Run for the Cause 10k

Nearly two months have passed since I last strapped on my racing flats, and I went racing. Why am I starting my post this way? Well, I am getting the itch to put some racing miles in my training plan. This seem like the ideal weekend to do it.

 

On top of it, for the first time, in the several years, I laid out a formula training plan and with a specific goal of a ½ marathon as the end all target race. To set all this up, I needed some races to check my fitness and for that matter, some tune races to shake the dust off.

This started me looking for a nice little 10k race. Something where I had put in a solid effort but it wasn’t going to leave me recovering for several days.

A few internet searches later, I was registered for the “Run for the Cause 10k” in Fort Mill or rather Baxter Village to be more specific.

From what I gathered from the website, the course both 5k and 10k were pretty much rolling hill course. All the better, I like a challenge.

And of course, the weather was not really cooperating. Race morning at 9 am was bone chilling 25 degrees with a stiff wind blowing.

This is really too cold for racing but what’s a runner to do but “suck it up”.

The race strung out pretty fast. A couple of runners jumped out real fast, and through the mile, I was barely maintaining the gap between us.

Haven driven the course beforehand I knew where the 5k and 10 split. In the back of head, I kept repeating “turn right”, “turn right”, “turn right”. Sure enough, they both turn right to continue along the 5k course.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your perspective, I was going to be solo for the rest of the race.

When they said the course was rolling hills, they were not kidding. There course had plenty of kick your “but” hills. There is one hill on “Gardinia”. It must be a ¼ mile long but it is steep. My legs carried me up it, but they were wasted doing it.

Then, it was up and down until we hit the local greenway, and through the tunnel.

You are going to love this. The greenway ends with this set switch backs. They are super steep before putting the runners back out on the road.

If my legs were not finished being cooked by the "Gardinia" hill, they certainly were now.

I finished in 40:12 and won a nice South Carolina labeled plaque for my efforts.

Overall, this was nice little race. After seeing the markings on the road, I half expected to be guiding myself through the course, but they have volunteers at most of the intersections, and bikes out guiding us through it. I give them a double thumbs-up for this part.

They had tons of door prices. There were 3 different dentist giving away gift cards for their dental services. There were weekends give-aways in both Washington DC and New York City.

Sadly, I didn’t walk-away with any prizes, but I was there so I at least had a chance.

So now with this 10k in the books, I need to kick my training up another notch this week before jumping in another race.  

Getting older just means I have to work smart as well as harder.

 

Cool Down Runner