Frontier Days 10K, 7.6.2009

Move over, North Shore Half! I may have just found a better race. So many positives about this one. I'll just make a list :)

1. It was in town, downtown Arlington Heights. I parked in the parking garage near the Metra station and walked about a half mile to the start line.
2. Packet pickup was so easy, at our local running store. (Plus they didn't give you junk in your packet- it was a simple manila envelope with your tshirt, race number, and a brochure for a race in Palatine.)
3. The tech t-shirts, complete with women's sizes (!!!), are one of the best I've gotten so far this year. Plus they're not white!!
4. The course was well-managed and we didn't have to dodge cars.
5. The finish line refreshments were far and away the best EVER! (They even trump the Wacker Drive 5K in 2002 where the post-race party was in the Renaissance Hotel ballroom.) They had water, Gatorade, walnuts, grapes, watermelon, oranges, apples, bananas, chocolate chip cookies, granola bars, Jamba Juice and tons more. It was awesome.

Now onto the race :)

Mile 1: I start off well. Good, easy training pace, maybe a little too fast for my goals. I am passing a good number of walkers though, which is annoying. But I'm sure the crowd will definitely thin out when the 5K and 10K split. But that's over a mile away. Ugh. I have never really been through this part of town before, even though I have lived in Arlington Heights for almost 2 years. Nice residential homes, and there are a lot of people outside cheering for us. I heart fans :)

Wow, mile 1 is already here! Good pace, but too fast for my goal of 10:00 per mile no faster. Oh well, time to slow down a bit heading into mile 2.

Mile 2: I'm glad I wore a short-sleeved shirt, even though it was a little chilly first thing this morning. I'm also glad that I wore a hat. It's starting to get steamy out here- not dreadfully hot, but kinda humid and sticky.

I'm still maintaining a good pace and keeping up with everyone else. We are now passing Prospect High School. I never remember where this place is. But when I was a sophomore in high school, I went to a Boys track meet there. I remember that it was rainy and cold, even though it was mid-May. We pass an aid station, and I am grateful for the ice-cold Gatorade. Mile 2 is just ahead, and I'm well under my goal pace. Need to slow down a bit...

Mile 3: ...which, I might add, is pretty impossible to do when the 5K runners are racing with you. They are nearly done with the race and are starting to speed up. So, in turn, I am speeding up to keep up with everyone else. I have been having a hard time with pace as of late. It's something that does not come naturally to me, and clearly needs to be worked on more in training.

Time for the split. 5K runners go left, towards the cheering fans and the finish line. Us crazy 10K runners go straight and have half the race left. Wow, there were a TON of people in the 5K. I feel like I'm running practically alone.

We're approaching the 3 mile mark, and I can see runners about 2 blocks ahead of us, near mile 4. Just a little zig zag away from the home stretch!

Mile 4: Lalala. I'm kind of getting bored right now. My playlist is boring. I now realized that I selected the wrong one this morning and am just noticing now. Way to go. I get some Gatorade at the aid station and walk for a minute. I'm still just under my goal pace, so I've earned a little walk time. Plus, after the race I'm leaving for Las Vegas. No need to expend all of my energy right this second!

We are on the north end of the zig zag now. I glance to my left and still see people on the course. Some wagglers, no doubt. Good for them. A 10K is not the easiest race to do.

Mile 5: Roads, houses, fans. Roads, houses, fans. Roads, houses, chute?! That's right, we're approaching a school, and the volunteer tells us to go single-file through the chute and onto the dirt path. Not bad. Gives my legs a little bit of a break. There's a little boy in front of me running the race with his dog. The question is, who's running with whom? It looks like the dog might be in command...

Through the dirt path and back to the roads. My pace is still just under the 10:00 per mile mark. Aw, screw it. I'll keep up my pace and finish strong. It IS a race, after all.

Mile 6: Yay, water station. I am so thirsty at this point. And sweaty. I'm sure my face is as red as a tomato. This has to be, without a doubt, the best aid station on the course. There is a lady standing in the middle of the street handing out cups and screaming her lungs out for the runners. You'd think this was the Chicago Marathon or something. Just when I started to get tired. This was exactly the kind of pick-me-up I needed.

Time for a goofy turnaround. As we are running, we can see runners alongside us that are THIS much closer to the finish line. I hate turnarounds like this. Reminds me too much of the Wisconsin Marathon.

Almost to the finish line. The girl in front of me is wearing an awesome tech t-shirt from the Rockford Marathon. It's red, NOT white. Hmm... I will have to investigate that race further. But there's probably hills. The western part of the state is pretty hilly. Nevermind, after Little Rock I'm totally not scared of hills.

Mile 6.2: I'm running alongside a middle-age woman and an old man. Who will I beat on my final kick??? I'm sprinting, but not totally all-out. I'll admit, I held back a little bit. Gotta have a little bit of energy for my vacation :)

I finish the race in 56:39, right on the heels of the old man and yards ahead of the woman. I feel great, energized, relaxed, ready to start my vacation. Now, someone point me in the direction of that watermelon...