Hello and Happy (almost) Thanksgiving! The kids are home from school all week so we are very much in holiday mode around our house. Before I completely forget I thought I would write up a very brief recap from the two races I ran since the marathon. I hesitate to even write about them since they were during my marathon recovery phase but that’s how it goes sometimes!
The Race: The Breakaway 10k
The Date: Saturday, November 14, 2015
Location: Searcy, AR
Time: 9:00 AM
The Breakaway 10k is the third and final race in our town’s fall racing series. First, was the mile race in August and last month was the 5k. This racing series is affiliated with my kids school and they were also running in it. Obviously, whenever you race this quickly after a marathon it’s important to adjust expectations. I learned this the hard way last year when I ran a 5k 6 days after the Poconos Marathon. (Basically, I positive split every mile and the finish line could not come soon enough!) I did not want a repeat of that experience so I decided from the get-go that this was going to be run at a hard effort but manageable pace. Fortunately, the Breakaway 10k is a very flat course and the weather that morning was ideal in the low 50’s. It’s a very pretty course through the Harding campus and I was also able to see John and the kids. My sister who lives in Little Rock was also racing so John was watching her little ones as well.
This guy had the hardest job of all!
I kept it very manageable and decided to pick it up towards the end when I realized I still had plenty left in the tank. Splits: 6:38, 6:53, 6:47, 6:35, 6:36, 6:23, last part at 5:40 pace.
Official Time- 40:10 (1st female) Results can be found here. *I will note that the course measured short so I think my time would have been 41:something. Not going to complain about a short course one week after a marathon! 
Then I ran back to find my daughter and son. So proud of them!! There were quite a few kids running this race since it is the third in the series. My mother-in-law also walked it with one of her good friends. They did great! Then we enjoyed watching all the little ones in the kids dash.
My mother-in law (on right) and her friend
Love my sister!
Proud of these two!
Two good friends and teammates!
He was so proud of his Kids Dash ribbon!
Anna working her way around in the Kids Dash
Abi won this cup as an AG award
First time to win the Searcy Legacy Cup!
The Race: The Spa City 10k
The Date: Saturday, November 21, 2015
Location: Hot Springs, AR
Time: 8:00 AM
The Spa City 10k is the second to last race on the Arkansas Grand Prix. I ran this last year so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. The course is challenging but has a great finish that makes the middle miles well worth it. Once again I was going into this without any clear pace goal. Breaking 40 would be nice but I wasn’t sure what to expect with weather, course, and two weeks out from a marathon. Abi and I drove to Hot Springs with two other Searcy Rush team members Friday night. We picked up our race packets at the Arlington Hotel in downtown Hot Springs and then we ate dinner at the Bleu Monkey.
Then we checked into our hotel and tried to get some sleep. I’m pretty sure Abi slept the best out of all of us!
Laying out our gear for the morning!
Let’s go!
Saturday morning was cold, windy, and rainy. I had packed for all types of weather but I forgot my visor which would have been very useful. When we got to the convention center I tried to find my friend Cindy so that Abi could hang out with her and her kids while we warmed up but we couldn’t find her. This is a big race which has a half marathon, 5k, and 10k so there were hundreds of runners everywhere. I ended up running back and forth in a hallway of the convention center for 10 minutes so I could stick close to Abi. She’s 11 and fine with running on her own in a race but didn’t want to be by herself before the start and I didn’t want to leave her. It ended up working out fine. Once we made it to the starting area she spotted two of her friends who were running in the 5k so she felt good starting with them. The 5k and 10k start together but quickly split up. Miles 1 & 2 were pretty rough in terms of the weather. It was almost comical and reminded me of the Little Rock Half Marathon in 2014. There was such a strong headwind and the rain was just pouring. All could think about was Abi running in it too and I hoped that it would get better. After about two miles the rain stopped and as we headed up the summit of Hot Springs National Park I didn’t even notice the wind. I was more focused on my quads which were burning from the climb! Just get to the top…
Spa City 10k elevation chart
There are two big climbs and once I almost reached the top I looked down and noticed my right shoelace was untied. I was almost to the mile 4 marker and for a couple seconds I debated whether or not I should even stop. I knew the big downhill was coming and I really didn’t want to slip or trip over myself so I decided to take the time to stop and tie my shoe. I’ve only ever had to do this one other time in a race and it’s pretty annoying. I guess the rain got them loose? Not sure how much time I wasted but it had to be done. The best part of this race are the last two miles. They are downhill and/ or flat. I was feeling great on the last mile and ended up running my fastest last mile of a 10k ever. (Probably because my earlier miles were closer to marathon pace!)
Splits: 6:21, 6:38, 6:55, 6:44, 6:19, 6:02, 1:24 for last .25 (5:42 avg.)
Official Finish Time: 40:24 (2nd female OA). Official results can be found here.
After I caught my breath and grabbed some water I started to head back to find Abi. I know I say this every time but finishing with my kids is always the best part.
My teammates did great and our ladies team was able to pull in another Grand Prix win!
The whole gang!
There is only one more Grand Prix race left on the schedule for the year and it is the CASA Half Marathon– December 12th. This race happens to be my favorite half marathon of all and I will be chasing my PR time there. No excuses!
Looking forward to some extra time with family this week. I think I’m doing a fun run Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving with two of my sisters and my dad. Anyone else Turkey Trotting later this week??