I decided I wanted to get faster in shorter distances this spring and summer after winning the 3 Bridges Marathon in Little Rock, Arkansas in December. I usually take a whole week off from running after a marathon but since the marathon was so close to my birthday I only took five days off because I had to run on my birthday. Since then I've been gradually building my mileage base back up. In February, my coach Philip Latter, of the Running Syndicate, started giving me speed, hill, and strength intervals and tempos more geared towards the 10K and shorter distances. I've been enjoying hitting the track again and realized I missed doing repeats on a track. I'm not constantly looking at my Garmin for pace and mileage on a track as I know the splits I need to hit per 200, 400, etc based on the goal of the workout. In marathon training I was doing most of my workouts on the greenways or bridal trails in Umstead State Park which simulate the marathon better because I rarely race on a track anymore. I'm a big believer in doing your hard workouts on surfaces you race on and replicating the course profile as best you can. You can't beat a track for quality speedwork though.
The Florence Forth 10K in Durham, NC was my first race of 2017. I hadn't done the race before but heard good things about it from friends who had done it in the past. The race is usually the NC USATF 10K Road Championship as well so it draws a fast field. Florence Forth was started by Leslie and Will McDow who lost their daughter Florence on March 4th, 2012 after a long battle with autoimmune encephalitis. Proceeds from Florence Forth allow the AE Alliance to raise awareness, educate doctors and improve clinical care so that no one faces autoimmune encephalitis alone.
The Florence Forth 10K in Durham, NC was my first race of 2017. I hadn't done the race before but heard good things about it from friends who had done it in the past. The race is usually the NC USATF 10K Road Championship as well so it draws a fast field. Florence Forth was started by Leslie and Will McDow who lost their daughter Florence on March 4th, 2012 after a long battle with autoimmune encephalitis. Proceeds from Florence Forth allow the AE Alliance to raise awareness, educate doctors and improve clinical care so that no one faces autoimmune encephalitis alone.
Zack and Me before the start. Photo by Tim Meigs Both races, the 5K and 10K, were great loop courses that went around the Duke University East Campus. The 10K course had some rolling hills and the elevation profile and elevation gain on mapmyrun is not accurate compared to my Garmin and actually running the course. The hills were tougher than the gradual little inclines suggested on mapmyrun.com.
I arrived at the race around 7am, an hour before the 8am start. I ate a GU Energy Stroopwafel before doing my dynamic warm-up. After that I met my friend Zack and we headed off for an easy 1.5 miles warm-up run to get loose. Zack was coming off taking 2nd place overall at the Colonial Half Marathon in Williamsburg, VA in 1:10:08 just six days before. About 30 minutes before the start, I drank a scoop and a half of Generation UCAN. UCAN has been working for me for over a year now and I highly recommend it to anyone who has had trouble figuring out nutrition in the past. It's a steady, slow burning carbohydrate that doesn't spike and crash like gels and other sugar based products and it doesn't cause stomach distress.
I arrived at the race around 7am, an hour before the 8am start. I ate a GU Energy Stroopwafel before doing my dynamic warm-up. After that I met my friend Zack and we headed off for an easy 1.5 miles warm-up run to get loose. Zack was coming off taking 2nd place overall at the Colonial Half Marathon in Williamsburg, VA in 1:10:08 just six days before. About 30 minutes before the start, I drank a scoop and a half of Generation UCAN. UCAN has been working for me for over a year now and I highly recommend it to anyone who has had trouble figuring out nutrition in the past. It's a steady, slow burning carbohydrate that doesn't spike and crash like gels and other sugar based products and it doesn't cause stomach distress.
Start I had two goals for this race; first I wanted to break 37:00 and I wanted to keep my friend Amanda in my sights. Amanda was training to make her marathon debut at the Tobacco Road Marathon and was in great shape. It was cold, 28 degrees, as we lined up for the start. I like the cold but that was a little too cold for such a short race.
The race started and I went out fast chasing the lead pack and Amanda. The first half of the first mile is downhill so it's easy to go out fast. It's a gradual climb the second half of the first mile. Half a mile in I pulled even with my friend Molly and chatted with her as we ran together the rest of the first mile. I opened with a 5:49 first mile.
The race started and I went out fast chasing the lead pack and Amanda. The first half of the first mile is downhill so it's easy to go out fast. It's a gradual climb the second half of the first mile. Half a mile in I pulled even with my friend Molly and chatted with her as we ran together the rest of the first mile. I opened with a 5:49 first mile.
Around 2 miles. Photo by Tim Meigs I was feeling good and warmer now that we were racing. Mile two started with a gradual climb the first quarter then was gently rolling. I ran mile two in 5:55. I was still running with Molly but started to get ahead of her a little bit around 2.5 miles when I saw Tim Meigs taking pictures. The next two miles were rolling, nothing too steep. I was enjoying the course and kept my focus on running smooth and staying on sub 37:00 pace.
