For the past two years, I raced the TC 10k followed by the Vancouver Marathon. This year, however, things were different.
I raced the Boston Marathon (42.2k) on April 20th and the TC10K took place on April 26th.
This left me with only 6 days to recover from the marathon. They say that you need roughly 3 full weeks before you are fully recovered from a marathon.
However, I heard that some people can run an amazing 10k the week after a marathon.
After Boston, my legs were sore for only 2 days. When I ran my very first marathon a couple of years back, I could barely walk up and down the stairs for 3 weeks after.
As we can see, my recovery time significantly improved but this was the first time I raced a 10k so soon. In the past, I would always do a combination of easy runs and rest days for the two weeks following a marathon.
Above: My race bib 🙂
I chose to do the TC 10k this year because I love this event. I’ve been doing it every year since 2012 and I’ve always had fun. It’s an event that brings runners of all levels together.
It shows how vibrant Victoria is because the crowds are amazing.
Not only that, but I wanted to see my training client Jerry Hughes get a personal best in the 10k (because I was pretty much 110% sure that he would).
No way was I going to miss it!
I started the race at my goal pace and wanted to stay there. Unfortunately, it started to feel unusually difficult after the 4k mark.
At the 5k point, I felt like my shoes turned to bricks.
Tired legs.
After crossing the 5k mark, I was no longer on pace to hit sub 40 minutes. I was slowing down fast.
There was a time at around the 7k mark where I wanted to stop running, but I’m so glad I didn’t.
I wasn’t feeling the greatest when I started the race and I certainly didn’t finish as fast as I wanted to.
My time was 41:48 because I ended up running the majority of it at half marathon pace.
When I finished, I knew that it was significantly slower than my best but I also have to remember not to be disappointed because I finished the Boston Marathon only 6 days before.
I was 9th out of 608 in my age group and 35/4685 women overall.
Above: My client Jerry and I at the finish line. Post-race party 🙂
My client, Jerry Hughes, on the other hand, did amazing! He ran a new almost 5 minute personal best at the TC10K. Jerry finished it in 39:42, which is an amazing time! I’m VERY excited, proud and happy for him. I feel fortunate to be working with such motivated people like Jerry. CONGRATULATIONS!! 🙂
In the end, I was not disappointed with my TC10k performance. I learned a lot about myself and what more I need to do for training. I’m not going to beat myself up over my post-marathon 10k performance.
Although I did not get a personal best, I understand that not every race will result in a record. In addition, it’s the experience and being a part of something that matters. I’m glad to have been a part of it and I hope to be able to do it every year.
Most importantly, I was so glad to be there for my client Jerry because I got to see him accomplish one of his greatest athletic goals. Not only that, but he also raised over $1,100 for a great charity, Help Fill A Dream Foundation.
Sometimes, the most valuable experience comes not in running my fastest, but in learning. It was a pleasure just to be there and I have no regrets at all.
I definitely hope to do it again next year!