Icelandic 8K

Last night I ran the Icelandic Seafood Fest 8K in Newport News, VA. This was by far one of the most interesting and fun races I've ever run! The Y-shaped course meant that at multiple times I was passing by people who were either ahead of me or behind me. This was actually really fun because my husband and a bunch of my friends were running the race too. We cheered obnoxiously every time we saw each other. Unfortunately, the mile markers were very random, which messed with my mind a little, and my Nike+ Sensor was really off from what was marked on the road. I eventually just shut the darn thing off.

My first 3 miles felt great! I was running at about a 10:30 pace, and I honestly thought I could keep that up to set a PR. Then around the beginning of mile 4, I realized something funny... I was starving! This race started at 7:15 P.M. which I'm not used to. I tried not to eat a lot throughout the day, for fear that I might upset my stomach during the run. I've never felt hungry during a race before! I pushed through, but I could feel my body getting tired. I walked a bit at 2 water stops, and I was really starting to wonder if I could keep going. Then, a saving grace in the form of a middle-aged woman in blue ran next to me. I was walking fast and attempting to catch my breath when she looked right at me and said, "Oh no, you are not going to walk at this point. We only have half a mile to go. Run with me!" My mood was lifted and I felt speed return to my stride. I ran right beside her for the remainder of the race and slowed up at the finish line so I could politely let her finish first. I touched her arm through my labored breathing and managed to shout "Thank you!" She smiled and said, "Oh I've been there before. We all need a little push sometimes." I honestly thanked God for her right then and there. I finished with an unofficial time of 58:17, which wasn't quite what I hoped, but I was still happy with myself.

I met up with my hubby and friends and we headed to the best part of the event....the seafood dinner! It was hosted by Bonefish Grill and the food was INCREDIBLE!!! We had caesar salad, pumpernickle rolls, grilled haddock with a lemon butter sauce, their infamous Bang Bang Shrimp, jasmine rice, and a brownie. Our group gathered around a big table and ate like kings until we couldn't eat any more. We felt like a big, happy family celebrating a holiday! It was such a fun event, and our Beer Runners Club plans to make it part of our yearly race schedule.

We're all taking a break from racing for the summer since it's so hot and humid here in Virginia, but we have two races already scheduled for the fall. I plan to do some early morning/late evening runs to avoid the heat, and I'll run on the treadmill at the gym when necessary. I'm hoping to work up my endurance enough to be able to keep that 10 or 10:30 pace throughout an 8K or 10K race.


Check out our group after the race!