The 2015 North Face Endurance Challenge DC-10K

So this past Sunday I ran The North Face Endurance 10K in DC. This race series’ main focus is ultra-marathons with a 50 miler, 50K, and Marathon held on Saturday and a Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K held the following day all on trails.

Last year the DC races were held in June and I had registered to run the 10K but due to getting injured during the Zooma Annapolis Half a few weeks before I was unable to participate and my little cousin ran in my place. This year the race was moved to mid-April because June got too hot…the issue with this April…lots of rain = lots of mud.

I have never run trails before but I decided to run the Half Marathon with my cousin…yes I signed up for the half and yes my first paragraph says 10K…keep reading…

Packet pickup for the race was the Thursday or Friday before at the North Face stores in Georgetown and Tyson’s Corner or on race day at Algonkian Park. The race packet included a North Face tech shirt that you could have plain or screen-printed at the race and a pair of Smartwool running socks.

So anyway the race took place at Algonkian Park in Sterling, Virginia so I decided to spend the night at my aunt’s house since it was closer to the race and I was running with my cousin. Apparently I did not read the directions very well because come race day my cousin and I arrived at what we thought was the start for all the races but after seeing no one with half marathon bibs discovered we were at the wrong place and that the half started about 30 minutes away at Great Falls Park…so we had no choice but to switch to the 10K since our moms had dropped us off and headed to get some breakfast and the race was starting in less than 30 minutes…so the day before the race I was trying to figure out where the race was because I did not want to take the shuttle to the race start since I did not have to park…I looked online and I guess I rushed through it because all I could really find was a map with the Finish Festival Location and the parking lot for the shuttles so I figured the website said Algonkian Park it must be there…if I would have taken the time to open the Half Marathon course description PDF booklet I would have seen that it started elsewhere…I did come across a sentence saying that the half marathoners should take the shuttle to Great Falls Park but after finding no address and Apple Maps showing several locations for this park I figured it would be somewhere close to Algonkian not 30 minutes away…oh well now I know for next time.

So the 10K ran us around Algonkian Park and the terrain was a mix of grassy muddy rain soaked fields, golf cart paths through the local golf course, and the actual dirt trails. I had never run trails before but I had heard that they are much more difficult than street running and they were right. Our course was supposedly not too technical and it probably wasn’t for an experienced trail runner but I for me I was pretty darn hard. In the first mile we ran through a rain soaked field where several people lost their shoes to the mud and you had to push extra hard to get through then around mile 4 you ran through some trees and more thick slippery mud…a few people wiped out but I managed to stay upright after skidding a few times. We jumped over small ditches and ran in some puddles with many rocks that caused some people to almost roll their ankles…like my cousin…I literally stopped and walked gingerly over these rocks to avoid any such injuries…I need to be intact for my summer marathon training J

I eventually crossed the finish line in 49 minutes flat and according to my Garmin the 10K was actually 5.9 miles…later on when I checked my results they indicated that the official distance was 6 miles… 0.2 short of a full 10K.

My muddy ankles and shoes...they got a little less muddy when I ran through the puddles

The finishers’ village was pretty fun with massage tables for runners and a Sierra Nevada beer garden. We stuck around a little while since our moms like to collect all the free goodies…including our free beer…neither of us really felt like a beer that morning. Overall I thought the race was pretty fun but I think it was probably a blessing we did not do the half as both my cousin and I (she finished about 9 minutes after I did) found the 10K to be much harder than we thought.

Me with my 10K finisher medal and my post race beer

I’m planning to run the half next year but this time I will probably do some trail running along with my normal street running to better prepare and I will also read the course for the half start more carefully…I still don’t plan on taking the shuttle…I find shuttles to be stressful as you have to wait in line and get there extra early and then stand around at the start for about an hour…I usually avoid  races that require you to take a shuttle unless a friend or family member can take me to the start or like the 17.75K where the prize at the end is something I really want (MCM entry). So I suggest if you are adventurous and don’t mind mud or potentially tripping over roots and rocks try this race out it’s lots of fun and trail running is pretty awesome…just make sure you know where your starting line is and perhaps get a few trail runs in before race day.

