Monument 10K - Recap

I haven't run since October when I did a Half Marathon one weekend followed by a 10 miler the next. I was on track for my Disney Marathon in January, and I let life get in the way. I no longer had the desire to do long runs or even run short distances during the week. I was burnt out (you can read all about my excuses here).

I've taken time off and have decided that a part (very small) of me misses running, even though I complain every step of the way. I miss the accomplishment and the way I felt after a run. Not to mention, I could tell how quickly out of shape my body was becoming.

I decided to sign up for a race to get me motivated again. I chose a 10K because I knew I wouldn't train if it was a 5K, I would just show up race day and run. My sister-in-law and I signed up for Richmond's Monument 10K and I knew that if I wanted to keep up with her, I would have to put some effort into this. Getting back into it, has been one of the harder things I've done, but after 3 weeks, I finally feel like I'm getting my groove back.

I've heard so much about the Monument 10K and was really looking forward to seeing what the hype was all about. After all, 40,000 people run this thing!

We picked up our race packets on Friday night and had a nice low key dinner while mapping out all the logistics for the morning. This was my sister-in-law's biggest and longest race she'd ever done, so we wanted to be sure we had everything ready to go.

Check out my Minnie headband I found at packet pick-up! You know I couldn't resist! It was like an omen of good luck! Also, I'm obsessed with my new running "Skapri". Target sells them and it is perfect if your shorts under your skirt ride up when you run.

 

We knew parking would be awful downtown, so we left with plenty of time. We stopped by Sheetz for granola bars and water and then made our way to the race. Thank goodness Jessica, knows the city so well, because in no time she had found us parking that was far enough away from everything but not too far to walk.

Here we are all ready to race!

One aspect that makes this race stand out is how they manage the start. There were about 30 different waves each separated by 2 minutes. This helped space everyone out so it never felt like the 40,000 runners it was. In the Disney races, where there are similar numbers of runners, they only divide you into about 10 corals.

The course was my favorite part. Not being a native of Richmond, I had never experienced Monument Avenue. It is one of the prettiest streets I've ever seen. The houses, the monuments and the scenery is all stunning! Not to mention, the whole city really gets into the race and there are more spectators lined up and down that street than there are runners. The course itself was very easy to follow. Have you ever done a race where you just felt like you made 10,000 turns and never knew what would be around the next corner? Not this race. It was a straight 3.1 miles down, turnaround and 3.1 miles back. Simple!

Being that this was the longest I have run (not even a training run longer than 4 miles) since October, I was very happy with my results. With the help of Jessica, we didn't walk and maintained a steady pace for both halves. We finished in 1:10:20 which equates to an 11:19 mile. Sure that's not a time to write home about, but just getting out there AND being able to run the whole thing is something to be proud of!

Let me know of any upcoming races you have or better yet, if you too did the Monument 10K!