01 09 10 Tweet Dietitians Eat Chocolate Too: "Why aren't you signed up for the 401K? I'd never be able to run that far." - Scott Adams

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

"Why aren't you signed up for the 401K? I'd never be able to run that far." - Scott Adams

Well, I've survived my first 10K race.  For those who don't know I was somewhat of a runner during high school and did a couple seasons of track.  I basically ran for conditioning during the soccer off seasons.  I pretty much gave it up in college when my knee would bother me and realized I needed to cross train...which then lead to me picking it up again at the Kent, Ohio Hampton Inn during homecoming weekend a year ago.  Now, the rest is history.


The race started at the COSI center in Columbus, Ohio.

 Yep, that's me off to the right in the light pink looking mid trip.  This was the first time I thought, "what the heck was I thinking?"

 57 minutes later at a 9:18 minute mile, I sprinted across the finish line in the middle of the pack.  Not bad for my first race in 8 years!
 Post race smiles and soreness!

My heart rate was between 160-180 BPM the whole time.  No asthma flare-ups (never let a diagnosis stop you from anything) or bum legs.


I really enjoyed the length and rush from the 10K. I'd like to pursue a faster time and a few more races.  It's a great course for a beginner (Columbus, well, Ohio is pretty flat) who spent the summer running up and down the hills of Western Maryland.


What did I eat that day:


Breakfast 7 am.

  • 1 cup of Starbucks Via (Steve doesn't have a coffee pot in his house)
  • 2 slices of whole wheat toast with a TBS peanut butter (whole grains with a schmear of protein to keep blood sugars stable)
  • 1 qt of water (which led to 4 pre-run bathroom breaks out of anxiety)
Post-race:
  • A Chipotle salad with chicken and a lot of guacamole.
What not to do:
  • The day prior to an event, watch what you eat to avoid an upset stomach the day of, as in, don't decided to binge eat Taco Bell and Cold Stone Creamery or you'll be racing to the restrooms.
  • For a 6 mile race, I don't suggest carb-loading.  (See Nancy Clark's article)
  • Don't chug sports drinks the whole time, some sports drinks are higher in sugar and may cause stomach discomfort.  If it's incredibly hot out, alternate sports drinks with water or dilute a sports drink with an equal amount of water to go easy on the stomach.
Well, it's time for another layer of Bio-Freeze on my quads which have turned to steel over the last 48 hours.