Race Recap - Drake Relays 8K

Yesterday morning I ran the Drake Relays 8K. I first ran this race in 2010, just a few months after I started training with Joel and the small group of runners he trains.  I was a reluctant convert to the group running dynamic, but the Drake Relays 8K made a convert of me.  I was THRILLED beyond measure to finish that race in 47:27 - a 9:33 average pace. With just a few months of intentional training, speed work and hills I was running faster and stronger than I had in years.

Yesterday morning I intended to treat this race as a training run for the Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon coming up next weekend.  I knew, barring something unexpected, I would PR this race.  I figured I would beat my Red Flannel Run time, only because it was going to be 40 degrees warmer at race time! Even with that confidence, I went into the race aiming for a 9 minute/mile pace, hoping I would come in a few seconds ahead of my Red Flannel time.

The weather was practically perfect for me.  Mid-40's, overcast, a little misty.  The course is great, an out and back that has some gentle hills, but nothing terribly challenging.  I rode up to the race with two running friends who were doing the half marathon event.  We lined up together at the start, but when the gun went off we quickly went our own way.  The start was very crowded, but my legs felt great.  I was darting around, trying to find a place to run.  I set my watch to display my average pace and I was shocked to look down a few minutes in and see my pace around the 8 min/mile pace.  I felt great.  I started telling myself, "slow down Kate Walton, you don't run 8 minute miles."

At the 1 mile mark my watch showed an 8:10 pace.  I intentionally reined it in for mile 2, coming in at an 8:40 pace for that stretch.  But I was feeling so good, so strong, I decided to just let myself run.  My OCD in full bloom I told myself to only look at my watch at each song break. I also told myself to run just outside my comfort zone, to push myself, to hold this fast-for-me pace as long as I could.

The thing is, I never really flamed out.  I can't remember my last 3 mile splits, but they were very consistent.  I felt awesome the whole time.  I think I could have run it faster.

I finished at 42:55 - according to the race website a 8:38 pace. I finished 9th of 73 in my age group.  But mostly I finished feeling so proud.  Proud that I could be nearly 5 minutes faster at the same race in 2 years. I never would have thought I could run that far that fast (for me) at age 40.

This is the last running of the Drake Relays 8K.  Next year it will be a 10K.  No doubt it will always hold a fond place for me in my running life.