2016 Dino Dash 10k

I might be a week or two late but here is a quick recap on the 2016 Dino Dash 10k in Calgary.

It was actually a last minute decision for me to run this race and i’m super glad I went for it! The Dino Dash took place on Saturday September 10th as part of the Calgary Marathon Society race series and offered both a 5k and 10k distance. For this race I opted for the 10k distance.

Just like any of the other CMS races, packet pick up was quick and easy. I headed out to the Running Room in Kensington the day before the race to pick up my bib and shirt. I was a little disappointed that the shirts seemed to be unisex (I was still swimming in a size small) but I totally forgot to see if there were any women’s sizes or smaller sizes to exchange for on race day… but really, its not like I needed anymore race shirts to run in anyway haha. I already have one dresser dedicated to just race shirts and its starting to get pretty full as it is (#runnerproblems).

Now i’m usually one for making sure my hydration and fuel is on point prior to race day but considering this was a last minute race I totally failed in this department. Looking back, all that wine and Mexican food the night before probably wasn’t the best idea…Either way my flat runner was all laid out, looking pretty darn cute,  and I was super excited to hit the course with friends in the morning.

On race day, I arrived at McMahon Stadium about 30 min before the start. Parking was aplenty, easy to find, and steps away from the start/finish. A good friend of mine, Megan, was running the 10k  with me too but in the stroller division – talk about hardcore!

Shortly before the start, I managed to catch up with a few friends from Instagram. It was so great to finally meet @yogicrystal and @kristiyyc in person. I just love how running continues to connect me with such awesome and inspiring lady runners  🙂

At 10:50 am, Megan set off with the stroller division and the rest of us started 10 minutes later. My knee gave me a bit of trouble off the start but after about 1/2 a mile I caught my stride and the pain subsided.

About another mile later I ‘ran into’ @fairydustandsprinkles (yay for more instafriends!) and I ran with her and her cousin for a bit hearing all about her recent trip to Disneyland for the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon (I think im still jealous haha). In all our chatting about Run Disney and Team Sparkle I realized that I was running a much fast pace than normal, and given the lack of training, I wanted to make sure I saved some energy for the end and decided to let @fairydustandsprinkles run ahead and I went back to my regular intervals.

I wasn’t alone for long though – I eventually caught up to Megan and the stroller and we ran together for the rest of the race. The rest of the course was fairly uneventful as it wound its way through the community of Varsity. There were lots of opportunities for water breaks and volunteers were at almost every street corner giving directions and cheering runners on. It wasn’t long until we found ourselves running through the University grounds and heading back to the Stadium.

Overall the course was fairly flat and fast, aside from the last mile or two were it seemed like we were continuously running into a strong head wind. I was starting to feel pretty exhausted but when we stepped foot on the running track for the final stretch to the finish line I found my second wind and sprinted to the finish.

I crossed the finish line with a race PR of 1:11:42. Ive run faster 10k’s faster in training but its not often I run a 10k race and hadn’t really been running all summer so I was still pretty happy.

Megan and I collected our medals (her daughter even got one for all the hard work she did sitting in the stroller) and headed over to the snack table to indulge on free Cobs Bread treats.

Overall it was a fantastic race – in fact it was one of the funnest races i’ve ran in awhile. Maybe it was because I was finally running again, or the super cute bling, or all the great people I got to spend the race with but I left McMahon Stadium with the BIGGEST smile on my face.

Whether your a seasoned runner or new to racing, the CMS race series events in Calgary are always a great time. The next event takes place on Sunday October 2nd. The Gorilla Run is a 16k solo race or relay around the Calgary Zoo and registration is still available HERE. If you can’t make it this weekend you can always check out the Halloween themed Dash of Doom on October 29th.

Have you run a CMS race before? What was your experience like? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!