This was a down week in training and it also was leading up to a local 10k, The MB 10K, that I raced on Saturday. The week was a lot lower in mileage and intensity. I even got a massage at the start of week. My body has not been feeling great. I was hopeful this down week would help me to race well and start feeling better.

The race did not go as well as I hoped. It was by no means bad, but I was hoping to run a low 36-minute 10K and instead ran a 37:53 (6:03 average pace). My first couple miles were good- 5:48 and 5:54, but then pace dropped off a lot. My body simply could not hold it. I physically and mentally felt pretty weak. I kept trying to surge and keep up with the other couple women alongside me, but with each surge, I would again fall off. It was a little discouraging, but I need to keep reminding myself I am still in the hard part of marathon training and it’s okay that I don’t feel amazing yet- that will come.

Mileage: 37 miles spread across 5 days

Cross-Training: Same as previous weeks

Workout: 6 x .5 mile with equal recovery. I went into this workout thinking it would be “easy,” but I was surprised that I really struggled to hit the paces. They were all supposed to be around 5:30 pace so a 2:45 split. Instead I hit: 2:55, 2:56, 2:52, 2:49, 2:50, 2:53. I even extended the recovery on the last 2 and I still was off on pace. I guess in some ways this workout was an indicator that I would also struggle holding the 5:50 pace I was hoping to hit for 10K. These types of off/harder than expected workouts happen. It’s part of the process.

Long Run: No real long run this week! Saturday was the race so I only hit 10 miles.

Major takeaway from my 10K:

1. I want to enjoy racing more. Almost every mile did not feel “good” and I mentally struggled. I was really inspired by this woman who passed me in the last mile. She was so positive and encouraging and I could tell she enjoyed the race so much more than I did. I want to remember this going into NYC. Yes, I want to be competitive. Yes, I have big goals. But ultimately I want to soak up every mile and enjoy it to the very fullest. And I want to be sure to see my family on the course and really appreciate those moments.
2. I need to mentally get tougher and not give up so quickly when paces are not being hit and I am getting passed.
3. This was not the goal race and training was not tailored to a 10K. I need to stay positive and hopeful that amazing things can still happen on the course at NYC in less than a month!!
4. I have the BEST support system. It was so special to have so much of our family out to cheer and support.

I tested out the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 for the first time in the race. I liked them! They felt a little different than previous super shoes I’ve worn, but overall they felt good.