Zoo Run 10k

Looking back at past training logs, it looks like having severe allergy issues leading up to the Zoo Run (since the switch to an April race) is a recurring theme. I was a little nervous about the race because I felt terrible all week leading up to it. My lungs were burning on my runs and I had to use my inhaler before running, I was falling asleep on the couch after getting the kids in bed, was coughing a lot, and super congested. I know I've had allergy trouble around this time in the past, but this year was really bad. Ty convinced me to take double allergy pills on Friday evening so I started feeling better around Sunday morning, unfortunately the race was on Saturday, so I didn't get relief before the race. I ran a 6 mile tempo around 3 weeks before the race and averaged 7:13 pace. I wasn't sure what to expect with my allergies throwing me for a loop so I decided to just shoot for my tempo pace and decided to try for sub-45. They changed the schedule for the races around a bit. Normally the fun run is at 8:00, the 5k starts at 8:30, and the 10k starts at 9:00. This year the fun run still started at 8:00, but they swapped the 5k and 10k so the 10k started at 8:30 and the 5k started at 9:00. I was excited about that change because it meant I wouldn't be fighting crowds of 5k walkers during my race, but I was disappointed because it wouldn't give me time to run the fun run with Elise and then get back out to my race start in time. 

I watched the kids start the fun run, then I ran a warm up and did a quick restroom break. I stopped off at the truck to drop my warm ups and just lucked out that Thomas and Michaela ran by on their warm up, so I was able to connect with them and finish my warm up with them. There were a lot of 5k runners milling around the race start which made it feel like a bigger race than it really was. We took off and I was pretty much immediately in the top female position. I'd seen a woman I've run with in the past doing a warm up when we arrived, but she started out slower than me. I knew Thomas was shooting for around 6:50 pace and he wasn't as far ahead of me as I expected, so I was a little worried I was starting too fast, but I felt good so I went with it. I went through the first mile in 7:01 which was faster than I planned, but it felt good and I was excited, thinking I was going to have a better race than I expected. Mile 2 we were running into the wind and my split was 7:24. I realized my first mile had just been too fast, I wasn't actually going to have a better race than expected. I went through mile 3 in 7:12 and then the 5k point in 22:20. I was happy with that because it put me right on pace for sub-45. I knew I could run a negative split and was excited about that. In the 2nd loop I was passing walkers and run/walkers and was confused about how 5k runners would be ahead of me and then I realized they were in the 10k and still doing their first loop.

I went through mile 4 in 7:06 and was excited, thinking I was on pace for a nice negative split. I didn't feel like I slowed down, but I went through mile 5 in 7:23 which was disappointing for me, but I told myself to really push that last mile. We got into the zoo and I started getting confused because the course had changed and I didn't realize it. We had so many turns within the zoo and I was confused about where to go in some places. It kept me from getting down to speed and I was disappointed about that. My last mile was 7:27 but I did rally for 6:34 pace for the last 0.2 of the race. The finish was in a different place than in the past and you couldn't see it until you were right there which made it hard to finish strong. I was very disappointed with the change in course and the use of a smaller building for the post-race food and awards. It was so packed that I had a hard time getting to the stage to receive my award for first overall female which was a $50 gift card to Dick's. I was frustrated about it and a friend said she thought it was due to construction on the new African Wilds which made me feel better. Hopefully the course will go back to the usual after this year. I told Michaela if it was the first time I had run it, like her, I wouldn't have wanted to run it again. They should have made the changes more clear and explained why they had to change the course. I am excited for the new exhibits so I didn't mind the changes once I knew why they made them.

Thomas finished 9th overall and 2nd in his age group in 42:14. I finished 15th overall and 1st female in 44:56. Michaela was 54th overall, 13th female, and 3rd in her age group with a time of 53:24. So we got lots of awards! Carter and Elise both enjoyed the fun run. We got to the start early enough that they were closer to the front of the start line than they usually are and were actually able to run from the start of the race. Ty said Elise was one of the first finishers so she must've passed a lot of people! We will be back, but I'm hoping the construction is completed before next year!

MyHistory at the Zoo Run:

2013- 5k in 21:23

2014- 5k in 23:11

2015- 5k in 21:55

2016- 10k in 41:49

2017- 10k in 44:57

2019- 10k in 42:56

2023- 10k in 43:31 

2025- 10k in 44:56