Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Statesman Capitol 10K race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check outBibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
Austin, Texas! I love the place. I live in Dallas, about 3 hours away.
A friend of mine told me I had to do this race in Austin. That it was worth the weekend trip. She was right!
As you know, I am still on the mend form a piriformis/glute issue but was confident that I could run a 10K for fun (not pushing the pace). So, I headed down to Austin on Saturday to hit the expo before race day, Sunday.
After the car ride I was worried. The only other thing that makes “it” hurt (I’ll be referring to my pain as “it”) is sitting for long period of time (thank goodness for my standing desk at work!). So, after the car ride I was just worried that it would be a repeat of RnR NOLA and every step would hurt.
But it didn’t!
I am so thankful for Lifelong Endurance for coaching me through this speed bump the smart way. I told Coach how I felt after the car ride and he told me some stretches to do and told me to take a hot bath. I woke up in the morning feeling like I would be OK. And at this point that was huge. It’s a bummer to travel somewhere and not even enjoy the run!
So, it was race morning! I love race morning. An early alarm, extra coffee, fine-tuning my race outfit. I wasn’t sure what to wear with the weather – 40 degrees. I have that delimma of “I know I’ll warm up” but also know “I’ll be miserably cold for a solid hour before that happens.” I’ve tried actually not getting to the race TOO early (I used to be about an hour early, now I aim for about 20 minutes) to help remedy this.
I still wore my “throw away” jacket that I got for like $3 at Good Will but have yet to actually toss during a race because it’s fuzzy and warm and, well, I like it! (Thrifted clothing always ends up being my favorite).
Anyway, I was “good” and did some lunges, high knees, butt kickers, and some stretches before the race start! I’m usually that person that just stands awkwardly until the start. I have been religious about warm ups lately because Coach actually *LOADS* this into my workout. So, I read it and have to check it off my list. Plus, how could I say “it hurt” then answer “no…” when I’m asked if I warmed up and stretched?
So the run starts and I don’t push it. I start at about a 10 minute mile and then realize “I feel OK!” My goal was just to run and enjoy it. Not be in pain. Not push myself. And I did just that. It is frustrating that “it” still hurts just a tad because I FELT GREAT. I WANTED to go fast. I COULD have gone fast. But I knew I’d hurt myself even more. I’m on the “up and up” and need to continue to go “up.”
I decided to not even look at my watch and just go. Just look at everything and bounce along. Have fun! And I am so thankful for this run. It DID feel great and I DID have fun. I really soaked it all in and looked at every little thing and was happy and free.
I finished in under an hour (56:37) although I could have finished in any amount of time and been happy to run without pain and run happy! Austin is a beautiful, unique city and I truly had fun exploring and running. It was just what I needed!
For a full review on the race itself – organization, expo details, swag, etc – check out my Race Review on BibRave.com here: https://www.bibrave.com/races/statesman-cap10k/9614#.Wst-q4gbNaQ
For my Athlinks results go here: https://www.athlinks.com/athletes/319145186
Jenna runs 
Seems like you are on your way to full recovery, enjoy your running!
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Thank you so much, Alexandre!
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Glad to hear it was a good race and that you are on the mend!
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Thank you! 🙂
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