Update No. 6 – Back in training 2013: Preparing for my first 10K

I DID IT! With less than two weeks to go until the Trenton (N.J.) 10K, I finally recorded a sub-hour 10K time today, running 6.22 miles in a new personal best 59:24.

It should be noted, however, that Nike+ is GPS-based and I received a “weak GPS” alert prior to starting my run. There is a lot of solar activity right now that could be affecting GPS systems so it may have affected the result. But the app was announcing my mile times at the locations where it usually does so I don’t think it was off by that much, if at all. I can’t imagine it was off enough to account for all of the nearly three minutes I shaved off my previous best time. I pushed it for most of the run, so that had a lot to do with it.

In any event, it’s a good result to go into the tapering phase of training. I’ll likely do only two or three 5K-distance runs before the race on Nov. 9.

I’ve updated my run tracker below with links to data from my Nike+ Running app.

Original Post from May 4, 2013:
This week, I signed up for the Trenton (N.J.) 10K, which is held in conjunction with the Trenton Half Marathon. The race takes place Saturday, November 9, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. It will be yet another in a series of runs I’ve done this year that take place near or in a ballpark, as the Trenton 10K finishes inside the Trenton Thunder’s (Class AA affiliate of the New York Yankees) Arm & Hammer (formerly Mercer County) Waterfront Park. So far in 2013, I’ve taken part in the Phillies Charities 5K, which included a post-race walk around the warning track of Citizens Bank Park, and the Barnabas Health/Lakewood BlueClaws 5K, which finished inside FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, N.J.—home of the Class A affiliate of the Phillies.

I don’t really claim to be a “runner,” but I’m trying to get in better shape and I’ve been enjoying running more and more over the years. Last night, I attempted my first-ever 10K-distance run and it went very well. The Nike+ app on my iPhone clocked me at 1:05:50 for a 6.24-mile run. There is definite room for improvement, but the thing I was really happy with was that—for my first time attempting that distance—I felt great throughout the run. I established a nice, comfortable pace early on that left me feeling good enough to turn in a rather solid final 1.24 miles. My average pace was 10:33 per mile, but I was running at a pace of under 10:00 per mile for the final 7/10th of a mile. In fact, I was cruising along at 9:31 per mile at the 6-mile mark.

It’s going to be rough to get in 10K-distance runs on a regular basis as I train for the Trenton 10K, so I’ll likely be doing mostly 5K runs with a few longer outings sprinkled in. But I’m hopeful I’ll be able to get in two or three 10K runs in a month—likely more closer to November—prior to the race.