Tufts 10K for Women

All smiles post-race!

Yesterday morning Drew and I joined 8,000 other women (and a few men too) for the Tufts Health Plan for Women 10K! The race started and ended in Boston Common, so again, it was a very convenient race for us. Our legs felt pretty good considering the half marathon we'd run just over 24 hours previously. We decided to aim for 9 minute miles and see how things played out. 

After finishing the first and only 10K I have ever raced in 57:41, I was aiming for somewhere in the 54 minutes category (around/just under a 9 minute mile pace). 

The course route took us from Boston Common, along Beacon St., across the Mass Ave. bridge, right along the Charles River to a hairpin turn just after Mile 2. After the turn-around, we headed back up the Charles, through a tunnel to the next turn around at the BU boat house. Just after Mile 4 we hopped back on the Mass Ave. bridge until we turned left on Comm Ave for the last mile point two. After a quick turn onto Arlington, and Boylston streets, the last .2 miles were a long (almost too long), straight away to the finish. 

My legs felt pretty good for the first four or so miles but there was a point where I really began to feel the effects of yesterday's race. I told myself that this was just good practice for the last 6 miles of the marathon when my legs would be feeling all sorts of fatigue. This tactic seemed to work as I was able to keep up a quick pace even on very tired legs. Physically I felt as though I was running with two foreign objects attached to my bottom half, which was a bit strange. I made sure just to listen to my breathing and as long as I felt calm and wasn't wheezing then I decided the pace must be okay and I didn't need to back off just yet. My tactics worked well as I came across the finish line in 54:17, good enough for an 8:45 min/mile average, as well as a 3+ minute PR!

Here's how the miles shaped up (it may finally be time to invest in a Garmin, since I clearly cannot remember any specific times no matter how hard I try to during the race - *cough, Mom, cough, Dad*).

Mile 1: 9:45

Mile 2: 18:45 (9:00)
Mile 3: 27:50 (9:05)
Mile 4: 36:00 (8:50)
Mile 5: 44:something (8:something)
Mile 6: 52:something (8:something)
Mile 6.2: 54:17

Yet another perfect fall day with pretty stellar fall running.

P.S. I'd really like to thank Columbus for the extra long weekend! Although it may seem like all I did was run this weekend, I actually got a lot of rest - like, a LOT of rest. Between sleeping in on two separate occasions, taking two VERY long post-run naps, and getting to bed before 10 pm every night, I feel as though I took total advantage of this past weekend.

P.P.S. I went to bed last night with a very warm feeling in my heart. Maybe it was because I finally feel like it's actually fall around here, or maybe because I was listening to this song on repeat, or maybe, just maybe it was that my evening consisted of guitar playing and eating baked apples by candle light. Whatever the reason, I was very thankful (in the spirit of Canadian Thanksgiving?) to have had such a pleasant weekend.