Calhouns 10 miler -- Race Report

I know everyone loves a good race report, so here is mine from the Calhouns 10 miler ran on Jan 26, 2008. This is an annual event in Knoxville, and this was the 14th running. I didn't really figure it out until afterwards that this race brings all of the best runners in the area out, this really was an excellent field of runners.


The weather was just about right for running a long distance. Temp was in the mid to upper 30's and it was cloudy. By the time the race was over my body temp was just about right, I wasn't hot or cold really at any point during the race.

I'll preface my race experience by saying that I had food poisoning Monday-Thursday last week, with the race being on Saturday. I know this was totally out of my control, but it still ticked me off and really threw my body out of it's normal routine, along with losing some weight. I really didn't know what to expect going into this race, and even the morning of the race I was questioning whether or not I should even run in this race. I did have a good Friday in which I was back to my normal eating pattern, and I did try to over carb and over hydrate in preparation for Saturday. I really think that's what got me through this race.


This was the front of the pack--I wasn't anywhere near these guys at any point throughout the race. I think the winner finished in the neighborhood of 52 minutes and there were plenty of runners finishing under 60 minutes. For perspective, when I was crossing the 4 mile marker, the leaders were heading past the 6 mile marker (It was an out and back style course). I still can't get over the speed of some of these guys--52 minutes? 10 miles? Really?

My race was actually a very good one, given the circumstances. Prior to food poisoning, I was really aiming for about 80 minutes to finish the 10 mile course. After the food poisoning, I was realistically allowing 90 minutes to be my goal on Saturday. Even when the race started, I was thinking 90 minutes was about where I was going to finish.

So the race starts, and I am near the back. I did this on purpose so I'd start slow and see what my body does as I make it through the course. I feel good for about a mile then I start feeling a little winded. My brain was really playing tricks on me for the first 5 miles of the race. I kept telling myself I shouldn't be out here, I should be at home recovering....this is only going to make me sick.....I'm going to pass out if I run too hard.....and thoughts like these run through my head for the first 5 miles. I never wear a watch when I run, and this race was sorta out in the middle of nowhere so there weren't clocks at the mile markers or anything like that. So on top of my brain telling me to quit, I have no idea how fast/slow I am running. Which I think turns out to be a good thing this day, because what felt to me as 'slow' turns out to be about an 8:15-8:30 mile! I figured this out at the halfway point (I finally broke down and asked someone with a watch what time they had), so I really picked up the pace and my 'race' started at mile 5.

At the 5 mile marker I upped my pace to what had to be 7:15-7:20/mile and I started looking ahead and telling myself I am going to catch 'person x' by the next mile marker. I set my sights on 5 people for mile 6 and I caught them all! I did the same thing with 4 people by mile 7 and I caught them too! I caught and passed 9 people between miles 5 and 7 and I am feeling good. One guy got kinda pissed I passed him and he sped up and passed me back, but then he fell back and stayed behind me the rest of the race. He should've known who he was messing with.



I am in the blue fleece and blue hat on the far left in this picture (all photo credits go to the Knoxville Track Club, btw).

Miles 7-10 were equally as fast as miles 5-7, and I really finished strong. Not a single person passed me after the halfway point and I ended up passing probably 15 people during the last half of the race. I still love that feeling of finishing strong and just blowing by people, there is just something about it. What was my time, you ask? 1:20:21! I am really pleased with my race from Saturday. That's about the time I would have expected had I been totally healthy. Maybe that says that I am holding back speed and just need to go all out during these races? I never know when to push/hold back during a run. That's definitely something I struggle with.

So, these next few weeks should be normal running, and I have a scheduled half marathon for Feb 16. I may try to push it a little more during that one and get down into the 1:40 neighborhood. There is something in the back of my head telling me I can do that. I'm just afraid to listen.