Fall racing continues and it’s finally time for my 3rd race of the season – the Perfect 10 Miler!
The Perfect 10 Miler is the largest all women’s 10-mile race in the country, and I’m honored to have been able to be an ambassador this year. It seems that the 10-mile distance has grown to be one of my favorites – this will be my 7th 10-mile race and my 4th 10 miler just in this year alone. 2016 has been a busy year of races and I’m so grateful!
Since I’m keeping extremely busy training for the Philadelphia Marathon on November 10, I’ll be using this race as a training run, but as always, I have some goals! Keep reading to check them out!
I’m linking up with Susie, Debbie, Lora, and Rachel for the Running Coaches Corner and Angela and Ilka for Sunday Fitness and Food linkups! Check out their sites to find new workouts to try and lots of great running tips!
Goals for the Perfect 10 Miler
Because I’ve been so busy marathon training, I haven’t been running many races in the fall…so the Perfect 10 Miler will be my last race until “the big one”, which is just a little over a month away. After having 17-mile and 18-mile training runs the past couple of weekends, running 10 miles almost seems like a breeze, haha! Still, I want to end the race with a smile and not a grimace. I’m a bit of a head case…so I need to focus on my goals for this race so that I keep things in control!
Logistics
The race Expo takes place on Saturday, so I’ll have to head to New Jersey to pick up my race packet. They will also have a lot of interactive activities and clinics taking place, but I probably won’t spend much time there since I have a few other errands to handle on Saturday.
The race is on Sunday at 8:00 am so we’ll have to drive a little bit early to get there and find parking. I’m not familiar with the area so I may give myself extra time in case I get lost!
Racing Strategy
I’ve been training for the Philly Marathon with Coach Kristy this season and the plan has worked great so far. When I ran the Rock ‘N Roll Half Marathon last month as a way to test my progress, I got a little bit too obsessed with the possibility of PR’ing and ended up sabotaging my own race, so I really don’t want to make that mistake again for the Perfect 10 Miler. So here’s what I plan to do for this race:
- Don’t start out too fast – this was a big problem at RNR Philly, even though I didn’t feel like I was going that fast…
- Enjoy the scenery – I’m hoping for some gorgeous fall foliage! Honestly, it’s the kind of distraction I enjoy during a race!
- Finish strong – I would love it if I could feel really strong the last 3 miles, instead of the last 0.3 miles LOL!
I don’t want to focus on my pace AT ALL. Running “by feel” will hopefully show where my comfort zone is and will be good to know for the upcoming marathon!
Fueling and Hydration
While Monday through Wednesday were extremely warm days – I’m talking mid-80’s – proper fall weather will be back just in time for the Perfect 10 Miler on Sunday. If you have followed my training regularly, you know that I HATE running in the heat and tend to not race well in such conditions, so this is a huge relief! It’ll be a little bit chilly at the start at 8 am, but I warm up quickly! No extra layers necessary!
For fuel, I’ll continue using Honey Stinger energy chews every 3 miles and will use my Orange Mud Hydraquiver to hydrate. Sometimes I have issues with my hair getting caught by the velcro straps on my pack or the tip of my water bottle during a run, so I’ll be extra careful to avoid any mishaps!
Looks like perfect running weather to me!I’m really looking forward to having a race for once where I’m not worried about the outcome. We will just have to see how it goes!
Are you racing this weekend? Do you enjoy racing in fall weather or do you prefer the heat?
Good luck! I always get behind a crowd in the corrals so I don’t go out too fast. That’s always been my problem, but if I’m behind people, they keep my speed in check.
Thanks, Lesley! That’s a good point…if I’m more in the middle of a corral, that should definitely help me slow down!
Your goals for the race sound great! Good Luck and have a lot of fun!
Thanks a lot, Kimberly! 🙂
Go get it Janelle! i am sure you will have a great race. Running off feel is the perfect plan after all the miles you’ve been logging 😉 I hate racing in heat too, i am glad the heat is departing for the weekend for ya!
Thanks a lot, Karen! Yes….I can’t wait for that cooler weather, it’ll feel heavenly! I had a 6 miler on Tuesady and it was 80+ degrees…just miserable!
I love the reminder to enjoy the scenery! It really is as much about the process as the result, but it can be easy to forget that. Thanks for the great tips!
Jennifer
Simple | Pure | Whole Wellness
http://www.JenniferWeinbergMD.com/blog
I love enjoying the sights around me on a run, so I just want to be in the moment and not worry about my pace in a race for once! It’ll be refreshing!
Love this idea of “running by feel” that you write about. It sounds like a great way to stay attuned to what’s going on in your body to achieve the rest of your goals. Good luck this weekend + have fun!
