2023 New Day New Year 10K
Prologue
My last race was the 2022 Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 Miler, where I ran 42:58 (8:53 pace) after nursing a broken toe for almost two months. My boyfriend and I spent the holiday in upstate New York where I split my runs between outside and the treadmill.
In mid-December, I started training for the 2023 Boston Marathon.
On Christmas Eve, it was 7 degrees outside with a feels like of negative. 5. On Christmas Day, we did a run around the National Mall.
Goals
Likely: Sub-43:00 (8:36 pace). Looking at my training log, I ran the race about a minute-and-a-half pace faster than my training runs last year, and lately, I’ve been running around 9:30 to 10:00 pace.
Personal records
Grandmaster:
- PR and Most Recent 5-Miler: 39:46 (7:58 pace), 2021 Alexandria Turkey Trot.
Master:
- 5-Miler PR: 33:47 (6:46 pace), 2015 Alexandria Turkey Trot.
Course
Pro Tip: Don’t assume a course hasn’t changed!
The new course is a double-loop, There’s a steep hill 2 miles in (and then 5 miles in,)
There was water on the course near the start/finish line.
Strategy
Strategy: New Year’s Day runs are supposed to be fun. And, given that I haven’t raced in a while, I thought I should just run by feel.
Playlist
I compiled 45 minutes of music for the race. Some highlights:
Mile 0. “Good As Hell,” Lizzo feat. Ariana Grande. This song seems like a good one to ring in a new year.
Mile 2. “As It Was,” Harry Styles. This song has been a chart topper all year but I just recently discovered it.
Mile 6: “Unstoppable,” Sia. This song really motivates me – especially at the end of a race. I’m unstoppable today!
Pre-race
I woke up early and had coffee. Although I only had a plate of mashed potatoes for dinner, I didn’t eat breakfast. I played an online game and then walked the dog – a new part of my pre-race routine. I walked the dog and then we drove to Ashburn, Virginia.
We parked and walked across the road to the brewery. We were both pre-registered and we quickly got our bib. I went back to the car to stay warm and relax. My boyfriend left to venture around the area. With about 15 minutes to race time, I did a 1-mile warm-up.
Weather
It was more pleasant than I expected – just over 50 degrees at the start and some sun. It was a nice day in the Washington DC area.
The Race
Miles 0 to 3.0 (Loop 1)
We started from the parking lot behind the brewery. It was a slight uphill, which was nice – it allowed me to settle into the crowd. The pack spread out when we turned left onto the main, two-lane road – Russell Branch Parkway. The course was now a relatively steep and long downhill, and I thought, I have to run this back!
As my Garmin showed I was close to the first mile, I searched for a marker. Seeing none, I didn’t bother hitting my lap button, but I was running at 8:20 pace.
At a shopping center, the course turned right. Cars were parked on the street, which narrowed the running lance and made it a little harder to pass. After a loop through the neighborhood, the course went over a small footbridge and ultimately back to the main road. My pace for that mile was also around 8:20.
Next, I started the long uphill back toward the start. I wondered, Was this hill here the other year I ran this race? Because I’m not sure I would have rerun this race if I’d remembered this. Slower runners and 5K participants were starting the race, and I thought about how difficult this part would be for them. I wondered if I’d see my boyfriend, but he must have been running well. Finally, I crest the hill. Instead of returning the way we came, the course turned right onto the road in front of the brewery. After a short out-and-back, the course returned to the street next to the start. My final split for the first loop was around 8:30, which was not bad considering the hill.
Splits (By Garmin): 8:20, 8:23, 8:27.
Miles 3.0 to 6.2 (Loop 2)
With the first loop under my belt, I knew what to expect for the second. Back on the main road, I took the downhill must faster than I did the second time, and my split for Mile 4 was 8:06! I tried to keep the momentum going during the neighborhood section of the course. Other runners were slowing, and I found myself passing them effortlessly. I pushed to pass a large group of runners before the footbridge so I wouldn’t be stuck behind them. My pace for Mile 5 was slightly slower – around 8:15. Knowing I was so close to the finish line, I pushed myself to run hard on the uphill. Instead of doing the out-and-back, the course went directly into the parking lot. I was so relieved! I sprinted to the finish line, knowing I ran a very smart race.
Splits (By Garmin): 8:06, 8:14, 8:39, 0:49.
Post-race
After the race, I stood in line for the premiums.
We thought about hanging out for a bit, but all the tables were occupied. Plus, I wasn’t sure that I wanted beer so early in the day, and the waffles sounded super sweet.
Result
I was the 36th finisher out of 118 (top 31%), 14th female out of 59 (top 24%), and 4th in my age group out of 16 (top 25%).
Epilogue
I ran a solid race and felt pretty good at the end.
I missed my long run for the week due to the race, so I planned to run my 10-miler on Monday.
Next race: 2023 DCRRC 20K.
Abridged Version
Two weeks after running the 2022 Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 Miler, I started training for the 2023 Boston Marathon. I decided to follow the Hansons Marathon Method for this training cycle because my speed endurance could use improvement.
The first two miles went smoothly, and I settled into a nice groove, but there was a long uphill during the third mile, and my pace fell off. The course was a double loop, so I also struggled with elevation in the last mile. My time was 50:56 (8:10 pace), which is a solid time.
Overall, this is a nice low-key race for New Year’s Eve.
