2019 EX2 Adventures Fall Backyard Burn 10 Mile Race #1: Lake Fairfax

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

Prologue

Two weeks before, I ran in the 2019 Ragnar Sunset Washington DC and subsequently caught a cold.  I recovered and got my mileage back up, I had a near medical emergency last Sunday and I was afraid to run the week after.  With my body and mind still reeling from that scare, and with 16 miles in my legs from the day before, I forced myself to run this trail race, as preparation for the 2019 Brazos Bend 50 Miler, as planned.

Goals

Personal Records (Roads):

• 10 Mile PR: 1:08:26 (6:51 pace), 2014 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler
• Most Recent 10 Miler: 1:18:49 (7:53 pace), 2018 Army Ten Miler

Strategy: Run a conservative first loop and pick up the pace during the second loop if my legs felt up for it.

Course

The 10 mile course was two loops of a five miles of trails around Lake Fairfax Park.  After going through the parking lot and a grass field, the route headed onto single track dirt trails with roots and rocks.  There were a few road and creek crossings but otherwise the course was uninterrupted.  There were 3 steep hills in the last half mile.

For the 10 mile race, there were aid stations at Miles 1.4, 2.8, 4.1, 5.2, 6.2, 7.6, and 9.0.

Playlist

Headphones were prohibited.

Pre-Race

When I woke up, the muscles in my jaw, stomach, and shoulders were still sore from last weekend.  But, I ran fine the rest of the week so I told myself not to worry.

For breakfast, I downed coffee, 12 ounces of water, and a SaltStick FastChew.  I also ate peanut butter toast.

Wanting to test some gear for the 2019 Brazos Bend 50 Miler, I wore my new Saucony Peregrine ISOs, Balega Enduro Low Cut and brought my Camelbak Circuit Vest hydration pack with me.

The race started at 9am, so I left my house in Arlington at 7:30am for Reston, Virginia.

I arrived at the race site at 8am.  The volunteers did a great job directing everyone on where to park!  Registration, bib pick-up, and a visit to the porta-potties only took 15 minutes.  Fearful, I sat in the back of my car telling myself, “This is supposed to be fun.”

Exiting my car, I ran into Runner One from 2019 Ragnar Sunset Washington DC!  We chatted a bit and then I went for a second porta-potty trip.  Near the start, I lined up in the middle of the pack and listened to pre-race announcements.  At 9am on the dot, we were off!

 

 

 

 

Weather

At the start of the race, the skies were a little overcast and the temperature was just over 60 degrees.  And, there was very little wind.  Near perfect running conditions!

The Race

Miles 0 to 5

Running through the parking lot, I stayed to the right and allowed faster runners to pass.  The course joined a gravel trail next to Lake Fairfax, which was on the right. After turning right, runners joined a narrow dirt path before entering single track trail riddled with roots and rocks.

It was very crowded on the trail but I was happy to use the congestion as an excuse to tuck behind other runners and run an easy pace.  My Ragnar teammate passed me at one point but after she stopped for water at the first aid station in a clearing, I passed her back.

Back on the trail, the woman directly in front of me screamed!  Something had stung her on the butt.  She moaned and complained for quite a bit.  I felt bad for her but it was very distracting.  I passed her at the next clearing, which was around the second mile.

I must have been too close behind the next runner I tucked behind because she asked me if I wanted to pass.  I said, “In a while”.  Maybe a quarter mile later, she stopped to walk on a very steep section of the trail, and I passed her.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”raised” width=”800px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”4″ border_color=”#600B98″ rounded_corners=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ] After last week’s near medical emergency, most likely from dehydration, I spent the early miles drinking a lot of Gatorade and water. [/dropshadowbox]

Over the next mile, I scrambled up and around switchbacks.  I had a couple of near tripping incidents, but nothing serious.  There was a man behind me grunting in a very distracting manner.  He passed me at one point and pulled away a little during a bit of a downhill.  I noticed my right knee hurt a little and guessing it was because I wasn’t covering the course correctly – landing too knock-kneed on the downhills rather than gliding.  The Grunter stopped for water at the next stop and I passed him for good.

