SF Chinatown Y Chinese New Year 10k RR

5t3ph4n13

Barefooters
Jan 29, 2012
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First race ever and first race barefoot... it was the San Francisco Chinatown Y Chinese New Year 10k/5k (I did the 10k). Year of the Dragon! There were prizes for costumes so there were a few people dressed up. It was a 2-loop course in Chinatown and downtown San Francisco- not a certified course so it was "approximately" 6.2 miles- MapMyRun gave me an estimate of 6.4 miles.

It was 45 degrees and overcast, but that's pretty common weather for the area, and not as cold as its been in the past from speaking with runners around me that had run the race before. I got there about an hour before the start and picked up my race shirt and pins for my bib. I dropped off my sweats at the sweat check (Thanks Y volunteers!)... and came back to grab my socks so I could use their non-Porta Potty facilities. After returning my socks to my sweat check bag, I headed out to the starting line.

I got questions from a few geniunely curious people who asked if I was really going to run the race barefoot, how long I had been running barefoot, what I do about glass, etc. I was kind of unprepared for all the questions because it was my first race ever- not just my first barefoot race. I even got caught by an older gentleman with a camera guy who interviewed me before and after the race for a documentary they are going to be filming at a bunch of races this summer. I think it's going the be called, "The Long Run" but I really wasn't prepared to be articulate about Barefoot Running that morning so I won't point out which blabbering idiot I am :).

Right before the start, my feet were starting to get a little numb from the cold. I am used to the temperatures but not so used to standing around instead of quickly warming up by running. There were a few hundred runners, I was in the middle of the pack, and we were pretty tightly packed because the streets of Chinatown are pretty narrow.

We started off, very slowly, on a slight downhill, with a tiny tiny hill and flat route to another downhill and very flat course until mile 2. The surface was chip-and-seal, which I obviously need more practice on. I didn't have any pain during the race but I did have some skin tenderness after because I have been training on concrete sidewalks.

From about 1.7-2.9 miles (and 4.7-5.9m because it was a 2-loop course) we climbed in elevation from about 17 feet to 193 feet. Now, I thought "Hey, no big deal. I live in the area- with hills- I can do this." But that hill sapped me both times around. The first time, it was psychological because the 5k runner were diverted to their finish line and we continued up the climb. The second time because I started pushing too hard too far from the end. I did learn I need to run on hills MUCH more and stop trying to avoid them by running in the only flat areas I can find. Here is the elevation data if anyone is interested:

6910878453_16030a8553.jpg


The second loop was much more pleasant because there weren't as many kids, though a few discourteous pre-teens were walking the 10k course. Walking was specifically not allowed for the 10k, but I wouldn't have minded as much had they not walked 3 abreast on the course, forcing runners to weave around them.

I paced myself too much in the beginning, irrationally afraid I may push too hard and pass out from exhaustion in a back alley in Chinatown. I started speeding up during the second loop. I really started pushing around mile 4.5, which was a mistake. I should have waited until 5.2-5.5 because of the hill that finished out the race. I did pass quite a few people during the last 1.5-2 miles, and even "raced" with a girl during the last .5 mile. She ended up beating me by a second because of that damned hill sapping me at the end.

My 10k time was 1:01:11. I could have done it faster, and have done that distance faster in training several times. But I am pretty happy with the time for my first race. The total elevation gain (449 ft) was more than I had done on a single training run and something I will focus more on for any other SF races. It was definitely not hilly for a SF race, but not quite flat either :).

My kids and husband met me at the finish line and the kids have colds so I headed out quickly and didn't stay for the awards or party after. My lower calves were pretty sore, my feet were fine except for a blister that developed because of a previously procured callous under my middle toe, aggravated by the roughish chip and seal. I already performed a callous/blister-ectomy and am back on to my marathon training plan this week!
 
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