The Unexpected 10k: My Tri Events 10k Race Report

On Sunday I had the unexpected opportunity to run a 10k on a beautiful course in San Dimas. Here’s my Tri Events 10k Race Report.

As I’ve probably whined about mentioned more than a few times, last week was tough.  After a successful 14 mile run early in the week, my last before the Temecula Half Marathon, I felt tired and sore for the next few days, making it hard to believe I was ready to run a half marathon. Then our 14-year-old dog Jack got sick and passed away early Friday morning.

Tri Events 10k Race Report

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Alan and I were heading to San Dimas, where he was announcing the Tri Events Legends Triathlon, which after 37 years, is the world’s longest running triathlon series. Alan announces all four races in the series every year, and I usually go along and hang out, maybe take a short run in beautiful Bonelli Park, and enjoy the cooler weather.

Tri Events 10k Race Report: Pre Race

This year was extra fun because Alan had two clients doing their first triathlon in the race! We got to meet them for dinner and some last minute tips at our go-to restaurant, Casa del Rey, which is just a block from the hotel. They were both a bit nervous, as you might expect, but excited too. We made it an early night because while they might have been the ones who were racing, Alan and I would probably be at the venue much earlier than they would.

It was still dark when we arrived at Bonelli Park, but Alan got to work right away, with sound checks, catching up with the race director for last minute instructions, etc. I, on the other hand, settled back in the car with my coffee and social media. I was planning on running a little when it got light, but in the meantime, I was good just hanging out in the warm car.

All good things must come to an end though. Soon it was getting light outside and I knew that if I wanted to run I should get my butt going. Remembering my tired quads and sore hip still had me hesitating. Basically, I just wasn’t feeling motivated. I left the car to use the bathroom and wandered over to where Alan was set up. Then he changed my morning!

Tri Events 10k Race Report: The Unexpected 10k

He told me that he needed to get more information about the 5k and 10k. Say what? Yes, this was the very first time they were adding a stand-alone 5k and 10k! I decided to learn more.

I headed over to late registration and found out yes, there was a 5k and 10k. How much, I asked? Well, she wasn’t sure, but she called her mom (Caroline, the race director). We found out it was $40 for the 5k and $50 for the 10k. Hmmm. Did I want to spend $50 for a spur-of-the-moment 10k when I could head out and run for free? And I had my goal race next Sunday?

I started to go back to the car, then I thought, how stupid. Of course, you want to do this! I grabbed my wallet and headed back to registration. Where I got really lucky. I filled out the paperwork and was pulling out my money, then Caroline walked up, looked at me, and said, “she doesn’t have to pay.” The joys of being the race announcer’s wife! Plus, I do volunteer there from time to time, and I’ve done some social media work for Tri Events, so it was a nice perk.

Tri Events 10k Race Report: The Race

So the deal with the 5k and 10k is that they would start after the last person got out of the water, at approximately 8:40. Our start line was just below the transition area in a parking lot above the beach, so we could see the swimmers as they came into transition.

We were all lined up and ready by 8:30, all 12 of us. Yes, if you’ve seen my Instagram or Facebook post, I did mention not to ask how many runners participated. Well there you are, five in the 5k and seven in the 10. We joked among ourselves that we’d definitely be placing in our age groups!

I did spend some time with my active warmup. My hip was still a little bothersome, so I’d foam rolled and stretched the night before, then added some light rolling right before I headed to the start line. I also did the other dynamic movements in my 5 Minute Warm Up. I was feeling pretty good as I stood on that start line (yes, when there are only 12 of you, you get to stand right on the start line!).

At 8:40, there were still swimmers in the water, but they decided to let us start anyway at 8:50. And then we were off, running the same course as the Olympic triathlon (and hopefully far enough ahead so that we wouldn’t impede the faster runners in that race).

The first part of the run in on a fairly narrow path that runs through the park. It’s right alongside the lake and surrounded by trees, so it’s very pretty. The weather was cloudy and cool, and as I said, my legs felt good, so I pushed it a little bit.

When we hit the first mile marker, my Garmin said that we were at .85. I assumed that was because our start line was slightly off from where the triathletes would exit transition, meaning the course would probably be a little short. That certainly doesn’t bother me, since I’m not striving for any PRs. I figured all seven of us 10k-ers were running the same route.

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After passing the 5k turnaround, we headed deeper into the park, into more rugged territory. The dirt path was fairly smooth, though, but slightly muddy, since it had rained the day before (did I forget to mention that?). At this point I was maintaining about a 9:15-9:30 pace, which was pretty much what I had hoped for. I was considering this a final speed workout before Temecula, so I was right where I wanted to be.

So far, there had been some rolling hills, so there was a bit of challenge, but it wasn’t too bad. Just before mile two, we took a turn onto real trails. While they were wide, they were also muddy and a little uneven. I just told myself it was great practice for Ragnar Trail and kept moving.

At mile three, we came out from the trail and turned onto what looked like a wide landing strip, which made sense since there was an airport on the other side of the fence. This was probably the longest stretch of uphill in the race, and I found myself looking forward to heading back down!

The downhill was rewarding, and when it was over I was at about mile 4.5, heading back along the path toward the start line. At this point, we started to see some of the sprint triathletes, and right before I turned off to head toward the finish line, I saw the young man who was leading the Olympic race, on his way out. Fortunately, he did not catch up with me!

The last segment of the race was pretty flat and on the concrete sidewalk heading back into the main part of the park. At this point, I could hear Alan’s voice off in the distance, so I knew we were getting close. I was happy that I had enough left to give it a little gas that last quarter mile, even if there were no other 10k runners to race against. Still, I always love hearing Alan bring me home.

My Garmin had my distance at 5.75 miles, with an average pace of 9:30. I’m happy with that, even if the course was short. I felt really good when I finished and I didn’t have any type of asthma issues during the race. All around a great experience.

After I spent a little time cooling down and rehydrating, I headed back to the car and, once the last cyclist was off the road, back to the hotel to shower and check out. When I got back to the park, Alan was in the middle of the award ceremony and he told me I had won an award! Third place female! Actually, it wasn’t that much of a surprise, since with all the out and backs in the race I saw the women who were ahead of me several times. Still it’s a great feeling to podium, even in such a small race.

The surprise came when I was looking at the results online later in the evening and saw that I was down as running the 5k! Yes, I was third in that race, even though 54:15 for a 5k gave me a 17:30 mile. I thought it was weird because they did have a timing pad out there past the 5k turnaround which I definitely ran over.

In any case, I was also third place in the 10k too, and with a bit faster mile pace! I’ve let Caroline know and it’s supposed to be fixed. Just a silly thing, since I got the medals, my place is the same, and I know that I ran the 10k. Still…

I really loved this race and I hope that they will continue to offer it. If it grows perhaps they will have a separate medal and race shirt for the runners. The course was well marked, though short, and there were plenty of volunteers and aid stations. It was a beautiful route, and I loved the mix of path, road, and trail.

Tri Events, the oldest triathlon series in the world, has four races per year, all at Bonelli Park in San Dimas. Each race builds toward the final Legends race, where special recognition is given to triathletes who have successfully competed in all four events. Each event has an Olympic and Sprint distance race, plus special races for kids and parent/child combos. It’s a great event for beginners. I hope to see you there!

Oh, and Alan’s clients? They both finished and did great! I’m pretty sure they’re already planning their next triathlon adventure.

How was your weekend? I saw a lot of Medal Monday posts, did you compete too? Have you ever done a triathlon? I’ve done two, about 10 years ago!

 

 

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