Tar Heel Ten Miler

I think I mentioned here last week that I was going to do a 10 mile run in Chapel Hill this past weekend, right? Well, I did it. I didn't train at all, and I did it. It was actually pretty fun. My old college roommate and I have done this race together the last few years. Two years ago, we were both pretty new to running, and opted for the 4-miler that is also an option. I was immediately jealous of all the 10 mile runners and vowed that I would make that  happen the next year. So, last year, fairly fresh off a half marathon, I signed up for the 10. I think at that point Sarah and I pretty much decided we'd try to do it every year.

This year we both put off registration as long as we could. Two weeks before the race, I signed up. I run a few days a week, but 6 miles is the farthest I've gone in a year. Yes, I do that six every week, but still. The math is pretty simple: 10 > 6. 

Anyway. As a Carolina girl, I know it doesn't get much better than Chapel Hill in the springtime. It also doesn't get much hillier. I mean, you have to figure any town with the word "Hill" in its name is going to have some of those little demons. Of course, I had done this race before, so I knew what I was getting into, but honestly, there isn't much that can prepare you for the grueling part of the course that is Laurel Hill Road. More on that in a sec.

So, beautiful spring day. A little humid, but that's okay. I was well-hydrated. We pretty much started out on an uphill, which I think is mean, but they didn't consult me when making the course. I won't go into the mile-by-mile details, but basically, I felt really good for about 8 miles. I could feel my legs starting to tire a bit, but nothing terrible. But then came that damn Laurel Hill Road. Starting at about mile 8.25, you start going straight up. Then about a half mile up, you think you're done. Flatter road! Yay! Oh, but no. Not really. Because look! More uphill. Ugh! It's like it never ends. And then it finally does, about a mile later. It sucks. That's just all I can say about it. But then it's over, and you're only about .75 miles from the finish, and it's all flat road to the end. 

The 10 miles flew by since Sarah and I chatted the whole way. Plus, the scenery was beautiful and the people watching was good. Here we are at the end, all sweaty and glistening. It was insanely humid for April:

So, I'm glad I did it and I'm glad it's over. And I'm looking forward to doing it again next year.