2020 Reston 10 Miler
Scroll down to the end of the post for the tl;dr version.
Prologue
Back in December when I put this race on my schedule, I had high hopes for this training cycle and wanted to be in 1:16:40 (7:40 pace) shape by now. Unfortunately, over the past few months, it’s been clear that my speed was lacking. In the weeks before the race, I changed my expectations to 1:26:00 (8:35 pace) but moreover, changed my goal determining my goal marathon pace for the Boston Marathon.
In the days leading up to the race, I ran a 15-miler on Sunday, an 8-mile marathon-pace workout on Tuesday, and hill repeats on Thursday.
Goals
Personal Records:
- 10 Mile PR: 1:08:26 (6:51 pace) at the 2014 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.
- Course PR: 1:11:27 (7:09 pace) at the 2012 Reston 10 Miler.
- Most Recent 10 Mile: 1:42:00 (10:12 pace) at the 2019 EX2 Adventures Fall Backyard Burn 10 Mile Race #1: Lake Fairfax.
- Most Recent 10 Mile (Road): 1:18:49 (7:53 pace) at the 2018 Army 10 Miler.
Likely (“A Goal”): Sub-1:26 (8:35 pace). Having done the 2020 DCRRC JFK 20K in 1:45:49 (8:31 pace), this seemed completely reasonable.
Achievable (“B Goal”): Sub-1:25 (8:30 pace). If the weather is good, this is completely achievable.
Stretch (“C Goal”): Sub-1:24 (8:25 pace). The early workouts in this training cycle were at this pace so maybe I could run this fast.
Strategy: Run by feel. The course is hilly so I don’t think it’s wise to go out with a specific goal in mind.
The Course
The race starts at South Lakes High School and is a series of loops through Reston, Virginia. The course isn’t completely closed – runners take up one lane of two-lane roads. The elevation profile could be described as rolling hills.
The first four miles is a semi-circle around Lake Audubon on Glade Drive, up Soapstone Drive to Sunrise Valley Drive. It features some gradual climbs. The next looped segment goes east on Sunrise Valley Drive and circles back to the school on South Lakes Drive ending in a mile-long climb to Mile 7. The final section goes up Colt’s Neck Road and then steeply downhill on Sunrise Valley Drive before heading down Soapstone Drive, over Ridge Heights Drive and finishing on the track at South Lakes High School.
There was no crowd support other than at the aid stations. The trail is not closed but this time of year, it is not particularly crowded.
Playlist
On the morning of the race, I compiled a playlist consisting of 1 hour and 24 minutes of music.
Pre-Race
The night before, dinner was a pasta dish that I made and a branched-chain amino acid drink. I went to bed by 10:30 pm but according to Garmin Connect, I only got about 5 hours of sleep!
In the morning, I drank coffee and water. I also ate a Nutrigrain bar and half a banana. After consulting the weather forecast, I wore a Saucony Swift Long-Sleeve, Saucony Bullet Capris, Balega Ultralight No Show Socks, and my new Mizuno Wave Sky Knit shoes. My boyfriend and I left the house at around 6:15 a.m. for South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia, which is where the race started.
At the race site, we parked and immediately split up to use the porta-potties. This year, the school was open, so we had shelter from the cold. We registered, picked up our bib and shirt, and then hung-out in the school.
There were lots of school-aged children around, which I suspected were our race volunteers. While admiring their “wall of champions”, I notice a former teammate of mine from their 1983 state championship field hockey team.
We went back to the car at 7:30. We sat in the car talking and I voiced how I didn’t feel very well. At 7:45, I went for a short 1-mile warm-up. Back at the starting line, I talked with my boyfriend a little but then a few seconds after 8 a.m., the race was on!
Weather
By the time we arrived at South Lakes High School at around 7 a.m., the temperature was in the low-30s.
Sunday Digit – 9/10: After a lingering morning chill, mild and sunny is a spectacular way to close the weekend, and to welcome our extra hour of evening daylight. -Brian, CWG
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) March 8, 2020
As the race progressed and the sun rose in the sky, it felt like a 50-degree day.
The Race
Miles 1 to 4 (South Lakes High School, South Lakes Drive, Twin Branches Road, Glade Drive, and Soapstone Drive)
From the school parking lot, runners headed straight and slightly downhill to South Lakes Drive. I took the left turn cautiously and hugged the cone to avoid other runners. Unlike previous years, there weren’t many people around me and I found a comfortable pace very easily. Soon, the course turned right onto Twin Branches Road. I remember this uphill being rough but I handled it easily. It was a beautiful morning and the views of Lake Audubon caused me to fall into a pensive state. “Everything would be alright,” I thought.
