Azalea Trail Run 10K Race Recap

March 24, 2018

I've always wanted to run the Azalea Trail 10K in Mobile, AL. It finally worked out with my schedule to do it this year. We went to the beach for my Spring Break. Mobile is about an hour drive from my family's condo in Gulf Shores. The race started at  8:00, but I wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to find the Civic Center, park, and get my packet. We left between 5:30-6:00 on race morning. We had no trouble finding the Civic Center and there were plenty of places to park. However, it got crowded quickly.

I got my packet and browsed the small expo. I racked up at a local running store's booth. I got my first pair of Goodr sunglasses (which I wore for the race), a $98 Nike jacket for $23, Balega socks (buy 3, get 1 free), and a Brooks Run Happy tank.

Goodies from the expo

This is the largest 10K race that I've ever run. There were around 2,600 finishers in the 5K, 10K, and fun run combined. The race also attracts several elite runners. The race started near the Civic Center on the corner of Claiborne and Canal St. It was mass chaos at the start line. Police officers were yelling at the runners to stay on the sidewalk as cars were trying to get through the open course. I don't know how I ran into my friend West from back home in the crowd of people. He was running the 5K. We got a quick selfie before I lined up with the 10K runners. They made a few announcements, played the national anthem, and then we were off (right on time).

Me with my friend West

Start line selfie

I haven't run a 10K since the Shrimp Festival 10K in October 2016 when I ran my current PR (51:26). I knew I wouldn't run even close to that time at this race, but I was hoping to finish under an hour.  I planned to use 2:00 run/30 sec walk intervals in preparation for my upcoming half marathon.

The first mile was so crowded. I spend most of it weaving in and out of runners and trying to establish a comfortable pace. I didn't stop to walk at all during the first mile because I worried that I might get run over.

There were several Azalea Trail Maids on the course.

We turned onto Dauphin Street just before the first mile marker and ran straight along it for the next two miles. I loved looking at the beautiful historic homes and the azaleas in bloom. However, I started having flashbacks of the final miles of the First Light Marathon as I felt a slight twinge in my knee from the cambered roads. This didn't stop my from running a comfortable, steady pace.

I planned to use run/walk intervals before this point, but there was still a crowd of people around me when I reached the Mile 3 marker. I only stopped to walk briefly through the water stations.  I reached the third mile in 28:06, and I knew I didn't have much time to spare if I wanted to finish under an hour.

The crowd of runners at the Mile 3 marker

We turned onto Government Street around Mile 4. I could feel myself slowing down, and I considered using my run/walk intervals for the remainder of the race. I knew I didn't have much time to spare, and I would be disappointed if I missed a sub 60 by only a minute or two. As much as I felt like walking, I kept pushing.

The last mile was my fastest as I could sense my time creeping closer to an hour. I could see 57 minutes on the clock as I neared the finish line. I wanted to cross it before it reached 58 minutes. I crossed it in 57:40. While this was nowhere near my PR, I was so proud of my performance.

Mile 1- 9:32

Mile 2- 9:12

Mile 3- 9:08

Mile 4- 9:29

Mile 5- 9:14

Mile 6- 9:02

Mile .26- 2:03, 7:54/pace

There was a long corral of runners at the finish line to get timing chips removed. I thought we were supposed to get a commemorative coin, but I never saw any. Several other people were asking about them too. I finally found Michael in the crowd and we walked down the block to the Civic Center for the post-race party.

They had free beer, red beans and rice, and fruit at the post-race party. I was surprised to see my friend Andy from back home in the crowd. She's on the master's swim team with me. I missed the last few practices, so I had no idea she was running this race with her daughter. It was great to see her.

Me with my friend Andy

 

We didn't stick around long after the race because we wanted to get back and enjoy some more time at the beach before heading home on Sunday. This race definitely lived up to its reputation and I would love to run it again sometime.