Hoover Hustle 10 Miler

I signed up for this race soon after the events at the Boston Marathon.  Many races around the country were experiencing record numbers of runners the week after the horrifying attacks.  In our own meager way, we were showing support for the people of Boston and showing that we will not change the way we live our lives.

This race was held at the Hoover Reservoir in Westerville, OH.  5k and 10k options were also available. It was the first ten miler I've ever entered and I decided to just take it easy and treat it like a training run.  After running a 10k PR the week prior and with the Cap City Half Marathon coming up, it really was my only option.

I arrived at the race an hour early (as always) and could not believe how cold it was for late April!  There was frost on the ground!  Most runners were staying in their cars until they absolutely had to get out.  So, seeing as I was treating this as nothing more than a training run, I decided I might as well be comfortable and threw on a long sleeve tech tee and my lightweight jacket from the Columbus Marathon.  I never wear that much in races, but it didn't look like I would be overheating.  The race started at the Bel Lago restaurant and ran along the reservoir for the first few miles.  There was little to no congestion because the other races started 15 minutes after ours.  I started off at a modest pace, hitting 9:21, 9:15, and 9:05 for the first three miles.  My legs were still feeling my 10k attempt from the previous week.  We crossed the dam during the third mile, which gave us a gorgeous view of the reservoir.  Most of the rest of the course meandered through some neighborhoods east of the lake.  The scenery wasn't bad and there were some nice hills to break up the race a bit.  Surprising, considering the Columbus area is, for the most part, flat.  I picked it up some during this stretch and began hitting sub-9:00 miles for the rest of the race.  My modest goal of finishing below 1:30 was well within reach.

There were some nice downhills on the way back to the dam, which we crossed again, on the way back to Bel Lago.  I was just over one hour at the seven mile mark and made the final push.  We made our way back the same exact way we came, so I knew what to expect.  I was able to catch a few people during this stretch, too.

Final time- 1:25:09       64/205 Overall

Not a bad effort for a last minute training race.  I normally could have come close to breaking 1:20.  The Capital City Half Marathon is in just under a week.  I am not expecting another PR effort like my last Cap City attempt, but the weather is certainly looking better than last year.  Early reports are looking at mid-50s when the race starts.  Compare that with the blistering heat and humidity of last year's race.

Next race: Capital City Half Marathon- Columbus, OH