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler- 2015 Edition

Getting an Entry:

I have run the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler the last 3 years in a row. The first time I ran it in 2013 I got in through the regular lottery process where you fill out an online registration within a certain window of time and once registration is closed over 15,000 or so individuals are randomly selected to run the race (The official race site results stated that this year there were 17,887 finishers for the 10 Miler) many people also get in as part of the race’s official charity group the Children’s Miracle Network, with guaranteed entries as volunteers from the previous year, or as part of their company’s team (usually companies that provide sponsorship to the race)

In 2014 my entry was not chosen but when it came time for the “transfer/deferral period” I kept a constant eye on the official transfer blog where those who got in but can no longer run and those who did not get in but want to run can post what they are willing to “sell” or “buy” and I got my entry from a young lady who had unfortunately broken her ankle and could no longer participate. Per the official race page the person transferring their entry cannot charge more than what they paid for their entry but in reality these transactions are done independently from the official race site so some greedy people could definitely over charge a very eager runner looking to get in. The recipient of the transferred entry is only required to pay a transfer fee on the official race site. Basically the whole process could have the potential for some scammers so I suggest if you are looking for a race entry first have the person offering you their bib set up the transfer and then once it goes through send them the money. Hopefully you as recipients are a good moral person and will pay the seller what was agreed upon… if not I’m sure they could dispute it.

After not having been selected by the lottery process in 2014 I decided I wanted to ensure an entry for 2015 and signed up to volunteer as a race number lookup assistant at the race expo. It was a 4 hour shift and time flew by. Make sure you sign in when you get there that way you ensure that you get the guaranteed entry code for the next year…it’s usually sent out a few weeks before the lottery opens.

So this year I got in with the volunteer code I earned in 2014 but was still able to find my boyfriend an entry using the same method as my 2014 entry….granted that method is very stressful and time consuming.

For this year’s race I also volunteered at the expo in order to ensure my 2016 entry...also as a runner one should give back to the running community. If it wasn’t for volunteers none of us would be able to run.

Saturday morning Packet Pickup...not too crowded this year

 

The Expo:

The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler Expo is typically held the Friday and Saturday prior to race day at the National Building Museum located right by the Judiciary Square metro station. This expo isn’t as big as those I have seen in the past but it still has a good assortment of running goodies for purchase.



A view from the second floor balcony of the expo

If you get to the expo right when it opens both days or if you go right during lunch time/after work on Friday chances are you will be waiting in line a bit longer than if you waited for some random time like maybe 2PM on Friday. Nevertheless things move along at a steady pace so if those times are most convenient for you then go for it. Make sure you have your photo ID and your bib number ready as these are required to get your packet. Also make sure to read the requirements for picking up by proxy if you are having someone else pick up your bib or you are getting someone else’s. I volunteered at this year’s expo on Saturday morning for packet pickup and the lines were not as long as in the past as this year’s Friday packet pickup also included a free happy hour that enticed people to stop by early and it worked as we were told that Friday was pretty hectic.

My long sleeve volunteer shirt...the official race shirt had the same image on the front and was also cotton but had short sleeves and was heather grey

The Race:

The race begins and ends on 15^th street next to the Washington Monument. The weather for race day the last two years and this year has been great not too cold and not too hot with no rain. This year was definitely much warmer than last year which made this a very pleasant run.

The race takes you from 15^th Street right onto Independence Avenue towards Memorial Bridge where you cross the bridge round the traffic circle before Arlington Cemetery and make your way back across the bridge towards the Kennedy Center where you turn back around right before the intersection with F St and make your way back on Rock Creek Parkway onto Ohio Drive around the Tidal Basin and then around Hains Point making your way around the Tidal Basin to the Washington Monument and the finish. This year unfortunately there was an accident involving a pedestrian being struck by a motorcycle on part of the course prior to the race that caused the race to be rerouted around mile 4 to allow the Parks Police to investigate the incident. As of this time the actual course distance has not been officially determined but many believe it is about 9.52 miles…I forgot my GPS watch so I was unable to formulate my own opinion. The new course instead of continuing for miles 4-6 on Ohio Drive along the Potomac had a turnaround at mile 4 at the intersection of Ohio Dr and West Basin Drive then back along Independence Avenue and onto East Basin Drive where the course got back on track on Ohio Drive.

