Ran my first 10k race at the FDR Park today. This was the St. Patrick’s Day Race, hosted by the Taconic Road Runners. Ran 11.06 min per mile on average with a total time of 1:08:49.3. Not terrible for someone who did not train and just showed up today. But it was also not great since my first mile was a 9 min mile.
Lessons learned:
- Train well in advance of a race- run 3 to 4 days a week. Run more than 3-4 miles each time
- Eat less and run more – I burned less than 200 calories with the 10k. Run to eat!
- Need a drill sergeant or a SoulCycle instructor to yell at me while I run
When I was in mile 5, there were two much older gentlemen running on the opposite side. One asked me, “What part is hurting now?” It took me a little bit to understand the question because nothing was hurting! The other one asked me, “Are you in the race? Do you know you only have less than a mile to go?”
I was meandering… with music in my ears. The two gentlemen properly kicked me into gear and I took off for the last mile. I was endorphin-filled for the rest of the afternoon.
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE TO ALL.
Peilin Corbanese 
Great job!!
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That’s a great pace for your first 10k, Peilin! It’s been a long time, looks like you’re doing well!
My advice to get faster, is start slower. …but to be fully transparent, I’m not a runner!
I run with my wife from time to time, but I prefer the bike. In bike training, I like to build a base, find out my threshold power, and then alternate between them in a long ride or race. Going back to base pace/power to rest.
I do the same with running. I know my comfortable pace, and run no slower than that. I’ll speed up at times if i feel fresh, but go back to comfy pace if my Heart Rate climbs too high. As you progress, that comfy pace will soon be faster than your average pace on this 10k.
Also, join Strava or MapMyRun. I like Strava as it is what I use, but my friends tell me MapMyRun is the same thing. Tracking your progress is a great way to stay motivated. Strava makes tracking this progress easy. It becomes dangerously addictive, but has made me more committed to being better/fitter/consistent.
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Hi Roald! It has been a long time! How have you been? Thank you for the advice! 😊😊😊
Sadly, I cannot start slow. That approach has not worked for me unfortunately. The interval thing works much better. Maybe it’s because my base is much slower.
I don’t cycle outdoors but I am an avid SoulCycle enthusiast. The idea is similar. It’s all about the heart rate and the endurance.
I have been using Runtastics to track. Did MapMyRun before but never caught on. Will check out Strava.
I’m running another 10k this Sat in Roosevelt Island. Join me?
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I am actually doing that one – NYCRUNS Spring Fling 10k. I’m taking it at a really easy pace with the wife – kind of like a run date, with the benefit of support.
To your “I cannot start slow” comment, just like learning to run fast, you can learn to run slow by running with people that have slower pace than you. The benefit is that you can spend time with company, and focus on your stride. I’ve found that running with my wife has made my solo runs faster. Look up MAF Run Training. It’s definitely hard to actively slow down when you know you can run faster. I only run solo when I can’t get to my wife or my bike due to traveling for work, weather, etc. but every time I do, I find gains in my personal average pace. I think I’m getting faster by training slower.
Still, it’s not for everyone, and I’m sure you will find gains with other training techniques. Regardless of technique you’re helping yourself to better fitness.
Have fun on Saturday! I’ll be the guy lightly jogging and chatting with his wife. Signing up for races helps ensure we put in the miles. Not taking it too seriously helps ensure we maintain the fun!
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How I wish I could do that! Well done 🙂
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