TOTR: 10k, drone, & goal update

I have a LOT to get to on this Tuesday morning so let's get right into it.

Linking up for my favorite day of the week--Tuesday's on the Run!

On Saturday, I ran in the Guest River Gorge 10k--a tough "trail"-esque out and back race. It's by FAR one of the most mentally challenging races I do all year. The first 3 miles is a gradual downhill slope and then, well, you turn around and have to come right back up. And it's absolutely terrible. ha. Am I the only one who would rather run a super steep hill and just knock it out rather than slowly climbing? Please tell me I'm not. 

Anyway, the race itself went much, MUCH better than I expected. The weather wasn't ideal but it didn't start really raining until after the race so at least I didn't get completely soaked. Unlike most of my races lately, I woke up on Saturday morning and felt AWESOME. I cut my mileage back toward the end of last week and that made a huge difference. 

It was a decently large race--about 125 runners from ALL over. I was nervous before hand but being a 10k, I didn't really put a lot pressure on myself because it's definitely NOT my specialty. I'm still fairly new to the distance running game and although I've got some good times, I'm still working on it. 

Anyway, the race started right at 9am and from the moment the gun went off, I made it my mission to not let a single female pass me. I was pumped, everything I had felt awesome, and mentally, I was ready for the challenge. I really tried pacing myself the first 3 miles in order to have something left for the end--I actually ended up running with the same guy that helped me finish last year. We joked before the start of the race that we were pushing each other to finish last year because neither one of us wanted to let the other pass. ha. 

I use the term trail race VERY loosely because basically it's a straight shot down a small incline along the side of a creek--meaning, everything looks EXACLTY. THE. SAME. Which is why this race was such a challenge. Even with a GPS, I had a hard time figuring out exactly how far I had left to go once making the turn around. This year, I made mental notes at a few specific landmarks and that made all difference. It gave me the mental edge that I needed. 

There was a girl a little too close for my comfort throughout a majority of the race which helped keep me on my toes. She made me nervous but I appreciated the fact that she pushed me to race harder. I slowly started pulling away from her around mile 4.5 and I think I ended up finishing about 30 seconds faster than she did. I actually ended up racing with a pack of about 3-4 guys for most of the last 3 miles and we were all pushing each other at the end. One guy in particular--I had never met him before--REALLY helped me the last half a mile. He could tell I was starting to fizzle out a bit and encouraging me and telling me to sprint it out and beat him. Have I mentioned how AWESOME fellow runners are?! 

Not the most flattering shot.. ha.

ANYWAY, long story short. I finished in 46:00 flat, 7:25/mile, and I was the first female across the line. Technically, this would be my PR but I REALLY want to run a 10k on a flat surface so I can see what I can REALLY do. Every one I've done so far has been incredibly hilly. ha. One day, right? 

And I have to say, this race wins the award for coolest prize for the top finishers--I won an f'n DRONE. It's tiny and you can't even put a camera on it but ether way, it's pretty freakin' awesome. I also won a free milkshake, $25 to a local BBQ joint, and a free rental at one of our local water tubing businesses. Not bad for a day's work, right?! 

Overall, it was a great race and it's slowly becoming one of my favorites. It's well organized, the course HARD but beautiful, and it's just a great atmosphere. 

I also lucked out with one of the COOLEST race pictures to date. I'm totally framing this. It makes me feel like a total badass. 

beating the boys. ;)

And before I go, a quick goal update. 

I decided at the beginning of the year, I running 2,015 miles in 2015. As of today, I've logged 1, 269. So, 6 months in, I'm a little ahead of schedule, which makes me feel good. ha. 

I've also been participating in the Runner's World Run Streak and am still holding strong there too. Only a few days left! I may keep it going for a while... we'll see. 

Anyway, there you have it. A super long update about all things running. Guess it's a good thing this is technically a running blog, right?

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Tuesday. I have one more day of work left and then I'm on vacation for a WEEK!! :)

Sarah