Towards the end of the first loop, I started feeling confident enough to pick off runners.  I tried passing the next woman ahead of me but she pulled away with such strength that I figured she was a 5-miler.  After a steep hill, there was a log ahead where the Swim Bike Run photographer was set up.  Not knowing what to do with this obstacle, I hurdled it like a Track & Field athlete pretending to be a trail runner would.

Next, the course served up two very steep hills.  I walked a little on each of them knowing that sometimes it makes as more sense.  Just before the finish area, the course took a steep downhill.  The five-mile runners went straight toward the picnic pavilion and the 10 milers went to the right for a second loop.

Splits (by Garmin): 10:17, 10:11, 11:29, 9:37, 10:22.

Miles 5 to 10

Starting the second loop, I felt pretty good and thought I could run a little faster.  I took advantage of the flat terrain on the first half mile and sped up.  With the 5-mile runners gone, I enjoyed the view of the lake.

Back on the single track, I knew I would be more tired than that first time around and focused on lifting my feet to avoid tripping.  Again, a runner in front of me asked if I wanted to pass and I said I was alright.  Instead, I settled behind him and drank more Gatorade.  When we reached the next clearing, I passed him.

I mostly ran alone for about a mile or so, occasionally passing someone walking.  It boosted my confidence passing so many runners and I told myself, “Just keep rolling.”

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”raised” width=”800px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”4″ border_color=”#600B98″ rounded_corners=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ]There were even moments when I was running full speed down the trail.  It felt like I was… escaping.  From what?  I don’t know but the sensation was exhilarating![/dropshadowbox]

The trail wasn’t closed and on one of the moderate hills, I heard a mountain biker coming up from behind.  I let him pass.  A little while later, I saw two women ahead of me running strong.  I told myself, “You have 2 miles to pass them.”  But, I was running so fast that I passed them within a half mile or so.  On the next switchback, I saw another woman I wanted to pass but she stopped to walk taking the challenge away.

With 1 mile to go, I had little more Gatorade just for insurance that I could finish strong.  And once again, I slowed for mountain bikers – this time three in front of me.

This time, when I approached the downed log, I stepped on it to clear it.  Yeah, I’m a trail runner!

On the next downhill, I passed a group of people walking their dog and greeted them.  I was in a great mood.  I walked a bit of the next hills but at this stage in the race, I didn’t want to give up much time.

On the long downhill to the finish, my legs were breaking but I just didn’t trust my ability to open my stride with control.  But, on the grassy uphill toward the picnic pavilion, my legs had enough in them to charge the up and around to the finish line!

Splits (by Garmin): 10:03, 10:09, 10:43, 10:06, 9:53.

Result

My time was 1:42:00 (10:17 pace) [Log Details].  I was the 71st finisher out of 143 (top 50%) and 13th woman out of 62 (top 21%).  The race gave awards five deep but I was 7th in my 10 year age group out of 21 (top 34%).

Post-Race

Post-race recovery food and drink was at a picnic area.  I had a slice of pizza and then walked back to my car because I wanted to exchange my race shirt for a smaller size.

Back at the car, I wiped muck from my legs and let out a huge sigh of relief.  Despite my worrry, I did it!

I returned to the recovery area, exchanged my race shirt and had another slice of pizza.  Hanging around the pavilion, I chatted with a friend from my old running club and Ragnar DC Runner One.  I went over to check the results and saw I was 7th in my age group, just out of the awards.  Exhausted from 35 miles in 3 days, I skipped the awards so I could go home and rest.

When I got home I realized…  there wasn’t a finishers medal!

Epilogue

The race was well organized and the course was well marked.

This was my only planned race before the 2019 New York City Marathon and in the days after the race, I wondered if I shouldn’t try to find a road race to gauge what my goal should be for that event.

Next race: 2019 New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 3rd. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)

Abridged Version

After last Sunday’s near medical emergency, I was afraid to run the week after.  With my body and mind still reeling from that scare, I forced myself to run this trail race, as preparation for the 2019 Brazos Bend 50 Miler, as planned.  Starting in the middle of the pack and getting backed up on the single track trail regulated my pace during the first 5 miles.  On the second loop, I ran a little faster.  I only came close to tripping once or twice!  I finished in 1:42:00 (10:17 pace).