One-and-a-half miles in, the course turned right onto Glade Drive. The road was slightly uphill and I slowed a little to account for it. But overall, my legs felt good and my breathing wasn’t very heavy, which I took to be a good sign. Meanwhile, other runners were streaming past me.
At the next major intersection, the course turned right onto Soapstone Road. A quarter-mile later, I saw the Mile 3 marker. I was in such a meditative state that somehow, I missed the Mile 2 sign! The hills were rolling in this section ending with a pretty steady quad-killing climb. I was passed by quite a few runners. Closing in on the fourth mile, I tapped the lap button and saw my pace was close to 9:00. I thought, “I just gave up a lot of time.”
Splits: 8:13, 16:40 (8:20 pace), 8:54.
Miles 4 to 7 (Sunrise Valley Drive, South Lakes Drive)
Just past the Mile 4 marker, the course finally turned right onto Sunrise Valley Drive. The climbing seemed to wake up my legs and I started running much faster once I opened up my stride a little. I actually started steadily but surely re-passing some of the runners who over-took me on the big hill. But, my come-back was short-lived as another hill was on the horizon and I eased up again. Another group of runners passed me again. The competitor in me started thinking, “Should I push the pace now?” But gut responded, “No, it’s way too early.”
After one mile the course turned right back onto South Lakes Drive. Heading back towards the start, I surged a bit and started passing other runners. My effort was starting to feel more like race-pace.
I crossed the 10K split mat at 51:20 (8:16 pace). Feeling energized, I passed the water stop and Mile 6 markers next to the school. I ran up the same hill that I partially climbed during my pre-race warm-up. At the top, I passed the Mile 7 marker. But, there was more climb ahead.
Splits: 8:06, 7:45, 8:35.
Miles 7 to 10 (Colt’s Neck Road, Sunrise Valley Drive, Soapstone Drive, Ridge Heights Road, South Lakes High School)
Finally, the course turned right onto Colt’s Neck Road but not for long. After a quarter-mile, it swerved right again onto Sunrise Valley Drive. I passed a golf course and mentally prepared myself to push for the final two miles.
Nearing the 8th mile, I remembered there was a steep downhill ahead. Finally, it was time to let my legs fly! I passed multiple runners as though they were standing still.
After a half-mile or so, the course went back uphill and we took another right onto Soapstone Drive. Rather than slowing down, I felt myself driving ahead. At Mile 9, I felt confident I could hold this pace until the end.
With less than a mile to go, runners had to cross the road to turn left onto Ridge Heights Road. I could feel surging runners behind me as they put in their final kick. A woman came up beside me as we entered South Lakes High School. But just as quickly as she made her presence known, I found another gear. I made quick work of the turns through the parking lot to the last stretch – a quarter-mile on the track. My legs were a little beat up and were thankful for the soft surface. I rounded the corner for the straight-away feeling absolutely buoyant! This was a great race effort.
Splits: 8:12, 7:50, 7:16.
Result
My time was 1:21:32 (8:10 pace) [Log Details]. I was the 131st finisher overall out of 614 (top 22%), 32nd woman overall out of 327 (top 10%), 5th in my five-year age group of 54 (top 10%).
Post-Race
I crossed the finish line and immediately jogged to my car. I wanted warm clothes for myself and to grab some for my boyfriend. I cheered for him as he entered the track and even took a few pictures of him finishing. Later, we went to our favorite neighborhood restaurant for brunch. Even though I thought I ran conservatively, I took a long nap later that afternoon.
Epilogue
The Reston 10 Miler is a great tune-up race for a spring marathon – particularly if the goal race will be hilly. The only downside is that it comes a little early in the racing calendar for a true test.
Next week, I’ll change a few workouts around so my legs can rest a bit. Then, get back on schedule.
Next race:2020 Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon on Saturday, March 28th?
(My Complete Racing Schedule.)
Abridged Version
During the early miles, I gave the rolling hills the respect they deserved and I averaged 8:20 pace. But at Mile 8, I took the long downhill hard and kept the challenging pace through to the end. My last mile was 7:15! In the end, my time was 1:21:32 (8:10 pace). I was thrilled! My confidence in running a qualifying time at the 2020 Boston Marathon couldn’t have been higher.
