To race or not to race?

Next weekend, I've got the Running from Gluten 10k. I'm actually pretty excited because it's sponsored by the Celiac Guild and benefits the Seattle Children's Celiac Program. All the goodies at the finish line are gluten free! I've run many charity races, but none that ever impacted me so personally.

Anyway, I signed up for this 10k with the expectation to run it as a training run. With the Snoqualmie Valley 10k coming up in late June, I figured having a little extra incentive to ensure I actually worked up to 6 miles in training wouldn't hurt.

That said, I've been really enjoying this training cycle. My gym workouts are paying off, volleyball is keeping me spry, and I've tackled a good number of long runs on my own with excellent results. And now I'm thinking...well, maybe this 10k "training run" could be an opportunity to race.

Last weekend I ran my first 6-miler of this training cycle. I opted to run on the Burke Gilman to get some hills in, because why not really torture myself? I was amazed at how good it felt. I kept a fairly steady pace, walked twice (more because I had planned to than because I needed to), and finished in under an hour. And that got me thinking, maybe I can aim for a sub-10 pace on race day. 

And if I'm going to aim for a sub-10 pace, I may as well set a goal. 

And if I'm going to set a goal, I may as well treat this race like a race, and not a long run.

To be honest, a lot will depend on the weather. The race starts at 10am, so it may be sunny and hot, in which case I'm going to pretend I never published this post. The park isn't particularly shady but may at least offer a breeze off the water.

Besides the weather, the course is kind of weird. It's four 1.5-mile loops around Magnuson Park; part of me thinks this could work in my favor, because breaking the race into 1.5-mile sections might feel more doable mentally, but I also wonder if the repetition will wear on me.

The course is also open, so who knows how many random pedestrians I'll have to dodge around? There may be dogs. And strollers!

There's a lot of unknowns! The 10k is my least favorite distance, but I actually feel I'm at my most capable right now, and I'm not dreading it as much as I expected I would. In fact, I'm kind of excited.

I'm telling you, 6 miles has never felt as easy and joyful as it did last weekend! 

My plan next week is to do a minimal taper: run Monday, do a full-body day at the gym Tuesday (followed by volleyball), run short and easy Wednesday, and do upper-body Thursday. That will give my legs Thursday and Friday to recover before race day.

And then...well, I guess I'll see how I feel! You can expect that whatever the outcome, I'll keep you posted.

Ali