[Race Report] Galveston Sandcrab 10k: I actually ran all summer

Race information

• What? Galveston Sand Crab 10k
• When? August 12, 2017
• How far? 10k
• Where? Galveston, TX
• Website: http://www.runintexas.com/gcrab
• Strava activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/1130695336

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Win	Yes
B	< 40:18 (6:30 pace)	No

Splits

Mile	Time
1	6:42
2	6:58
3	7:01
4	6:38
5	6:38
6	6:31
.2	FOREVER
Total	41:11

One initial note-- a HUGE thank you to everyone here for just being who you all are. It's incredibly motivating to see what everyone does and folks supporting each other--especially those days where running is the last thing you want to do. I'll see someone post an epic workout or race or just their week of running and it's enough to get me out the door. I don't post a ton, but all of you have been a huge reason I've gotten that running itch back.

Keep being awesome artc folks.

Overall

(While this race isn't a big one, I've found I really enjoy reading race reports about "different" races. This is definitely one of those.)

This race is an interesting one. It's generally hard to find anything over a 5k in the summer in the Houston area (for good reason, it's HOT). This race is run at night and in the dark. On the beach (out and back) with no light. You run about 200 yards through loose sand to the water's edge, turn, run out to the turn around and back. You bring a light (though I find it better to run with it off and let your eyes adjust as much as possible) and make your way through the dark. You try and keep fairly close to the water so the sand is more firm, but not too close so you're running on a huge slant or too much in the mud. You also have to dodge and jump across holes, dips, sand hills, valleys, etc. All which blend in quite well since it's dark. Oh and it's always windy. Pretty much always a ~15mph headwind out, and the same tailwind back.

Training

A disastrous Houston Marathon back in January where I had planned to BQ (it was warm) has essentially been haunting me ever since. It served as a wakeup call that if I actually ever wanted to BQ (weather or not) I needed to do a lot of things different. Since then, I started accidentally streaking since the end of January, upped my mileage from 30, to 40, to ~45 miles per week for the last month or so. I started doing weekly track sessions and LT runs. I focused on some shorter races this summer to help keep the motivation up (since long runs when its 80 and 100% humidity SUCK). This race was a bit of a culmination of all of that to see what sort of fitness I could have actually staying in shape all summer.

Based on previous years, I figured if I ran ~6:30/mile, I should be able to win it-- however that's incredibly variable based on temperature, wind and overall conditions. That was at least my goal going in to it-- run close to 6:30s and win.

Pre-race

Ran a 3 mile shakeout in the morning-- it was HOT. Figured fine, it will cool down at night and being on the coast, should help a bit. Get down to the beach that night, yep, still pretty hot. I try to at least get in a mile and some strides, while avoiding the wind. Temperature is decent going in to the wind, but as soon as you make a turn with the wind are your back, just ends up being sweat city.

Race

####Start-Mile 1.55 Race starts out in pretty lose sand for the first 200-300 meters or so. It's a tough balance between trying not to spend too much energy trying to go quickly, and not getting overrrun with everyone else that is going to spend too much energy on the sand. Eventually hit the beach and try and find a rhythm. It's a pretty hard head wind and pace is slower than I'd like but I don't want to spend too much energy knowing the sand is deceptive and the last couple miles will suck. I've got a small flashlight with but don't really use it much and try to let my eyes adjust as much as possible. Finally make it to the front so I don't have other lights to make odd shadows, etc and just cruise for awhile. The 5k turn around at 1.55 is a water station and they have a bunch of bright lights there. Almost trip a few times as I pass that while my eyes readjust.
####Mile 1.55-3.1 I manage to keep running fairly even ~ 7 minute pace on the way out. Have to dodge and weave through a few groups of folks still out on the beach. As it gets closer to the 3.1 turn around, it enters a super populated section of beach so having to spend a lot more time dodging left over sand castles, holes and you name it. Hit the turn around still by myself in the front and going the other way, I'm able to see the next guy probably 50 yards back.

####Mile 3.1-6.0 Turn the corner wind is at my back, feels like I can fly! Finally, stretch the legs out and go! Only it now feels like a sauna. I'm finding I have to turn my flashlight on quite a bit more as I'm now running in to folks and their lights so I keep getting blinded again. The entire way back, I start stumbling and having to catch myself more and more as I get more and more tired. Eventually I start running in to the 5k folks and have to weave around them. Slowly I start to notice a light keeping up with me and getting closer. I can't get all that good of a look because any attempt I make, I can't tell the difference between anyone else. But it definitely keeps getting closer. I think. I really have no idea. A couple miles out I feel myself enter the normal end of the race suffer zone where you start playing mind games about what is "good enough" and how much you can slow down and still call it a good race. After a few minutes of doing that and just trying to hold the pace, I happen to look up, saw a random shooting star above me-- which was enough for me to shake me out of the "this race is a stupid idea" funk and get back to focusing. It still felt like the person behind me is closing in so I try and pick it up the last half mile or so, but didn't have much left. ####Mile 6.0-6.2 Turn the corner away from the beach and head in to the soft sand again. We run around a beach patrol truck with its crazy bright lights on so I can't tell how close the person behind me is. I try and give a kick, but manage to actually go slower since I keep digging in. Finally change my tactic and take super short light steps which seems to help. Finally prance across the finish line in first. Then get a chance to look back and no one is there. Apparently guy that was close to chasing me down was just a mind trick.

Post-race

While I didn't hit my time, I was happy. My best guess, a 6:38/mile has to be worth close to a 6:20 or slightly better still in the heat-- faster if it wasn't super hot. I've been trying to train hard all summer to exorcise those bad race demons from earlier in the year-- all the time wondering if it's actually helping or even worth it. This race, while not a stellar time or huge field was a confirmation that all this shitty summer training might just help. It's been hard to see how running mile repeats or anything else in this heat is helping, but it seems like it has.

What's Next

Going to back off intensity a bit for the next couple weeks-- then I start my marathon cycle beginning in September aiming for a 3:05 or better in the Houston marathon. I'm at least going into training having run more miles and being in the best shape I've been in-- I just need to translate that to marathon performance.

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