She Runs by the Seashore

I do a lot of the same races year after year, but the Historic Stevensville Distance Festival 8.15-miler was one of the new ones I added this year, and I’m glad I did.

This was my third race of this year’s Maryland/DC Road Runners Club of America Grand Prix series. I just looked at the results, and things are looking good for me, as right now, it looks like I’m the only woman in the 30-34 age group who has completed three of four required races — and there’s only one left, the NCR Marathon, which I’ll be running at the end of November. (Results may still be pending for one of the other races.)

I’ve been running the RRCA Club Challenge for years, but this one and the Annapolis Striders’ Dog Days 8K Cross Country Run were both new to me this year. It’s fun to take part in races put on by other RRCA running clubs across the state.

The Historic Stevensville Distance Festival is organized by the Kent Island Running Group and offers an 8.15-miler (a metric half marathon and also the Grand Prix race) and a 4+ miler. I have gotten to know some of the members over the past couple years, and it’s a great group with plenty of friendly people. I wanted to participate in and support their run.

The race began at 9 a.m., which allowed for a not-terribly-early drive up from Salisbury. It was still early, just not ridiculously so. I’m the president of the Eastern Shore Running Club, a Road Runners Club of America club based in Salisbury and serving the surrounding area.

After running the Salisbury Half Marathon in 2:18:17 in April, I set my sights on a sub-2:15 half at the Ocean City Running Festival, which is this coming weekend. That would be a 10:18/mile pace, so I figured I could aim for that at the Historic Stevensville Distance Festival 8.15-miler, even though I figured it could be a stretch, especially coming out of the hot summer.

The race, which was Sept. 29, started and ended at PRS Guitars in Stevensville. It was overcast and seemed muggy. I took a screen shot of the weather app on my phone after I finished, and it logged 86 percent humidity with a 67 dew point. So, it wasn’t as bad as it could possibly be, but still humid.

I am training for the aforementioned NCR Marathon and decided to add a little bit onto my run as a warmup before the race began. This also allowed me to run a short distance to a permanent bathroom building that was mentioned in a pre-race email. There was a line for a porta-potty right by the parking lot, but no line a quarter-mile away at the bathroom — it pays to read the pre-race emails! I ran 1.18 miles beforehand so that after the 8.15-mile race, I would end with 90 miles for the month. (I considered running 10 the next day, to make it to 100 for the month, but decided against it.)

The race kicked off after Debbie Gerrity, of Debbie Gerrity Music Studio, played the national anthem on keyboard. After a short distance on Log Canoe Circle, we went into the area of Terrapin Nature Park and continued onto the Cross Island Trail, then heading into town. There were bakery treats at Mile 2, but we were told they’d also be at the end of the race (and they were), so I decided not to stop, as I was feeling strong. I ran the first two miles in 10:02 and 10:20. After that, I slowed down a little, but I was able to keep up a pretty consistent pace for the rest of the race.

Much of the course was an out-and-back on the pretty, paved Cross Island Trail, but there was a loop in the middle of this in the town of Stevensville, so it was not fully an out-and-back. I enjoyed the flat and scenic course, and I appreciated seeing the friendly volunteers that were all throughout the course at turns and other points in their orange Kent Island Running Group shirts. It was fun to see people I knew and greet each other.

There were three opportunities to stop for water along the way (two water stops — but one we passed twice), and I stopped at each of those. I ran most of the way otherwise, but I did use walk breaks to help motivate myself as I got to different points. Of the 1:28:50 logged on my watch, Garmin logged 4:42 as walk time and 0:41 as idle time.

By the time I finished the first seven miles, I’d had three that started with a “10” and four that started with an “11.” I pushed it during that last mile and tried to give it what I had so that I could finish with an average pace that started with a “10” — even though it wouldn’t be close to the 10:18 goal.

My last full mile was 10:42, with the last bit (0.18 on my watch) run in a 9:39 pace. My average pace was 10:51/mile, and although I did not hit that 10:18/mile goal, I did feel strong and like I got a good-paced long run in. It was faster than I’d run for a longer run in a while, especially with the heat and humidity of the summer. For races, I hadn’t run longer than a 10K since my marathon in May.

There were supportive runners along the out-and-back, and I saw my friends Keith and Jerry from the Eastern Shore Running Club heading back as I headed toward the turnaround point. Because it wasn’t a full out-and-back, the turnaround was a little further than halfway. The first runner was almost leaving the Cross Island Trail as I entered it (his pace was 5:26/mile!).

I felt good about being able to pick up the pace at the end. I received a finisher medal, and afterward, I enjoyed post-race pizza, Doritos and some of the bakery treats I’d bypassed during the race.

I also got to try Normatec recovery boots for the first time, thanks to Shore Elite Physical Therapy, which was fun. There were some awards and door prizes, but I didn’t win anything. That’s OK — I was happy with my race and enjoyed the course. I also got a long-sleeved tech shirt with my registration.

Now that I’ve done an 8.15-mile race, I have a time to shoot for and surpass next year!

Splits

Mile 1: 10:02
Mile 2: 10:20
Mile 3: 11:07
Mile 4: 10:46
Mile 5: 11:15
Mile 6: 11:09
Mile 7: 11:44
Mile 8: 10:42
Last bit (watch had .18): 1:45 (9:39 pace)

Final on watch: 1:28:50, 10:51/mile pace; final on results: 1:28:48