TreesGreenville Turkey Day 8k

Another fun race with the family - becoming a tradition!

We picked up our packets on Tuesday after work, so race morning all we had to do was get ourselves downtown. All 3 of us (Scott, me, and D) were racing - D doing the 1/4 Mile Tot Trot, and then the 3 of us doing the 8k with Scott pushing D in the stroller so I could race.

I hadn't done any specific training for this race, but I felt pretty good coming off of the marathon ~1.5 weeks ago. I wasn't sure what I had in me but knew a PR would be challenging. Existing PR is 35:18 at this race 4 years ago, but the course was new this year. Still in downtown Greenville, but slightly different route.

We arrived downtown in plenty of time, so we leisurely got ourselves over to the start area. The Tot Trot was set to start at 8:10, then the 5k and 8k started together at 8:30. The course for the Tots was an out-and-back loop along Main Street.

Track suited up with new shoes, too!

Cold at the start, but ready! They gave out capes to the Tots racing. 

D was all ready to go until the actual start of the race when he then insisted "I want up!" and wouldn't walk one step. So I carried him the entire 1/4 mile course. *sigh* I put him down within 20 yards of the finish and ran in front of him as he cried "I want uuupppp! Mommy upppp!" and I kept running in front of him as he chased me crying across the finish line. Oh well. 

Then we gathered ourselves and got lined up for the start. It was supposed to be a self-seeded race (my favorite... ugh) and as usual the instructions were for "strollers in the back with the walkers." Uh, nope. I think estimated pace is estimated pace, whether you have a stroller or not. So Scott & D lined up with me near the front. I wasn't too worried about disobeying the rules since there were families in front of us with kids on their shoulders / piggy-back riding. Yeah.

Ready to run!

Cheeeeese

The start gun (actually, the starting "gobble") went off and the race began... I took off as quickly as possible to weave around the improperly-seeded runners ahead of me. It was kind of a blessing that the course started on the slight uphill grade towards the baseball stadium, so it slowed people down right from the start.

We turned down a block and went back towards the center of town for the first mile. It was a pretty even up and down, and I felt good.

Mile 1 - 7:08

The second mile started with a decent little incline, then turned across town and went towards the zoo. This part was mostly flat.

Mile 2 - 7:07

Feeling good, we descended into Cleveland Park at the zoo and ran on the flat part of the Swamp Rabbit Trail through the park. I felt good but wondered about maintaining pace through the last half of the race.

Mile 3 - 6:57

Oddly, the 4th mile was the flattest (continued through Cleveland Park back into downtown) but it was by far my slowest. I mentally was telling myself not to push too much and just maintain/hold steady because I knew there were some hills in the final mile to climb back up to the center of downtown.

Mile 4 - 7:33

The final mile started with a good climb up out of the park, some rolling hills on cross-streets, and re-joined the 5k course for the final half mile. I understand why they did this, but I have to say it was really de-motivating to turn onto a course filled with mostly 5k walkers (it was ~30+ minutes into the race at this point) not to mention having to weave around them. There was a final climb up to Main Street, then turn towards the finish line for a (thankfully) downhill/flat finish on the last quarter mile. I glanced at my watch as I made the turn (which I never do) and saw that I was already beyond a chance for a PR. I decided to finish strong, but it definitely made me not want to give it 100% at the end. I cruised through the finish line knowing today would not be a PR finish.

Mile 5 - 7:16

Results

I'm a little disappointed that today wasn't a PR, but I also realize what a feat that would have been. I had hopes of making 2017 the Year of the PR for every distance, but perhaps I'll just have to make 2019 a short-distance (<10 mi) focus year. Still playing with ideas in my head for that, but I know I have work to do.

Things I am happy about:
- Top 2% for all Females
- 5th in age group
- 7:11/mi pace overall

Love this tradition, and the start to #RWRunStreak = run every day (at least 1 mile) between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day!

Post-race snacks (cookie) and medal-wearing.