22 September 2009
Race Me: Run Wild Recap and the Importance of Pacing
A few weeks ago, I posted about signing up for the Detroit Zoo 10K. Running through a zoo? What could be more fun?! Well, not running next to a highway, that’s for sure. Turns out, we weren’t running next to cute animals so much as heavy traffic. Oh well, it was still the perfect day for racing. The sky was clear, the humidity was low, and the temperature was perfect. You know it’s perfect running weather when you’re a little bit chilly before starting.
I met Rachel and her fam there (how freaking cute is her brother?! He and her mom did an untimed fun run/walk through the zoo). Since Rachel and I were both running the race as more of a training run, we agreed to run together. She had never run with anyone before, so I said I’d try to keep her entertained by doing most of the talking in case she got too winded. Luckily, that wasn’t an issue, and the first four miles flew by because we were engrossed in conversation. I love running with people for that very reason. The time always flies by and though it sometimes takes more effort, it’s definitely worth it. I now prefer conversation to music most of the time.
Rachel and I kept a steady pace when we were running together, but I wanted to practice picking up speed at the end, so during the last 1.5 miles I pushed myself to my limit. Because we had paced ourselves so well for the first 4.5, I had a lot to give at the end. I was passing people left and right! It was a real lesson in the power of pacing. When you spread your efforts out over the course of the race rather than giving it your all the beginning, you’ll have the energy and will to finish strong. If you burn out in the beginning, the rest of the race can be more defeating than fun. I will definitely keep this in mind as my half marathon approaches (less than a month… ahhh!).
After the race, we headed to a cute vegetarian brunch place called the Inn Season Cafe to discuss business. We have a lot of things in the works that I can’t wait to share with you all once we get going. See Rachel’s race recap post here for her take on the 10K.
