The North Face Endurance Challenge Pre-Race Info

The North Face crew will be heading into the Kansas City area this weekend for the inaugural The North Face Endurance Challenge: Kansas City.  The races are split up into 2 days, with the Marathoners and 50K-ers already tearing up the course (as of this moment in time...)!  I will be racing tomorrow (Sunday) in the 10K race with Rach.  My sister Hayley will be doing her first 5K as well (woot!). I'm pretty excited to race, and to be honest, this will be my first running race ever!  Eventually I think I will be able to complete the 5K distance, but I first thought I would attempt the 10K to build up to the 5K distance....

Packet Pickup:
Packet Pickup was yesterday, and was a little different than the triathlon packet pickups I have been to.  The "expo" was outdoors, and was a really great day for it. 

• There were several different vendors from around the area, selling race #swag (hashtag?). Pretty standard...

• Dean Karnazes was in attendance, which was pretty cool.  He was a little smaller than I was originally imagining. I think I could take him in an all-out arm wrestling contest, but if it lasts for over 24 hours, I think he's got me beat... He just finished a 6-day run across the Rockies yesterday (!?!), and was a last minute addition to the Marathon today. That guy is fit....
• The t-shirt 'package' was very interesting.  Instead of screen printing all of the race shirts, they did it on-site. So instead of printing out a set number of each distances' shirts, they had them 'made to order' there.  I chose not to, based on the length of the line and a dinner reservation in the midst, but Rach got her's done. Pretty cool.

• There was no "packet".  Everything paper-based was sent via email.  I only clicked on a few items, and was a little disappointed with the 'coupons', but I really don't care because I'm not about to purchase a Jeep (one of the sponsors).
• The finishing shoot is in an AWESOME location, right in front of the Nelson Atkins Art Museum. 

Race Goals:
When I first signed up for the race, I mainly was thinking this would be a good early tune-up for the KC Half Marathon in October.  Now I am a little disappointed I didn't sign up for the Half... I think I would have been fine with the distance, but I didn't think that a few months ago... oh well.  With my foot now feeling better, I think a 10K distance should be perfect!

My race goals are:

• DO NOT AGGRAVATE THE FOOT!  It's feeling better, and I don't want it turn into a stress fracture!  Still not 100% sure what's going on in there....
• That being said, I still want to get something out of the race, as far as training goes.  I am planning on setting my Garmin to a specific pace for each mile of the race.  As of now, my Half Mary goal time is around 8:15 min/mile, and I am planning on doing the same pace for this race.  Not at all worried about maintaining this for 6+ miles. 
• Be smart.  The toughest thing for me is going to be starting off slow.  Every race I have been in so far, it probably looks like I have been shot out of a cannon.  Since I am using this for training and experience, I want to replicate the 'half marathon' race experience.  If I start out too hard on the Half, I will probably be hurting the last 3 miles or so. I know I can sustain a faster pace for a 10K, but that's not why I'm racing. 
• PR!  Haha, since this my first 10K, I will  most definitely have a PR!  Unless I don't finish....

If anybody is racing that day, I would love to say hello!  I will be wearing a KU Tri top (yeah, douchy.... but it looks soooo cool...)!

A shorter-than-normal race report should follow!

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading!