Buffalo Grove Stampede 10K Race Recap

Total Time: 55:14 (8:54 average pace)

9/21 age group

160/410 overall

38/147 women

Shirt, sticker and magnet - also pictured,
my new CEP compression sleeves which I used for the race

I came into this race without much of a time goal having run 13 miles the morning before.  I just wanted to run under 57:07 (9:12 avg mile pace), which is the time I'd need to run a 10K in order to run a marathon in my goal of 4:28:00.  It was also a hot morning so I wasn't expecting much.

Source

When we got to the race site, the announcer told us that we had to turn our bibs horizontal in order to get our times recorded.  Evidently the strip has to be placed up and down and it was misplaced on our bibs.  This is the first time that this has happened to me at a race.  It wasn't a big deal.

One guy tried to argue with my mom and I when we told him to turn his bib by telling us it was an RFD chip and would be read no matter now it was placed.  He eventually found me later and told me that he had caved and turned his bib.  Serves him right for being so smug!

First of all, I absolutely despise that the 5K runners and walkers get to start ahead of the 10K.  Shouldn't the longest distance go first?  The 5K started from 8:00 to 8:05 while the 10K runners had to wait until 8:22 to start.  Those minutes are crucial especially on a hot day.  Oh, and the top 5K runners were already finished before the 10K runners even started!

I bumped into my friends R and J from the training group and we chatted for a bit.  J wanted to run 9:05s to 9:00s while R wanted to run 9:30s to 9:15s.  I told them I wanted to break 57.

Course

Mile 1 - 8:36: The first part of this race is run though a residential area with windy roads and nice open stretches of road with minimal shade.  Yep.  It's a total pain in the butt when it's hot.  But, it's the start of the race so I'm still feeling good.

Miles 2 and 3 - 8:48 and 8:46:  These miles are run in the Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve, which is pretty, but the terrain is somewhat difficult.  You run down a hill before you get to mile 2 so you know you have to run up that bad boy on the way back.  It's two way running so you can see the elite runners zooming through the course.  Parts of the trail were shaded, which was nice, but there were some open areas, which were difficult to get through with the sun beating down on me.

Mile 4 and 5 - 8:56 and 9:05:  On the way to mile 4, I see the smug guy and I kind of wave at him.  In retrospect, this may have been an a-hole thing to do.  But, I don't really regret that I did it.  Spoiler alert:  I didn't see him pass me so I'm pretty sure I beat him.  But, with chip timing, you never know.  

In route to Mile 5, we run down a nice big residential road without absolutely no shade whatsoever.  The sun was beating down on the blacktop and I started to get pooped out.  Are we there yet??  I finally crossed Mile 5 and I knew that the bridge was up ahead, which I wasn't pleased about.  Also, I'm parched, but a volunteer tells me that there is water over the bridge.

Mile 6 to Mile 6:2 9:12 for Mile 6:  Now, the bridge was a pretty long one and yes, there was indeed water just shortly after it.  I also spotted J a little bit ahead of me.  Eventually I caught up to him and passed him when he stopped to walk.  He yelled at me to finish strong and I said, "You too dude!" 

I finally reached the 6 mile marker and I start gunning it toward the finish line picking off a few people along the way.  I could see the finish line so I started to dog it a little bit.  I felt some footsteps coming behind me so I picked it up and finished in front of whoever was behind me.  *WHEW*  It sucks to be passed on the sprint especially being THAT close to being DONE.

Immediately after the race, I felt like garbage.  The heat got the best of me.  Also, there were only four water stations on the course, which didn't seem like enough since it was very hot.  I dumped a lot of water on myself.  In retrospect, I wish I just carried my bottle, but it felt too clunky.

My parents and I checked our results to confirm whether we won anything, which we did not.  We headed to the pancake breakfast where we chowed down and headed out.  If you plan on going to the breakfast, leave as early as you can since the parking is tough and can get crowded.

Overall, good race, tough course and great price especially if you're a CARA member.  I definitely plan on doing this race again.