I could still see Amanda ahead of me on the long straight stretches. I wasn't sure what place I was in because it was a deep and fast field. I ran mile three in 5:52. Another uphill came around 3.75 miles that didn't stop until the four mile mark which I split in 5:57. Mile four to five was mostly downhill with a couple uphills. I ran mile five in 5:50.
I could still see Amanda ahead of me on the long straight stretches. I wasn't sure what place I was in because it was a deep and fast field. I ran mile three in 5:52. Another uphill came around 3.75 miles that didn't stop until the four mile mark which I split in 5:57. Mile four to five was mostly downhill with a couple uphills. I ran mile five in 5:50.
Around mile 6. Photo by Tim Meigs The toughest mile of the whole race was up next. Mile six was all uphill on Anderson Street and Erwin Road. It started off gradual and kept climbing as it got steeper towards the end once we crossed Main Street. I was keeping my effort the same but it was a grind of a hill. I ran mile six in 6:07, my slowest of the race.
Once we crossed Main Street it was a downhill back to the finish. I recovered from the hill and was able to increase my leg turnover the final 0.2 miles to finish in 36:42 for 21st place overall out of 389 and 3rd in my age group out of 32. It was my fastest 10K since 2012 and just one second off my PR on a completely flat course.
The winner of the race was Matthew Elliott in 31:12. The top 12 runners broke 35:00 minutes including the female winner, Sarah Rapp, in 34:40. Amanda placed 17th overall and 2nd woman in 35:59. Zack ran 33:02 for 8th place overall and 2nd in his age group. Another friend, Bart, placed 14th overall and 2nd masters in 35:13.
Once we crossed Main Street it was a downhill back to the finish. I recovered from the hill and was able to increase my leg turnover the final 0.2 miles to finish in 36:42 for 21st place overall out of 389 and 3rd in my age group out of 32. It was my fastest 10K since 2012 and just one second off my PR on a completely flat course.
The winner of the race was Matthew Elliott in 31:12. The top 12 runners broke 35:00 minutes including the female winner, Sarah Rapp, in 34:40. Amanda placed 17th overall and 2nd woman in 35:59. Zack ran 33:02 for 8th place overall and 2nd in his age group. Another friend, Bart, placed 14th overall and 2nd masters in 35:13.
Bart and Me after the race I was very happy with my race performance. It was a challenging but fair course. I tend to run better on courses with some hills than I do flats anyways. Yes mile six was tough all uphill but the rest of the course wasn't bad, just rolling hills. The weather was great if you like cold like I do but you never know what kind of weather you will get in March in North Carolina. I also wore new racing shoes in this race; the New Balance 1400v4 and they were great! It was only my second run in them, just did an easy shakeout in them the day before racing in them. I've usually raced in the Adidas Adios flat but couldn't pass up the great sale price of the NB 1400v4. The shoe has plenty of cushioning for me for a half marathon and possibly a marathon. The upper and fit of the shoe is great. Seriously, a new favorite road flat of mine.
The race was very well organized. They had mile makers at every mile, including mile 6. For some reason a lot of races don't put a 6 mile marker out for 10Ks but I appreciated it was there and it's the little things like having a 6 mile maker that make a race and course better. The only thing the race was lacking was a formal awards ceremony after the race. I was disappointed and surprised the race didn't have an awards ceremony as it was the NC USATF 10K Road Championship. Other runners I talked to were also confused why there wasn't an awards ceremony. Overall this is a great race and I can see why it's been voted Best 10K in the Triangle numerous times. I would do this race again and highly recommend it.
Race Gear:
Socks: Smartwool PhD Run Ultra Light
Shoes: New Balance 1400v4 road flats
Shorts: Adidas Men's Supernova Short Tight
Singlet: Adidas Running Syndicate
Arm Warmers: Asics Arm Warmers
Gloves: Smartwool Liner Gloves
Road ID Wrist ID Slim
Watch: Garmin 920XT
Sunglasses: Rudy Project Rydon
Beannie/Hat: Smarwool PhD Training Beanie
The race was very well organized. They had mile makers at every mile, including mile 6. For some reason a lot of races don't put a 6 mile marker out for 10Ks but I appreciated it was there and it's the little things like having a 6 mile maker that make a race and course better. The only thing the race was lacking was a formal awards ceremony after the race. I was disappointed and surprised the race didn't have an awards ceremony as it was the NC USATF 10K Road Championship. Other runners I talked to were also confused why there wasn't an awards ceremony. Overall this is a great race and I can see why it's been voted Best 10K in the Triangle numerous times. I would do this race again and highly recommend it.
Race Gear:
Socks: Smartwool PhD Run Ultra Light
Shoes: New Balance 1400v4 road flats
Shorts: Adidas Men's Supernova Short Tight
Singlet: Adidas Running Syndicate
Arm Warmers: Asics Arm Warmers
Gloves: Smartwool Liner Gloves
Road ID Wrist ID Slim
Watch: Garmin 920XT
Sunglasses: Rudy Project Rydon
Beannie/Hat: Smarwool PhD Training Beanie
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