First, I want to thank everyone for their really supportive comments on my Fears and My First 15K post. It really helped me calm down to read such encouraging comments.
Race day morning started like many others, waking up at the crack of dawn and trying to keep my eyes open. Living in the middle of nowhere (between Orlando and Tampa), I have to get up extra early for Orlando races because it can take me 45 minutes to an hour to drive there. So I coffee’d, ate, and looked at the internet while trying to wake myself up.
Getting into Orlando and finding the parking garage was actually uneventful which is amazing because I get lost places I have been to many times and with a GPS. After waiting forever in line for the worlds most disgusting Porto-Potty, I actually found one of the Orlando Bloggers who I knew would be at the race, Carolina from Peas In A Blog. It was so nice to actually know someone at the race.
Miracle Miles is a race for a great cause. It benefits the Alexander Center for Neonatology at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. It was really cute how many babies were in attendance. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.
I started the race with a plan to do 6:1 run/walk intervals. This race being my farthest run and knowing that it was going to be a scorcher, that seemed to be a reasonable plan. My legs felt fine until around mile seven where I started to get a little crampy. At that point, I slowed the intervals to 4:1 and eventually 3:1. Maybe if I had started with the 4:1 intervals at the start, I would not have experienced the cramping but hindsight is 20/20.
I did have two Cliff Shot Gels one at mile five and the other around mile seven.This is the first time I tried to open one on the run, big mistake. This should be practiced because I had a hard time getting them open. I ended up ripping into them with my teeth. I am undecided about a fuel source for my half. On my next few long runs, I really need to try a few more products and make a decision. Any recommendations will be highly welcome.
I ended the race with a chip time of 2 hours and 20 seconds. It was actually faster than I thought I would be, so I will take it.
Overall, the course was interesting. I loved running through Downtown Orlando and getting to see the different neighborhoods that surround it. I would have appreciated a downhill, rather than an uphill at the end, but I still had a great time. This race really cemented my desire to run a half and now I am even more excited.
I did not take any pictures at the race but did make J take this picture of me at home with my first medal. Yes, it looks like a mug shot and it is before I showered but I am still proud.
Any recommendations on fuel?
Have you ever run a 15K? How do you feel about the distance?
great job!! i just ran my first 15k this weekend and really liked it. It was a fun run and the distance was nice, wonder if I will let it more once I am done with my half in a few weeks or less!
Courtney recently posted..Pre-Race Jitters
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Congrats to you too! I’m glad you enjoyed your race.
Dina recently posted..Miracle Miles 15K Race Report
Congrats on your first 15K! Awesome job! I have done several 10ks, a half marathon, and one 15K. I have to say that I really like the 15k distance. you can check out my races here for ideas. http://www.livebreathehuzzah.com/races/ CONGRATS!
Brigid recently posted..Sometimes We Take a Wrong Turn
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I love reading about races and will check out your blog.
Dina recently posted..Miracle Miles 15K Race Report
Great job on your first 15k!! My fuel of choice is Hammer Gel, all natural and easy on the tummy. Definitely use during your practice runs to make sure it works well for you. A few varieties also contain caffeine if you need it. My husband prefers the caffeine boost, but my personal favorite is vanilla.
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All natural is important, I really don’t want to eat anything full of chemicals. Will have to give those a try.
Dina recently posted..Miracle Miles 15K Race Report
Great job on your 15k!! I love the downtown area, what a fun race location!
Katherina @ Zephyr Runs recently posted..Homegrown
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There were tons of news cameras there too. Would be so cool if I was running on the news (in a positive way and not from the police or anything.)
Dina recently posted..Miracle Miles 15K Race Report
Congrats on a great race!
I have tried Gu Gel and Sports Beans. Both tasted good. But Gu was a lot easier for me to eat while running. You need to make sure you drink water with Gu though otherwise it will not go down well.
I hope that helps.
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GU is really popular and I actually picked a few up recently. Will give it a try on my next long run. Thanks for the tip!
Dina recently posted..Miracle Miles 15K Race Report
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Way to rock your first 15K girl, this is awesome! You are going to do great at the half, I know it. It was great seeing you
Carolina @ Peas in a Blog recently posted..I Run This City…
It was great seeing you too!
Dina recently posted..Half Marathon Training Week Eight In Review
If I’ve learned anything on fuel, it’s not to listen to anybody else and try everything until you find what works for you. I can never get those gel shots open either. I used to eat Welch’s fruit gummies (before I knew I couldn’t eat sugar). Now I do pretzels (hard to swallow on the run) and PB and J sandwiches.
Great job on the race! It was a hot one.
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This is really good advice and I do plan on trying a bunch of different fuel scenarios on my long runs. Will have to give real food a shot too.
Dina recently posted..Half Marathon Training Week Eight In Review
Congrats! I clicked over from #runchat (I think!) because I love reading race recaps – great job! I’m planning my first half mary for next year and I’ve heard that dates make a good, all-natural fuel during a long run. They’re definitely high on my list to try when I start running longer distances. Some people say they don’t like chewing while running, but I think they’re worth a try. Good luck!
Heather @ Not a DIY Life recently posted..I Like to Move It, Move It
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I’ll give dates a try. Thanks for the tip!
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