Life presents challenges and adventures for us, not only in winter, but also in spring. Some early spring days may feel and seem like winter, though. Taking on new adventures requires us to confront and deal with the unknown, the unexpected, to be slightly more uncomfortable…and we grow in learning to handle these new adventures as they unfold.
Yesterday, I ran in the Tabitha 10 mile race, a new race with a new course. Although some of the pathways were familiar to me, some were not. The race was to help raise money for Tabitha Health and Meals on Wheels, which provides meals to people who need a little help for $6.72/meal (the signs during the race reminded us).
Although the weather was not superb, with it being cold and windy, it was for a very good cause and for that we confront the challenge and difficulties. There were enough of us running together to help and support each other. If we stayed clustered together a little, it helped us for windbreaking reasons. There were also some brave volunteers and spectators to hep us.
I looked forward in particular to the trail stretch of the race even though I knew we would have to wrestle with the wind on that stretch.
Arriving early the morning of the race, I parked near Memorial Park not too far away and ran a little on my way to the Lincoln Children’s Zoo area where the race began and finished. I contemplated switching to the 5k due to the cold and wind but decided to experience the full 1 miles instead.
Before our race began, many youngsters ran in the 1 mile race, impressing us with their speed, dedication, and perseverance on a tough day to race. It was part of the Youth Grand Prix of races we have here locally. I think the first kid finished around 5:58-6:00 or so to give you some idea of the competitiveness of these speedy youngsters.
After the children reeled in their miles, it was time for the 10 mile race to begin.
At 9:00, the starting fired his gun and we ran eastward in a group. I’m told about 200 runners or so ran the 10 mile race. One key thing during this race was judging from which direction the wind was whistling to prepare to turn your head away from the gusty parts. We knew that it was coming mainly from the north and it was N/NW so it felt cold. Temperature was pretty cold. Pretty cloudy so it felt colder. Around 32 the entire race. Windchill was probably in the 20s.
Soon after the start, we were running east on Normal Boulevard, zipping by Antelope Park, part of the Lincoln Marathon course. I noticed a kid passing us here early on and I’m not sure if he was running the 5k (runners behind us) or the 10 mile. He must have been with us though because I don’t think he could not have caught us that quickly (5k runners started 5 minutes after us).
Bundled up to protect ourselves (many layers and multiple pairs of gloves) from the wind and cold, we strided on and there was a little talk about how tough this past winter was for training. It definitely was tough and it felt like a throwback to wintry weather for quite a while.
I debated setting a time goal for this race and decided not to do that. The weather forecast was for cold, windy conditions and with it being the first race of the year, it just didn’t make sense for me to place high expectations on it. Late in the race, I did set a tiny time goal when I could see the finish line and the clock. More about that later.
There were some hills, roughly 269 feet of climb according to my watch, but the downhill portions gave back a little and were helpful. For example, the downhill on Calvert Boulevard as we ran west towards the trail was very beneficial. It felt easier.
We did have pretty good windbreaking tree protection during the race, just a few icy windy blasts on the trail portion coming back north after the turnaround. It’s much easier to deal with a crosswind than when the wind is blowing hard into your face/body.
Some of my favorite parts of the course were when we were running south with the wind at our backs. There wasn’t much wind felt going south on 56th Street. I still like the trail portion the best though (setting aside the wind(y) factor).
Running some on streets, I wondered if we would encounter any potholes but that really wasn’t an issue. There was some worn pavement but nothing to difficult to navigate.
Every few miles, there were water stops. I decided not to carry water with me because I figured it might freeze possibly. I stopped at almost all the water stops but I know I skipped one of them.
As far as walk breaks, I took them when I thought I needed them, some during water stops and a few late in the race when the wind was creating a heart rate climb issue. I used my Apple watch for the first time during this race for an outdoor race (I had a Garmin before). So that was helpful in keeping tabs on my heart rate, pace, etc.
My mile splits were pretty good for about 6 miles or so but I had to slow down as we wrestled with the wind on the final trail turnaround.
It was fun to see some signs saying “Your new favorite race, Tabitha Run”. One was very well placed right before we turned around to run into/against the wind.
My windproof gear, the NorthFace Goretex jacket and gloves, were very helpful during this race. I did keep my hood on for most of it but the wind blew it off a few times. The Goretex gloves were warm enough with a thin layer glove beneath them.
Drawing near to the finish, I could see I was inching towards 1:37 (it was maybe 1:35 when I could see it). I decided that I must break 1:37 if at all possible. The race wasn’t as fast as I was hoping but it was as fast as I could run in these challenging conditions. And so I sped up slightly to make sure that happened. And it did. By a few seconds. Officially, my time was 1:36:57 (9:42 pace although my watch said 9:28/mile because I ran a little extra). Overall, I was in the middle, 123rd place out of 186 finishers. 78th among 96 men. And 15th of 19 in my age group (50-59). Most importantly, I finished. A lot of my training was on the treadmill (due to winter/cold/air quality issues). And that makes running/racing outside a little tougher (more uncomfortable on days like this).
It was a good experience. I’m happy to see these races combined like this and it’s a good running course.
I’ll write up my review on BibRave too so watch for that. Here’s the link to the BibRave website if you need it: BibRave.com.
On less sunny days like the day of this race, sometimes it’s tougher to be visible and be seen for safety reasons. That’s why I rely upon Brilliant Reflective to enhance my visibility as I run, walk, and move about the roads and trails. You can see it in the photos for this blogpost upon the running vest and on my jacket. It’s also on the Road ID bracelet that I wore during the race. Want to learn more about Brilliant Reflective and how it can help you? Check out their website here: BrilliantReflective.com and feel free to ask me if you have any questions about how I use it.
Thanks for listening.
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