2012 Mid-Winter Classic 10 Miler Race Report

Ryan says I'm a sandbagger. Of course, on our way north (we stayed at Ryan's parents last night) he also said, "I'll be proud of you whether you run 1:10 or 1:25. Well, a bit more so if you run 1:10. But really, this isn't your thing, so don't stress." So which is it, man?! :-) But honestly, today was a crap shoot. I had been sick all week. I haven't done any speedwork, or much road running recently in general. My last road race - the half marathon last July - was not my best day by a long shot. All that being said, I figured I should be able to finish between 1:15 and 1:20. If I couldn't hit 1:20, it was going to be a bad day. I hoped I could hit 1:15. I ended up running 1:14:06, so I am more than thrilled. I also feel I ran a smart race, and that makes me happy too.

The day couldn't have been better for a mid-winter race. Especially compared to last year! The day dawned bright and sunny, with little to no wind to speak of. Temps were probably in the low 20s. The roads were dry and clear. In other words, pretty darn perfect.

Ryan's parents watched Sam for us this morning, which was great. Thank you Grammie and Grampie! Made logistics a bit easier. We got on the road a little after 7:30, and arrived with more than enough time for me to get my bib, hit the bathroom a few times, do a warm-up and get to the line on time, and also let Ryan get to the 3 mile aid station to volunteer with a bit of extra time. I knew there were a number of Trail Monsters running, but I didn't see most of them until after the race. I was just sort of doing my own thing. I planned to go out a little easier than I have in the past, being mindful of the urge to run fast fast fast with everyone, especially given the downhill in the first mile. My Garmin read 7:26 for mile 1; which meant the clock read about 7:40 or so. Mission accomplished.

Somewhere around mile 2 (Photo: Maine Running Photos)

Things were busy for the first few miles, but after the 3 mile aid station, the long winding train of runners had thinned out a bit. Soon after, I saw Ian running in the opposite direction, out for his own run. It was fun to see him out there cheering on everyone as he ran along! At some point, I settled into a good groove, with a good group of people, and just kept on chugging. I went through mile 5 with the clock reading 37:00. OK, keep with it, Danielle.

Mile 5ish

The miles kept ticking by, with the clock reading decently each time. At the mile 7.5 water stop, Ryan gave me a big yell, telling me to start picking people off. I was feeling pretty strong, and knew the end was near, so I did my best. I ran through mile 8 just as the clock was ticking to 1 hour, and oh, there was Ian again! Still running and cheering. Thanks gIANt! :-) OK, 2 miles to go. 15 minutes. Do it do it do it. Pick it up pick it up. I actually ended up running the final two miles in 7:18 and 7:10, which is pretty exciting (for me), and the last hill didn't even seem that bad. I don't know if that means I didn't run fast enough, or if it just means I ran smart. I'll assume the latter :-) Ha. Of course, once I hit the high school entrance road, my legs would not turn over any faster, but thankfully I didn't get passed by anyone in that last stretch! Yahoo!

A lot of Trail Monsters had great races today, with a lot of the guys running seriously fast. Nice job everyone! And of course, I can't finish the post without a big thank you to Blaine, Four, Chandra, Don and all the volunteers for putting on such a great, well-organized race. There was lots of yummy food at the end, and Atayne provided some sweet shirts too!

After an afternoon spent chasing Sam around the house (she had Ryan and I running countless laps around the kitchen with her), I am currently eating pie and sort of watching the Super Bowl on the couch. Oh, and my legs are a bit sore. A good end to the day.

Final stats:
1:14:06
120/611 overall
5/43 age group
22nd woman

RESULTS