Episodes
Tuesday Jun 27, 2017
Trifecta of Fitspeek fast females
Tuesday Jun 27, 2017
Tuesday Jun 27, 2017
In addition to Sheigh Gaudette and Elle Bush, Rio Glowasky is also having a killer racing season, setting a personal best in the Victoria Times Colonist 10 K, and CRUSHING it in a most-painful Good Life Fitness 10 K a couple of weeks ago. Here is her first race report for Fitspeek.com
After 13 races in three years, learning occurs, strategy develops, and expectations for improvement continue. My goal in the first two years was to race a daunting sub 60min 10km. I refined my nutrition intake, clothing, tunes, and training distances and put my 2016 race season behind me with my best 10km at 60:47. Over the fall and winter, I started running longer distances, got better at hills, and became less focused on time and more on heart rate and distance. Going into 2017 I set new goals – improve my half marathon time, run a marathon, and yes – get that sub 60min 10km. Oh yeah, and collect more finisher metals.
I registered for the Sporting Life 10km run in Calgary early in the season as it was advertised as a quick 10km, mostly downhill, giving participants a good opportunity to set new records. April 30 I broke my sub 60 goal in Victoria at the TC10K, and this week I did what I never thought I could do and did a 55:11 at the Sporting Life 10km.
I often think of the quote “The only good pace is suicide pace, and today’s a good day to die” and that’s what it was. I’ve seen people come through the finish line looking like they are going to vomit. I’ve seen fellow athletes hobble around for days after race day. I could never relate. And now I know AND feel – it’s because I’ve never raced at race pace. For all of my 6.2mi I wanted to vomit. And for the last 6 days all I’ve wanted is healed hamstrings.
What did I do right? I did it! My Nutrition was bang on with 3 GU caffeine shots, and a bit of Gatorade. My mindset was good – as sick as I felt, I knew it was temporary, remembering I could breathe later. I kept focused on technique especially going down hills and keeping pace through the flat sections when I felt sick and like slacking. I got lots of sleep. AND! I raced at race pace – an average heart rate of 152 (previously only feeling comfortable up to 146).
What did I do wrong? I overdressed. Why do I keep doing this! I did the rooky mistake of starting too fast – that’s a first. In my defense, the first 2 miles were a fairly steep downhill into downtown Calgary. I should look at the race course prior so that I can develop strategy on new races. I drank a Fireball (a delightful cinnamon whiskey) for breakfast, and Caesars for lunch the day before, at a company golf tournament.
What have I learned? I’ve thought a lot this week on how we measure our success and goals and charted all my stats and percentiles of my races. Although thrilled with my new personal best, I knew the race attracted an experienced race crowd, and I knew my division and gender place would also be revealing of my performance. My very first 10km was a 1:02.35 chip time, and a 40.4% percentile in my division. I was disappointed ending my 2016 season with a 60:47. In hindsight, if I measured performance differently and looked at that divisional place, it remains to be my best yet at 37.1%. The sporting Life 10km landed me a disappointing division place of 46.4% percentile but an amazing gender place of 32.5% – my best yet. I’ve learned to train with purpose now that I have a few running goals. I continue to learn my capabilities.
I’m back to long distance running for the summer, taking a couple month break from racing so that I can end racing season as successfully as it started.
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