Rock ‘n’ Roll 10K Race Recap: Setting (and Hitting) a New Type of Goal

Our toes were frozen!

This past weekend the FBGs (Jenn, Erin, Tish and Kristen) ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll 10k in Brooklyn courtesy of Brooks Running. This week, each FBG is sharing how her thoughts on how the race went by answering the three same questions. The difference of answers should be, well, interesting!

I flew up to New Jersey late on the Thursday night before the race. I’d checked the weather numerous times before leaving my Florida home, and realized I couldn’t even picture what 50 degrees looked like, let alone something colder. I packed my race tee and the running shorts I’d gotten to match, and figured, hey, if it’s cold, I’ll just wear knee socks and a sweatshirt to start.

Yeah. Turns out that temperatures in the 30s call for something a little more substantial, so on Friday night, the crew made an emergency stop so I could pick up some layers. Like, all the layers—I needed running tights, a long-sleeved base layer and a sweatshirt. For as much time as I spent planning, boy, did I fail. Yowza.

Happily, that was the only real failure of the race. Between the beautiful course (Prospect Park is incredible!) and the even more gorgeous company, the event was bound to be a big success.

How the Rock ‘n’ Roll 10K in Brooklyn Went (for Me)

1. What was your favorite moment of the race? When we passed the three-mile mark, I was amazed at how fresh my legs still felt. I was incredibly excited for the rest of the race, and knew I would have enough juice left to pick up the pace on the last mile.

2. Did you reach your goal? Yes! I decided in the days leading up to the race that I was not aiming for a PR; I’ve been having some back issues and I didn’t want to push to the point of risking more injury. So, my goal was to run the race and just enjoy the atmosphere, which I absolutely did. I kept a pace I was comfortable with and I have to say, I’ve never run a more enjoyable 6.2 miles in my life. And I still averaged a sub-11-minute pace, which I’m perfectly pleased with.

3. Pick one word to describe the race. Chill. I mean, for one thing, it was effing COLD (thanks, Jenn). But also, I loved the laid back attitude shared by many of the participants. We weren’t the only ones there running just for the fun of it, and it was obvious. We chatted with people as we passed (or were passed), we laughed with each other, and as we passed the music stations, some people (okay, me) even danced a little. This was such a far cry from how I normally go into a race, and I’m just thrilled with the whole experience.

Running with friends has some pretty incredible benefits beyond just keeping you accountable. Have you run races with friends? How did it affect your experience?  —Kristen