Race Report: Green Valley Road Race 10-Miler

I've always liked this race. It's one of the oldest races in Greenville (this was the 41st year) and there's usually a relatively small crowd (a couple hundred finishers between the 8k and 10-Miler). I like the unique distances offered, and the unique swag they always have.

Heyyy, got my GVRR gloves and sweet SCARF!

The forecast for today was upper 40s and rainy. YUCK. I've run in those conditions before and I do not enjoy it. Today, thankfully, was a different story! It wasn't actually raining (or just barely) at the start of the race, which made it much more tolerable to get out in it. The drizzle became gradually heavier throughout the race and really only picked up towards the very end. Quite tolerable, and actually kept me cool since I'd over-dressed thinking it would be pouring. 

I didn't have any goals for this race. I knew my previous course PR for this one was 1:23:xx and wasn't sure if that was in reach or not. This was only my 4th run over 8 miles since the marathon in November, so it's not like I've been distance training recently. I think the marathon hangover excuse is pretty used up at this point (3 months) so I need to get back into actually training with purpose. Maybe.

Anyway, race recap!

I woke up around 6:30 this morning of my own accord (alarm was set for 7, but OH WELL). The race didn't start until 8:45 and the start was only 2 miles from my house. I didn't have my bib yet, but still I was in no hurry to leave the house this morning. I casually made myself breakfast, had some coffee, sat around, did some laundry, and finally left around 7:45. 

Hung around and chatted with a few other runners that I knew, and eventually we were all just hanging around the doorway of the gym, peering out into the drizzle, waiting until the very last second to go line up at the start. 

Lined up and ready to go

We were off right at 8:45, and I struggled for several miles to settle into a good, comfortable pace. I hadn't warmed up at all, so that probably didn't help. The first 2-3 miles loop through Furman's campus and eventually you exit to cross Hwy 25 and head into Green Valley.

Keeping up the motivation was tough through this race because I had nobody within reach in front of me. There wasn't anyone I could slowly reel in and pass, nobody that I thought was running a comparable pace that I might be able to catch, so it was really just like me out running on my own. That, and the fact that I run this route ALL the time, made it a little hard to keep pushing.

By around mile 7 I was mentally done. I was tired and cold and hungry and was ready to be finished. Thankfully there aren't really any bad hills in the last few miles, so the worst was over. Just kept plugging away. 

I hadn't looked at my watch the entire race, so I had no clue how I was doing. I came around the bend to the finish chute and saw the clock tick over from 1:19 to 1:20, which was comforting. So I pushed to the finish and ended up with 1:20:11, 3 minutes better than my previous course PR. 

I hung around for the age group awards (5 deep in each 5-year group!) and was surprised that I got 2nd!!

Awesome socks!

When they were reading out the winners (starting with 5th and going to 1st), they got to 3rd and I thought "oh well, guess not this year". What a great surprise!

Awkward running & work friend selfie.
Bernard got 4th AG, George got 2nd AG

Socks for everybody!!!

And now, I can definitely tell that I have not run far enough to race 10 miles because my legs hurt. Whoops!