Race Report - 2010 Winter Winds 4 Mile Road Race

After the 2 mile race at 2:00 PM, I decided to run the 4 mile race with my fiancé at 2:30 PM. This was the first time she ran a 4 mile race, so I wanted to be sure to run it together with her for moral support. The course for this race shared the same first 1.5 miles as the 2 mile race and then changed direction. During the entire race, we had a nice view of a small local mountain while running through nice and quiet residential neighborhoods. We ran the entire 4 miles at a very consistent pace from start to finish. It was a very enjoyable race since the weather conditions were really perfect for a race. We had a slight overcast with temps in the high 40s and no precipitation. This was a welcome surprise, because we have had winter weather advisories and warnings all weekend and the morning actually started with snowfall followed by rain and sleet. However, it all cleared before noon. Just by coincidence, I had the chance to meet the gentleman that actually designed both race courses just before the race. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him and the other race volunteers for putting this event together and for supporting us runners before, during and after the race. On a side note, my fiancé already asked me to sign us up for another race next month. I think she might be hooked.

Race Report - 2010 Winter Winds 2 Mile Road Race

I did not really prepare for this race the way I should have and normally do. I did not get enough sleep last night and I used the wrong type of fluids to hydrate. To be more specific, I ended up heading out with the boys for a few drinks last night. Not a good idea at all and not something I recommend anyone ever do. So while I had initially planned to go all out at the 2 mile race and run the 4 mile race with my fiancé at a more conservative pace, I adjusted my plan to "just finish it without incident". However, when I lined up in the second row at the starting line, my competitive nature took over and I decided to push hard until I would feel the need to back off the pace. I felt pretty good the first mile, but started to struggle a bit during the second mile. The first mile included a longer incline section followed by a nice downhill slope that allowed me to recover and pick up the pace a little. I tried to keep a consistent pace and managed to do it without blowing up my heart rate. Whohoo, I realized after looking at my Garmin data once I got home that I actually managed to run negative splits. That was definitely a first for me. I even had some energy left to push a little harder on the final quarter mile. Because I had checked the race guidelines before the race, I realized that my age group was much larger than usual covering a 10 year age span, so I did not expect to place at all. Imagine my surprise when I checked the official results that were posted at the race venue to see that I finished 20th overall and 3rd in my age group.  Not too bad a start for a Sunday afternoon of races. Maybe I can do even better with the appropriate race preparation next time around.