10k time trial (9.25.22)

I set up my Garmin for a 10k race. But it was a made up race. With all the kids home all the time all summer, it was just hard to get runs in. I cut almost every run short because I just couldn't be gone long enough.  I used the Garmin Training plan initially with a date of Sept 17 but then got too busy and air quality got bad so I pushed the date of the "race" a week later.  

I ran that today. I timed it that I'd finish the 10k before I have to run up the stupid steep hill.  Then I turned around late so I decided to do a benchmark run for my next training plan right after. I was surprised how well I did on that with having already run a hard 10k. It was so hot and sunny too. 

I didn't take enough water.  I knew I wasn't taking enough but then during the run I felt like it'd be cheating to pause my timer to take the lid off my water bottle and fill it up at the water fountain so I didn't do that. I'm pretty sure my time would have been worse if I stopped since being in the groove of running at the end is what kept me going and slowing to cross the street just kept me running a bit slow after. 

NRC achievements (only been using NRC Since September 2021)

Screen shot from a few weeks ago with how confident the app was that I'd make 58 minutes. 

My goal time was 58 minutes. I did not think I'd meet that. According to NRC I hit 10k at 56:28.  My old 10k PR is 56:01 from 2011. 56:13 was my 2nd best from 2009. That one was my first 10k ever.  I've done a few 10k since having kids but none as good as today.  So today is my third best. 

It's different just doing a 10k on my own versus at an actual race. The race adrenaline just isn't there so I feel like I did pretty well. 

I don't know why I was so not confident in even hitting 58. I would hit and beat my speed runs. I just felt like I was cutting my runs all too short so I thought I'd run out of steam. I did run out and the last 2 miles were tougher. The first 3 were no problem.  My mile splits did get worse. 

I'm definitely the type of person who needs to train longer than the race. I notice lots of people don't need to. They are fine running 10 mi as the longest training run before a half. I am not. I need longer. After more than 10 years of running races, I have learned I need longer so that's always good to know. 

Next up is a training plan for a half marathon. I just need to find an actual race now. 

Strava Mile splits (Garmin sends Data to Strava)

Strava achievements

NRC mile splits

Mapmyrun mile splits

Garmin Mile Splits

I hate how you can only get 5 miles of mile splits properly onto a mapmyrun display. it's annoying. if you look on the website you still can't see it as well as any other app. I actually like how Strava looks better than Garmin for splits but it is Garmin's Data. 

According to Garmin my fastest mile and slowest mile were 44.1 seconds different. According to NRC the difference was 57 seconds! And Mapmyrun had the spread at 41 seconds. The goal is to be more consistent.  I ran an 18 mile race once with only 26 seconds of range from slowest to fastest.  (Both races not counting partial mile at the end.)   I did have a downhill in mile one in the 10k so that helped make it the fastest. 

I just realized a day later I never took my inhaler. At an actual race where adrenaline has me going faster, I would have needed it for sure. It probably would have helped anyway. Near the end of the run, smoke smell was annoying. The app said air quality was 75 when I finished the run which isn't that bad but it got a little worse. Dave went outside later and said he smelled smoke too even though air quality technically wasn't that bad.