Yup, I’m running a 10-mile race today! I was going to mention it on Friday but I hadn’t registered yet so I figured I would wait until I was 100% sure before saying anything.
I’m running the Long Beach City Manager’s Race To Remember 10 Mile Race in Long Beach for the third time! Here are my previous race recaps:
I like this 10-mile race for a few reasons:
- The race is in Long Beach which makes it a nice way to get the summer season started
- I’m extremely familiar with the race course
- Registration fee is very reasonable
- It’s a good race distance — not terribly long, not too short
- Easy access, easy parking
There is however one big challenge that I always keep in mind when it comes to this race:
It’s a HOT, NO SHADE race course, especially the portion on the boardwalk.
Each of my recaps for this race makes mention of the heat. While lately, I do feel as though I am adjusting to warm weather running better than in the past, today will be hotter than it’s been, which is combined with the fact that I haven’t run a race longer than a 10K since the last time I ran this race in 2017.
I’ve been feeling a bit more like a version of my former higher mileage self so this race suddenly became of interest to me again. However, I decided that if I was going to run this race, it would be at a more leisurely pace with zero pressure for beating a previous race time.
In some ways, going into this race completely relaxed and only there to enjoy the scenery, summery air, and distance, is more challenging mentally than going out there to run my best time.
When you are in a race atmosphere, it’s hard not to pick up your pace! But if I am going to enjoy this race and not get annoyed by the heat, I must go into it as a leisurely run. At least for the first half of the race.
I plan to force myself to start further back at the start line to avoid going out too fast, with a pace goal in the high 8’s for the first half of the race. I want to get through the boardwalk portion (which is like mile 2 – 4) without wanting to die right after we exit. Then maybe, depending upon how I feel after the 5-mile mark, pick things up.
I may surprise myself.
Taper Notes:
I didn’t taper. Well, not exactly. I ran 3 days during the week which is normal for me but I ran easy knowing I was probably going to sign up for this race.
To avoid any chance for soreness, I kept Pure Barre to a minimum and haven’t done a workout since Wednesday.
Food:
I didn’t really do anything different over the last few days. Just a conscious effort to drink enough water, extra hydrating fruits (like watermelon, pineapple, and cantaloupe), and pizza for dinner last night. I don’t eat a ton of vegetables these days so I wasn’t overly concerned. Salads are fine. I do have a strong stomach too so what I eat isn’t a huge issue.
I hope to get the race recap up on Tuesday – enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Monday – 6 Miles
I planned on running 5 miles but added an extra mile as a cool down since I had the time. Also, I took a phone call in the middle of this run which is clear by my pace change for about 2 miles.
Tuesday – 30 Min Run/20 Min Pure Barre
Somehow I missed the windy portion of the weather forecast. It was so sunny and beautiful outside, aside from the wind. I cut my run to 30 minutes because the wind was blowing leaves, flower petals, and debris so fiercely that I was afraid for my eyes!
I came home and combined two, 10 minute Pure Barre workouts. One for arms, one for the seat (both workouts honestly work the whole body though).
Wednesday – 40 Min Pure Barre
Thursday – 35 Min Elliptical
Rainy morning = Inside the gym
Friday – 5 Miles
I knew 5 miles was a little high with a race planned for Sunday BUT I also knew that I wasn’t exactly racing Sunday and that I was in the mood to run today. Easy miles wouldn’t hurt me.
Saturday – Morning Walk
I didn’t track the time or distance, maybe I was outside right under an hour?
Sunday – 10 Mile Race
[bctt tweet=”Running a 10-mile race today! Details on the blog along with the week in workouts #running #10milerace #longbeach #longbeachny #run #purebarre #workouts” username=”cookiechrunicle”]
What is your favorite race distance?
Are you running a race this weekend?
How do you feel about running in warmer weather? Do you need time to adjust?
The Cookie ChRUNicles 
Good luck on your race! I ran a 10 miler a few weeks ago and every step was awesome, so for right now the 10 miles is my favorite race distance. I had my first hot weather run last weekend…for my first half marathon…whomp whomp. It was still an awesome experience, but the temp swing from high 40’s earlier in the week to low 80’s on race day did not go well. I’m hoping to figure out how to handle running in the heat this summer.
I hope the race went swimmingly, without being too hot.