2018 Crofton 10K

Scroll all the way down to the end of the post for the tl;dr version.

Prologue

After running my slowest marathon ever at the 2018 Boston Marathon, I wanted to run stress-free this summer and focus on speed work before I started training for the 2018 New York City Marathon in July.  I’ve been using the “Blue Advanced Plan” in Daniels’ Running Formula, 2nd and lifting weights.  The week before this week, I ran an interval workout on Tuesday and a long run on Thursday – just two days before the race.  I had been planning to run the 2018 Lawyers Have Heart 10K but woke up late for the 7am start!  I still wanted to race, so I jumped into this race, which I ran back in 2015.

Goals

Personal Records:

• 10K PR: 42:41 (6:51 pace) at the 2012 Clarendon Day 10K.
• Course PR: 43:07 (6:55 pace) at the 2014 Lawyers Have Heart 10K.
• Most Recent 10K: 45:08 (7:14 pace) at the 2017 Dulles Day on the Runway 10K.

Achievable: Sub-48:00 (7:42 pace).  Using the tables in Daniels Running Formula 2nd, recent intervals suggested my VDOT was around 43, which equates to a 47:04 (7:33 pace) 10K.  However, this course has some hills.

Stretch: Sub-47:00 (7:32 pace).  If everything went well, perhaps I could run my VDOT time.

Strategy: Run conservatively at the start and look to increase my speed midway through the race.

The Course

The race starts at the Crofton Country Club and is mostly on Crofton Parkway. It’s on neighborhood streets that weren’t closed to traffic in some places but there were lots of cones and police officers along the course. I would describe the course as rolling hills.

There were water stops on the course around Mile 2, Mile 4, and after Mile 5. The residents around the golf course are the only crowd support.

Playlist

I didn’t create a playlist for this race, but found an existing one called “Race 10K” and went with it.

Pre-Race

The night before, I went to bed before 10pm.  I had been having gastrointestinal issues during my interval workouts that week, so I opted for a sweet potato dinner rather than spaghetti.

When I woke up after 6am the morning of the race.  I hadn’t pre-registered or done any research on the race.  I checked the internet and saw Lawyers Have Heart 10K started at 7am!  If I rushed, could I make it?  No way.  I switched gears and decided to jump into the Crofton 10K instead.  I drank some coffee but skipped on food.

I left the house after 7am.  I noted it was humid but not terribly hot. I arrived in Crofton with about 20 minutes before 8am.  I did a quick warm-up and used the porta-potty.  With about 5 minutes until the start of the race, I headed to the start.  Suddenly, I realized I forgot to affix the timing device to my shoe!  I sprinted back to my car, grabbed the device sitting in the passenger’s seat, and run back to the start!  I put in my headphones and mentally prepared myself for the suffering that is a 10K.

Weather

Around the start of the race, the observed temperature at Baltimore-Washington International Airport was 74 degrees and a very uncomfortable 86% humidity!

The Race

Mile 0 to 3 (Crofton Parkway – East Side)

The course started on the east side of Crofton Parkway.  It was flat for maybe 50 yards but gradually went uphill.  Looking around, I didn’t see any women ahead of me.  I allowed myself to think, “Wouldn’t it be cool to win a race?!”  But after about a quarter mile, a woman passed me.  I was going 7:11 pace but I had no sense for if that was fast or slow because I hadn’t checked my goals before the race.  After three-quarters of a mile, the 10K runners peeled off to the right.  I locked on to the woman in first.  She wasn’t pulling away and there was a lot of race left.  Maybe I could catch her.

We rejoined the 5K runners on Crofton Parkway at Mile 2.  I grabbed a cup of water at the aid station – drinking most of it and splashing a few ounces down my back.  There was a welcomed downhill there, too, but soon the course climbed again.  At Mile 2.75, the course went right again for the 10K runners. Going in, I saw the race leader running alone so I clapped for him.  I lost sight of the woman in the lead.  She wasn’t pulling away but I would lost her around some of the corners.

Splits (by Garmin): 7:01, 7:34, 7:44.

Mile 3 to 6.24 (Crofton Parkway – West Side)

The half-way point, which is when I was going to allow myself to speed up, coincided with a hill so I dropped that idea.  However, I passed a man ahead of me.  A half mile later, the course returned to the Crofton Parkway and we merged with the 5K runners.  I slowed significantly on the next hill and the 10K runner passed me back.  But on the next downhill, I let my legs fly and went by him for good.  Meanwhile, I could tell the first place woman had opened up a considerable gap on me.

There was another water stop at the 4 mile mark.  I thought, “Some cool water would feel great on my head!”  But, I dropped the cup!  Up ahead, I saw the first place woman turned right off Crofton Parkway.  I counted the seconds until I made the turn and she was a good 40 seconds ahead.  I thought, “I can’t close that gap in two miles.”  During the next half mile, I checked behind me and didn’t see anyone so I thought a second place finish was assured.

The last water station was at the top of a very steep hill.  I ran through it but thanked the volunteers.  For the next half mile, I was alone on the course.  There were markings on the road but I hoped I was going the right way.  Even though I ran this race a few years ago, this section didn’t seem familiar.

With less than a mile to go, I turned right onto Crofton Parkway.  It was all downhill from there and I found the energy to push hard to the finish.

Splits: 7:57, 7:52, 7:36, 1:34 (7:08 pace).

Post-Race

I crossed the finish line and walked directly to my car.  I cranked the air conditioning to cool down and then walked around the golf course.

Back at the staging area, I chatted a little with the woman who won the race.  The award ceremony started fairly quickly.  I lingered a bit and enjoyed some Gatorade.  But, there was also bagels, oranges, bananas, Chick-fil-A biscuits, and Dunkin Donuts.

Result

My time was 47:17 (7:39 pace)  [Log Details].  I was 2nd woman overall – the highest I’ve ever placed in a field this size! I won a gift certificate for four to Chipotle and a medal.  (Only those who placed overall or in age groups received medals.)

Epilogue

As someone who typically flocks to “event races”, I enjoyed the neighborly feel of the morning.  However, I wasn’t completely happy with how I raced.  I think I could have pushed a little harder.  Over the next two weeks, I’ll do some easy training before I buckle down and start training hard for the 2018 New York City Marathon.

Next race: 2018 Firecracker 5K on Wednesday, July 4th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)

Abridged Version

When I woke up at 6am and realized the Lawyers Have Heart 10K started at 7am, I decided to run the Crofton 10K.  In the early miles, I remembered the course was hilly, so I ran conservatively as second placed woman for most of the race.  Stalking the leader, I allowed myself to think, “Wouldn’t it be cool to win a race?” But, I finished in 47:17 (7:35 pace) and stayed in second place.