Berbee Derby prep

My next race, the Berbee Derby, is coming up on Thanksgiving.

This race will always have a special place in my heart because it was the first race I ever ran. I had nervously signed up for the 10k because I was already running 11.5 mile long runs, and it seemed like such a waste to just run the 5k. But it was my first race. I had no idea how to pace myself. But I actually did much better at pacing myself during this race than I did during my marathon. My lofty goal was to get under 60 minutes (9:40 pace), and I managed to finish in 57:50 (9:18 pace).

I'm not sure what my goal is this time. Obviously I want to be much faster than last year, since at that point I had only been running about five months. According to various race predictors, if I were in shape to run a 4:00 marathon, I would run a 10k in 52:27 (8:26 pace). But based on last year's time, I should have been able to run a 4:30 marathon... (But then again, I could have- if I had stuck to my training plan!)

This year, my whole family is participating! My mom and dad are doing the 5k walk, my younger brother is doing the 5k run, and my older brother, his wife, and my husband are joining me for the 10k. :) Being the competitive brat that I am, I guess I can set a goal of kicking their butts. If that's possible...

For maximum butt-kicking, I should try to run 30-40 miles per week, with one good tempo session and one nice long run. Since my marathon, my weekly mileage has been quite pitiful. But hopefully the competition will inspire me to do more than 4 mile runs. :)