Race Recap – Garden State 10 Miler

With the NJ Half Marathon approaching in about a month, I decided to sign up for the Garden State 10 Miler in Somerset/Franklin (NJ)
three days before. I realized I can’t run in the Cherry Blossom Run 10k (attending the Bon Jovi concert woot woot), so I was looking for a longer race alternative. I remembered seeing a postcard for this race at the Pre-Game 4 Miler and decided since I was due for a 9 mile long run that weekend, why not just run this. I figured it would be good practice for the half.

I ended up running the 10 miler in 1:27:17.67 for an 8:43 pace. I was really happy with the time. I wanted to crack 9:00 and then challenge 1:27. I was sick all week and even during the race, so I know I wasn’t 100%. I was totally happy with the time and how I pushed myself. I finished 210/537 overall, 148/272 gender, and 30/45 for my age group.

I decided I would use it as a prep and push hard for a good time but test out a few different things to see what is best for the half. The biggest thing I was concentrating on was water stops. I decided to take water at all but the first and last stations to work on hydrating while running. I have to say, I suck at it. I think I might have drank a total of 6 oz or so and wore the rest. I know it definitely took time off my run too, so I’m trying to figure out what my next step is. It was about 40 degrees and I went with shorts and t-shirt as that is what I’m planning on going with at the half. The funny part was when I finished, I looked down at the sweat on my shirt and it looked like it was frosting over.

I identified three runners around me around mile 2 that I felt were running the type of pace I wanted to go at. They definitely kept me motivated and pushed themselves throughout the day and kept me going, trying to stay with them. I was able to thank one guy I was running with for most of the race after we finished. I saw him after from a distance and I was walking up to congratulate him when a woman tapped me on my shoulder. I turned and she said to me that I really ran a great pace. I smiled and thanked her. It made me feel so good.  I then went over and shook the guy’s hand and told him great race and we joked about how we kept going back and forth and for awhile on the course kind of had the roads to ourselves. It’s so funny that I went to thank him and was going to thank this woman that I kept in my view for pacing but couldn’t find her. To then have this other runner thank me, was really runspirational to me. I love that. I love telling others when they have motivated me and it’s always nice to hear others tell you that you helped push them through a race. There is just a great community feeling at races.

This was the first year for the Garden State 10 Miler and I think it went really well. It was well organized and the course was nice. They billed it as flat and fast. I was expecting more of pancake flat course. The course seemed to have a lot of rolling hills, which was still nice but not what I had prepped for in my head. The scenery of the course was beautiful. Plenty of water stations and volunteers. I think they hit a home run with this race and I’m looking forward to running it again next year.

The t-shirt they gave out was really nice and the medal, OMG. I love the new bling. Being from New Jersey, I love it that it’s an outline of the state. The colors are vibrant and it’s a big sized medal. I ended up wearing it all day long. Proud of it. I even wore it into WaWa and Ace lol.

Overall, I’m thrilled I decided to run this race even though I wasn’t feeling a hundred percent. It was a good practice run for the upcoming NJ Half Marathon. It definitely gave me a confidence boost. Now I have a month to work out a few things, get stronger, and ready to rock and roll.