Twin Cites 10 Mile Race Goals

At the start of the summer, a month before we even entered the lottery for the Twin Cities 10 miler, I had started to do some fiddling around with race calculators and predictors for a goal time. I wrote down a time for where I currently thought I was for 10 miles and 13.1, as well as where I'd like to be in the fall for both of those distances. I stuck the sticky note to the inside of my locker at work, and forgot about it.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when I again started to analyze my training to determine what seemed feasible slash terrifying for upcoming goal races. I put my 3k-5k speed work paces into some calculators, and compared some of the training paces, and whaddaya know, but it spit out some of those same darn paces I had written down way back in June.

In the last couple of weeks, I've written down a half dozen race plans mile to mile, planning from a slower to faster finish, one focusing on the hill variances through, and others using my 2010 paces as a guide. EVERY MOCK UP I create has me finishing in this same goal time.

I'm starting to get creeped out. And also scared, because the pace is a whole lot faster than my brain thinks I can run ten miles in.

A goal: 1:27s. 8:47 pace would get me just sub 1:28, and a 1:27-1:28 is what all of my calculations keep spitting out. This is definitely a perfect running day mentally, physically, and also a little assistance from the cold weather gods.

B goal: 1:28s. I think this goal is a pretty strong contender. Based on my previous time at this race in 2010, I ran almost .1 long on the course, and I'm sure I'll do that again, since it's a really large race, and sometimes I get impatient and have to take the long way around hoards of people. I know it's only 6 seconds/mile, but an 8:53 for ten miles seems so much more manageable.

C goal: Sub 1:30. I haven't ran a sub 9 minute pace half marathon in a million years, and knocking it out for ten miles would really give me some great confidence in continuing that trend for my half in November.

Regardless of race time, I am beyond thrilled with this training cycle. Toni and I worked incredibly hard for a ten mile race (seriously, sometimes I lol at how challenging our training cycle was FOR A TEN MILE RACE), we put in a ton of miles, woke up at crazy times in the morning to get those miles, did doubles when our personal schedule required it, and I am 100% over the moon in love with running again. I honestly didn't know if I'd ever get back to this point with running and I'm so thankful to be there, and healthy to boot!

I can't wait to turn around and cheer for all of my SFWR sole sisters who are running the Twin Cities Marathon (many of them their first, others shooting for BQs!). They inspire me daily and I can't wait to see them run their victory lap down the finishing stretch. And I know it's jumping the gun a little (a lot) but I'm excited for it to be our turn in 2018!