everyone was commenting on how they'd never seen it this bad before. I think it was because of the 40th, but who knows. Our bus ride was uneventful, but we passed a bus that had broken down halfway there. It wasn't there when I ran by, so they must have made it, but still.

As soon as we got off the bus, the line for the porta-potties started. It must have been 100+ deep I had to go, again, but not that bad. I dropped off my bag (inadvertently leaving my gum inside, grrr) and then warmed up and stretched. With just about 20 minutes to go before start time, the bathroom line was significantly lower and people were moving through fast, so I jumped in line and had a few minutes to spare before the start. Phew!

The race itself was good. Beautiful views of the Potomac River, lots of green scenery along the way almost like you were running in the woods. It was great! I've never seen so many people stay bunched up for so long, it was amazing. They said there were only 3,100ish, but it felt like a lot more.

I was a little in my head for the first few miles so they went by slow, but then I chatted with someone about mile 4 and things started to go by faster then. I also caught up with the 1:50 pacer, whom I hadn't seen in the start chute. I kept them in sight for a while before finally passing them.

At mile 5 I had been running for 52 miles. Doing some bad runner math I figured I was on pace for may 1:45 or 1:50. The miles really peeled away after this and all of a sudden so did the trees and I was in Oldtown with just one mile to go. I deliberately didn't look at my watch this last mile. I was NOT going to increase pace just to shave off a few seconds and end up in the med tent again. Nope! So I enjoyed the run, gave high fives to the kids sitting along the curb cheering people on, and just did my thing. This last mile went by REALLY slow. Heck, the last half mile felt like it could have been two miles. The finish line just did not get any closer. And then, boom, there it was.

I could see the running clock was at 1 hour 48 minutes and I was determined to make it in less than 1:50, so I opened up just a little bit and crossed at 1:49 and change. YAY!

As I stopped running I started to feel really sick. I figured it was because I was low on energy and so I slowly ate a banana, chips, nature bar, and protein bar I'd brought with me. That helped a lot, but still took about 20+ minutes to feel better. I think I need something real to eat along the way (more than just three packs of Gu).

So here are my mileage times:

Mile 1 - 10:26
Mile 2 - 10:11
Mile 3 - 10:33
Mile 4 - 10:26
Mile 5 - 10:30
Mile 6 - 10:03
Mile 7 - 10:35
Mile 8 - 10:50
Mile 9 - 11:00
Mile 10 - 10:10

Pretty consistent except for miles 8 and 9 when I was starting to get tired. Could have used another chat then LOL
But, here's the best thing. I did even better than I thought. When I crossed the line at 1:49, I forgot that I hadn't started right away. My final time was 1 hour 45 minutes! WHEEE

This is my new favorite distance. It's long enough to require some real effort in training, but not so long that I have to give up my life for it. 10ks are nice too, but I like the challenge of the extra 10 miles. Might have to look into the Army 10 miler for the fall

Pictures coming soon. Still waiting for them to be uploaded.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Great job! Congratulations!

As I stopped running I started to feel really sick. I figured it was because I was low on energy and so I slowly ate a banana, chips, nature bar, and protein bar I'd brought with me. That helped a lot, but still took about 20+ minutes to feel better. I think I need something real to eat along the way (more than just three packs of Gu).

Did you drink water as you were having your GUs? Most gels will upset your stomach without enough water (and that's plain water, not Gatorade or Tailwind or whatever).

Might have to look into the Army 10 miler for the fall

It's a good one! I did it last year as a training run. There is another bus situation, though, to get from the finish back to the start

 

[Naomeri]

For runs longer than a 10K, I shove a packaged brioche waffle in my pocket and eat it when I start feeling hungry, which is usually somewhere between miles 6-8. I’ve also experimented with gummy bears and chopped up Twizzlers, but the waffles have been the best.

 

[superchime]

Congrats on a great race!

I was a little in my head for the first few miles so they went by slow, but then I chatted with someone about mile 4 and things started to go by faster then.

This last mile went by REALLY slow. Heck, the last half mile felt like it could have been two miles. The finish line just did not get any closer. And then, boom, there it was.

Both of these things happen to me so often. Running is such a mental game.

I think I need something real to eat along the way (more than just three packs of Gu).

I've finally figured out that I fueling every 20 minutes is my sweet spot for longer runs. I'm slow, so that means I'm usually carrying a ridiculous amount of stuff with me, but I feel so much better.

I've also found that the Ucan edge gels make my stomach much happier than any other fuel I've tried, and you don't have to take them with water.

 

[avondale]

Great race! Congratulations! 10 miles is definitely a nice distance for a race. The Cherry Blossom race is 10 miles, you know.

 

[RuntheMouse]

This is my new favorite distance. It's long enough to require some real effort in training, but not so long that I have to give up my life for it.

I too love a 10 miler, I wish there were more of them.

My final time was 1 hour 45 minutes!

Great job!