Gate River Run 2010 Recap

Whew! It has been one heck of a day, and I am EXHAUSTED! Hubby and I started our day bright and early, and arrived at the race site at 7:15. We had to park about a mile away from the start. It was pretty chill out, but it warmed up start time. I was a little overwhelmed by how many people were at the race. The Gate River Run 15k had over 15,000 runners this year. So, I guess that’s why there were so many bananas:

The race started at 8:30, and I was stuck in the back because I’m not quite fast enough to be a seeded runner. Thankfully, the start was quick and I got to cross it in less than 10 minutes. Waiting for the start:

Ah, obstacle #1 – The Main Street Bridge:

I felt really confident after crossing the Main St. Bridge. I was running MUCH faster than I had planned. Best part? Chasing boys in skirts:

Sorry for the shitty picture. Taking a picture on an iPhone while trying to run is actually really hard.

The course was GORGEOUS. It ran along the St. Johns River and in some “old money” neighborhoods of Jacksonville. Pretty much every mile there were water stops and live bands playing. It was definitely a fun atmosphere. Somewhere around mile 3 I had to stop and take a picture of the beautiful sights:

I was doing awesome until around mile 6. I just got so tired. I couldn’t explain it. In order to survive, I started taking a 1-minute walk break every 4 minutes. I admit, the Hart Bridge was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, so I ended up doing some walking up it. Approaching the top:

And with my finisher’s medal:

I finished the race in 1:53:14 according to my Garmin. I also actually went 9.50 miles instead of 9.36. I’m really pleased with my overall performance. The River Run is a great race, and despite the massive blister on my big toe, I’m looking forward to doing it again next year!

P.S. – I’ll be sure to update with my splits as soon as I feel like getting my off lazy ass and going upstairs to get my Garmin.

Splits as promised:
1 11:37
2 11:54
3 11:39
4 12:00
5 11:44
6 11:37
7 12:02
8 12:38
9 12:31
.36 3:56 (1:51:41)
.14 1:32