2020 New Day New Year 10K
New
Scroll down to the end of the post for the tl;dr version.
Prologue
After running my slowest marathon ever at the 2019 New York City Marathon, I visited doctors and was treated for high blood pressure and a Vitamin D deficiency. In mid-December, I started training for the 2020 Boston Marathon and joined the Luke Humphrey Boston Marathon Virtual Training Group.
The week before the race, I vacationed in Florida but was able to stay true to my training schedule. In the days before the race, I ran long on Sunday but easy on Tuesday morning and Wednesday night.
I planned to run the Fairfax Four Miler, which had been my New Year’s Eve tradition in recent years but left work too late for the drive out to the race site. Instead, I found this race, New Day New Year 10K, on New Year’s Day.
Goals
Personal Records:
- 10K PR: 42:41 (6:51 pace) at the 2012 Clarendon Day 10K.
- Course PR: 43:07 (6:55 pace) at the 2014 Lawyers Have Heart 10K.
- Most Recent 10K: 47:17 (7:35 pace) at the 2018 Crofton 10K.
I had no idea where my fitness was at this point and didn’t set any goals before the race.
Strategy: Run conservatively at the start and look to increase my speed midway through the race.
The Course
The race started at House 6 Brewing and through the surrounding neighborhoods in Ashburn, Virginia. One lane was closed and police officers directed traffic. The terrain was mostly flat with some easy hills.
There was one water stop on the course around Mile 2.
There was no crowd support.
Playlist
I didn’t create a playlist for this race but used an existing playlist of mine, Fast Runs on Spotify on shuffle.
Unfortunately, Spotify stopped streaming for some reason during Mile 3.
Pre-Race
On New Year’s Eve, I normally run the Fairfax Four Miler but I left work in downtown Washington, DC too late to make the race start on time.
I did four easy miles and had a big plate of spaghetti for dinner before meeting a friend for a couple of drinks. According to Garmin Connect, I was asleep a minute after midnight!
I woke up after 6 am on the morning of the race. I had plenty of time to get ready and left the house at around 7:45 am. I drank coffee and water and snacked on a Nutrigrain bar and half a banana.
House 6 Brewing, the race location, is in a nondescript building in Ashburn, Virginia.
I hadn’t pre-registered or done any research on the race. I paid $30 for my bib. (There wasn’t a race shirt.) I asked about the premium and was told it was last year’s, which was confusing. I went back to my car and sat for a while. At 9 am, I jogged to the porta-potty as a warm-up.
A guy in line making small talk asked what my goal would be. I said 50 minutes hoping it would be faster. I started my warm-up about 15 minutes later by running back to the car. With 5 minutes to spare, I headed to the start. I put in my headphones and tried to keep my thoughts positive. The announcer played the national anthem and then we were off!
Weather
Around the start of the race, the temperature was around 41 degrees with winds blowing 8 miles per hour out of the west. But during the race, the winds picked up.
The Race
Mile 0 to 3 (Ashbrook Place, Russell Branch Parkway, Exchange Street, Marblehead Drive, and Gloucester Parkway)
From the parking lot behind House 6 Brewing, the course turned right onto Ashbrook Place. As my legs warmed up on the slight uphill, about a dozen runners surged past me. I wondered if I lined up too far ahead of the field.
The course turned left onto Russell Branch Parkway, which was a flat road, and I eased into a steady groove. I admired the rising run and thought about all the possibilities the new year will bring. At a shopping plaza, I passed the Mile 1 marker and was pleased with a 7:35 split.
Next, we turned right onto Exchange Street and into a neighborhood. There was a water stop but I ran through it because I rarely take fluids in a 10K unless it’s a warm day. After another half mile, the course turned right again onto Marblehead Drive. Finally, I actually passed someone!
Just before 2.5 miles, the course turned right onto Gloucester Parkway. At the halfway mark, I checked my overall time. It was just over 25 minutes. I knew I would probably go over 50 minutes for the entire 10K, which hit me like a slap to the face. This would be my slowest 10Ks in years!
Splits (by Garmin): 7:35, 8:15, 8:35.
Mile 3 to 6.24 (Gloucester Parkway, Rainsboro Drive, Ashburn Village Boulevard, Russell Branch Parkway, Atwater Drive, Ashbrook Place)
A quarter-mile after the Mile 3 mark, the course turned right again – this time onto Rainsboro Drive. The wind was slightly calmer and the road was a gentle downhill. The woman in black who passed me a mile ago stopped to walk and I took the opportunity to pass her back. The street curved back slightly uphill but a wave of confidence washed over me and I knew I would finish the race.
On Ashburn Village Boulevard, just after Mile 4, I checked my Garmin. I was just over 30 minutes into the race and running about 8:15 pace. Suddenly, I didn’t feel quite as strong as I had just moments before. I slowed down and towards the end of the road, clicked off Mile 5.
I turned right onto Russell Branch Parkway and sensed the finish area was close. The feeling put me in a good mood and I thanked the officer directing traffic.
Cresting a hill, I could see the left turn onto Atwater Drive where the 10K runners merged with the 5Kers. Still beaming at the knowledge the finish was near, I thanked the cars at the road closure as I made the turn. The course was slightly uphill but I still managed to quickened my pace. On Ashbrook Place, I opened up my stride completely and sprinted to the finish line.
Splits: 8:33, 8:55, 7:07 (mile was probably short, Garmin read 8:00 pace), 1:19 (6:57 pace).
Result
My time was 50:16 (8:04 pace) [Log Details]. I was the 43rd finisher overall out of 132 (top 33%), 17th woman overall out of 77 (top 23%), 5th in my ten-year age group (top 27%). It was my slowest 10K since the 2005 Lawyers Have Heart 10K!
Finishers did not get medals. The race premium, a fleece blanket, was available for an additional $10 at registration or after the race.
Post-Race
Back at the brewery, I enjoyed some potato chips and drank some water. A stranger came up to me and returned my Road ID, which had fallen off after the race. In addition to typical post-race snacks, there were food trucks on-site from Little Bamboo Cafe and Buena’Dillas but I wasn’t that hungry. I bought the race blanket and then returned to my car for the drive back home.
Epilogue
Typically, I enjoy larger races but this one was just what I needed at this stage of my come back. The course wasn’t too technical so it gave me a good sense of where my fitness was on the day. Even though my Garmin measured the course a little short (6.11 miles). I would run it again.
Next race: 2020 DCRRC JFK 20K on Saturday, January 18th.
(My Complete Racing Schedule.)
Abridged Version
On New Year’s Eve, I normally run the Fairfax Four Miler but I left work late on Tuesday evening and knew I wouldn’t make it to the race start on time. I perused a RunWashington article on New Year’s Day races and decide to run the New Day New Year 10K on Wednesday morning instead. During the race, I ran strong during the early miles but weakened after battling a headwind during the middle miles. I recovered during the last mile and finished fast. My time was 50:16 (8:04 pace) – my slowest 10K in 15 years!
