Today was my first official road race of the year: Times Colonist 10K!
It was a huge race (although compared to the Vancouver Sun Run 10K last year, it was way less crowded), and it was nice to see the relationship between runners and their supporters. Every race I participate in, I always make sure to thank volunteers I interact with. A simple "THANK YOU!" while your face is hot, red, and sweaty goes a long way!
I set my alarm for 5:43AM, because I am strange and like odd times, apparently. Since I had already pinned my bib to my shirt and prepared the rest of my outfit last night, all I needed to do was make my breakfast and stalk Facebook/Twitter before I left. Isn't that part of your morning routine, too?
My prerace breakfast, always, is two slices of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana. I also had some water to drink. The nice thing about a 10K run is that you don't need any gels or fuel to take in on the course. I mean, some people do, but it's not totally necessary since, for myself personally, you simply aren't running long enough to burn up your glucose and carb stores. Speaking of carbs, I was sure to have some for dinner last night in the form of spaghetti with marinara sauce, roasted broccoli & kale and veggie meatballs. Stuffed to the brim & ready to run!
I wore this shirt for the run - super comfy and relatively light weight for a dri-fit cotton shirt. I wore a pair of dark grey Lululemon running tights, and although I was fairly warm at the end of the race (well, no kidding, workin' hard out there), I wasn't heating up too much despite the fact that I was wearing pants. Generally I race in either shorts or capris, but since I A) lost my favourite pair of running capris and B) didn't shave my legs last night, it was for the best that I wore pants. You're welcome.
Long story short, it was an awesome race. It was well organized, and the route had a nice mix of gradual slopes, downhills and flat ground. Plus the sunshine was a nice bonus! I admit, I was afraid it might rain, but I am so glad it held off! The best part of the race is running along Dallas Rd toward Ogden Point (and past there). All you Victoria folk, I am eternally jealous of you that get to run that area every day. I would looooooove that! So beautiful.
I listened to my iPhone music on shuffle, and the time went by fast. I beat my last TC 10K time by four minutes and change, which is pretty huge for running. Have you ever ran on a treadmill? A minute feels like an hour! It was much faster on the road, however.
So, race stats show that I was the first female to cross the finish line from my town and the third overall from my town. Huh, well that's pretty freakin' awesome! I can live with that :) Of course, I am always looking to improve my speed, so eventually I will be the first overall. JUST SAYING. You wait!
After the race, the B man and I wandered over to Starbucks. A nice, rich coffee always tastes better when you have "worked for it," so to speak, although I generally don't believe in rewarding yourself with food after a workout unless it is healthy and it's for refueling purposes. ANYWHO, that's a whole 'nother thing.
No trip to Victoria is ever complete without a trip to Lululemon. So, that's where B & I headed to after Starbucks. He was my "little helper" as a store associate said, as he was holding all the things I wanted to try on. Gotta love your own personal assistant! Ha ha, I kid.
Hooray for pretty Spring colours!
I am particularly excited to try the shorts. I will usually only wear running shorts if they have a nonslip grip on the inside of the leg, that way they don't ride up and threaten a peep show, but these ones are a bit longer than the other pairs. I did a random jog inside the change room to sort of get an idea of how they would be, so we shall see!
And I am in love with this tank top! I Instagrammed the picture, as you can probably tell, but the top of the tank is a mint colour and the bottom is more of a bright emerald green. Super light weight and feels supportive as well, so it will be a gooder!
Then after hanging out at home for a bit, having lunch, and finally showering (Brandon advised that I probably should, since apparently I had stinky feet when I took my shoes off in the car. Whhhoooops), I went to my parents' house for a little visit. My mom and Sarah just came back from a school trip to Edmonton, and they brought me back this kick ass shirt (and some equally kick ass tea from David's Tea. Sorry for all the ass kicking).
Yep, sounds about right! Although, downward dog is a nice stretch for the hammies and calves...
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
No comments:
Post a Comment