Thanks a lot, Elysha! Listening to the body is key. I just want to see how it goes and enjoy what’s going on around me instead of chasing a certain time.
You seem to be in such a great place with your running right now! I know you are going to rock this race
Thanks a lot, Deborah! 🙂 Fingers crossed!
Good luck, Janelle, and enjoy!
I always enjoy stopping by your blog, by the way – one of my favourites!
Thank you Karien…and I really appreciate your kind words! 🙂
Honestly, I can handle both kinds of weather. I guess I prefer the cooler weather a tiny bit more, but the humidity (typically) is not a deal breaker for me. That said, my half marathon on Sunday was very humid, but I managed to stay on pace and finish strong…it certainly helps running/training in this crazy Iowa weather year-round! I love the 10-mile distance! It’s like an easy half marathon with a quick ending LOL Good luck!!!
I wish I could handle the heat like you do! No matter how hard I try it just drags me down! I must admit I do like 10 milers because they’re quicker than half marathons Haha! Thanks, Kimberly! 🙂
Great race plan! Now go and execute! And yes, that includes the Have fun aspect!
Thanks, Susie! Having fun is a huge priority!
The weather looks like it will be gorgeous! Have a great race Janelle!
Thanks a lot, Lauren!
Two thumbs up for the return of fall weather. It was hot here too the past few days. I almost considered turning the AC on, we just couldn’t get the house to cool off!
Good luck on your race! Finishing strong is one of the best feelings. 🙂
Thanks a lot, Jessie! It was still a little warm today but I think the switchover starts tomorrow, back to fall!
Good luck at your race this weekend! Running by feel can be challenging, but so beneficial. I’m racing my first 10 miler this weekend and I’m excited. I’ve never raced this distance before 🙂
Thanks, Alaina. I hope you had a great race! I really like the 10-mile distance 🙂
I love your goal of enjoying the fall foliage!! It’s my favorite festival… I am sure the beauty of fall will motivate you and your race will go awesome! Good luck girl! You got this!
Thanks so much, Madhuri! Hoping for some good vibes on Sunday 🙂
Good luck this weekend! Sounds like you’ve got some smart goals! One thing I’ve heard that resonates with what you’re saying is the idea of gauging effort based on green-yellow-red, and setting goals for miles based on that. For example, 5 green (easy) miles, 3 yellow miles, 2 red (hard) miles. Having a plan for your hydration and nutrition strategy is also a smart key!
I can’t wait to hear more about how this goes for you!
Thanks, Lauren! I really like the green, yellow, red concept…I’ll have to keep it in mind. Hopefully I’ll have a happy recap in a few days!
Good luck and have fun. I think this sounds like the perfect trial run for things before the big day – getting the pieces together but no pressure! 🙂
Thanks, Courtney! And I just got my UCAN bars in the mail so I can go back to using that as pre-long run fuel. Practice makes perfect!
Ok, if I could run nothing but 10 mile races, I’d be thrilled! Good luck! You’ve got a great race plan.
Thanks, Wendy! Hopefully I’ll get my recap up soon! 🙂
Good luck this weekend! I love a 10 mile race, but haven’t found on in Nashville. I’m definitely WAY better in cooler weather. The heat just doesn’t agree with me when I’m active.
Thanks a lot, Lindsay! The heat kills me every time, lol…thankfully the weather was perfect for yesterday’s race!
I definitely prefer racing in cooler weather vs the heat! I love the idea of a women only 10 miler. I had a 10 mile race last month but don’t have any other races planned for the fall. I’m getting back into running after really slacking off over the summer. Training for some spring marathons now.
Good luck with your 10 miler!
Thanks a lot, Wendy! It was great to run such a large race with so many women, it was nice to see! Gosh, I can’t believe it’s time for spring marathon training to begin…what races are you looking at?
Illinois Marathon, Bayshore in Traverse City, 5/3 Riverbank Run in Grand Rapids, Charlevoix Marathon in Michigan
I love that you are so goal oriented Janelle. I’ve never done a 10mile race, but I think it could quickly become my favorite distance!
I’ll be back in New Orleans to run a half this Saturday and the weather is going to be quite warm. At least I didn’t expect anything else.
Thanks, Tricia. It’s funny to me that I’ve done so many 10 milers this year…I guess I like the distance more than I realized! I hope you have a great race in New Orleans!
It sounds like you have a solid race strategy going into race day. I definitely prefer fall weather. For some reason, I can’t handle heat or humidity. Maybe it was my upbringing in the northeast!
Thanks, Lisa! Yes, bring on the fall weather! I’m one of those crazies who look forward to winter running…but I’m not ready to go that far just yet!