My approach to summer racing has been a carefree one. I know I am not going to PR in the heat, so I planned on running a lot of shorter races and just trying my best. I ran a two-mile race at the beginning of the month with an official time of 14:07. This was good enough for first place in my graduating class (it was a reunion event) and third overall female.
Last weekend I ran the Lawyers Have Heart 10K, and this weekend I ran the Red Cross "Run For the Red" 10K. I am pleased with my performance and effort levels at each of these races. For the Lawyers Have Heart race, this marked my 6th consecutive year at the event, and my 5-year anniversary of running a 10K. My primary goal was to finally break 50:00. I've broken 50:00 many times at 10Ks, but never in a summer race. If I couldn't do that, then at the very least I wanted to set a course PR, which would require beating the 50:59 I ran in 2007. Surely I am in better shape now! For today's 10K, my goal was to simply try my best. I thought that the course might be more challenging than last week's, so I wasn't setting any time expectations.
I did a mile-by-mile comparison of pace and heart rate and found that I ran a more evenly-paced race today and there was more of a fade last week. Heart-rate wise, my average HR was 183 today and 184 last week. In cooler 10Ks, I average a 179 HR. Both races maxed out at 193.
Even though my times are far from PR-level, I had excellent practice in pushing through to the end and staying strong. It seems that I struggle more with the heat than most runners, and my fiancé thinks this is due to circulatory issues.
For those of you running in the heat, what goals do you focus on? Staying strong? Running an even pace? Finishing healthy?
Big ups on the 10K's! The heat has been brutal. What I have done is go out pretty hard, slow down a drop in the middle and then pound at the end. I try to find a happy/peaceful place in my mind before the run and then stay there throughout. I also hydrate big time before going outside. At the end, I think of my reward waiting for me. Maybe a rare day off, a cold yogurt with trail mix to eat, a beer, something to keep me motoring home. I also always plan the route in my mind first and very rarely deviate from it. I visualize myself finishing the run and that sense of accomplishment that comes with it is all the moto that I need.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing the Tim Harmon 5K this weekend in Fairfax, looking to PR; which would be under 22:26. I'll let you know how it goes.
-Harold
Hi Harold, thanks for your comment. I really like your 10K strategy in the heat. I think I am too afraid to go out hard in the heat because bonking in the heat is just brutal. I once had to actually walk during a 4-mile race because I went out too fast. This was also a race where someone passed out in the first mile. And you are right-- hydration is key. I bring one of those kid-sized deer park waters with me. The sports bottles and it's the perfect size for a 10K once I have pre-hydrated.
ReplyDeleteI hope the 5K went well! I'm tackling one of those next weekend.