This race has a field of about 30,000 participants which means it can get very crowded. In the past I have swerved past people as I made my way through the course and while annoying I didn’t really care too much…this year I decided to pace my boyfriend who really isn’t a runner but decided he would run with me after I asked him to. He has a slower pace than I do by about 30-45 seconds per mile so throughout the race I had to make sure I was still with him…this was made more difficult by the numerous people all around that we either passed or were passed by. The weather on race day was very pleasant not too chilly in the morning and it did not get too warm as the race progressed. Shorts and a tank top or t-shirt would be ideal during the race…at the start a sweatshirt or other top would be useful as it was colder then and many people waited in their corals for the race to start…having my office only a few blocks away is very convenient…we stayed there indoors and used the building restrooms until about 15 minutes before the race start. If you do not have this luxury you should make sure to get to the race with enough time to do bag check and use the bathroom if needed…the race provides a good number of porto potties but there will always be lines. The race organization donates any discarded clothes to charity which is awesome so if you do need to stand in your corral a bit longer make sure to bring clothes you may no longer need or would like to donate…that way you can stay warm and not have to worry about checking those items.

The finish festival looked pretty awesome especially since it was nice a sunny out. The festival took place on the lawn between the Washington Monument and Constitution Avenue. This was setup with several tents housing bag check, food and water, and where one could pick up their finisher medal…the medals are not included in the race price they are an add on so you do not get them as soon as you cross the finish you have to go to the medal tent where they check your bib to make sure did indeed select the medal option. The finish festival also had live music which was awesome….my boyfriend and I sat in the grass while we waited for my friend to finish the race.

The 2015 Cherry Blossom Finisher Medal

At this time as I previously mentioned the official course length has not been determined and therefore my official race time is unavailable.

Overall I would recommend this race if you are not dead set on achieving a PR and don’t mind the crowded races. The scenery is beautiful and the weather this time of year is usually quite pleasant. The cost for this race is reasonable with or without the medal and/or tshirt upgrade…the tshirts are standard cotton in unisex sizes but can be upgraded to gender specific tech if you so desire and do not mind paying a premium. So if you can be sure to sign up for the lottery email notification for next year’s race.

Cross Training- Yoga

So back in October 2014 when I moved to DC and just started running again after my 5ish month running hiatus…thanks piriformis…I thought why not do yoga to help me with my flexibility/mobility issues that have contributed to my running injuries. One of my new roommates happened to practice yoga quite frequently and recommended I try Yoga District as they had a location just a few blocks from us and are one of the more affordable studios in the area.

I signed up online first by using their new two classes for one deal for new students…so it ended up being $6 a class normally a one class pass is $12. I enjoyed both my classes which were Power Yoga Levels 1-2 on Thursday nights and Heated Flow Yoga 1-2 on Sunday afternoons.

Me and my new Jade yoga mat...love this new mat and highly recommend it

 

Power Yoga seemed to focus more on strengthening than flexibility while Flow Yoga worked on both. Heated Flow Yoga is the same as Flow Yoga except they put the heat up and use space heaters  to get the room to about 85 degrees (Yoga District offers Flow regularly and heated flow just on Sundays….at least at my location).

After my first two classes I bought a 10 class pass that cost me almost $100 with tax and I had 3 months to use the 10 classes. For the next two months I went 1-2 times a week but after continuing to struggle with pains while running from muscle tightness I decided to really dedicate myself and purchase their unlimited monthly pass that cost about $90 and came with a 3 month minimum. It’s now been about a month and a half since I got on this plan and I have been going on average 3-4 times a week and have really noticed improved flexibility that translates to my runs and to everyday life. Yoga also really helps counteract sitting in a chair all day at work.

The teachers at Yoga District that I’ve had have been great. I really like going to Kate A’s, Cara G’s, and Stacey’s classes for Flow Yoga and Klydie’s class for Power Yoga which really is a great strength workout. The studio that I go to is on H St NE and from what I have heard it is a bit smaller than their other studios but it works for me especially only having to walk a few blocks to get there from home after work. I plan on going to their Bloomingdale location soon since the bf lives near it and I’m trying to get him to do some yoga…he does a lot of CrossFit type workouts and is running now that I signed him up for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler so a little yoga would be great for him too.

If you live near one of Yoga District’s locations I would recommend you get their new student deal and check them out.

Yoga District on H St NE