Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women Race Review & Recap!

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored on behalf of the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women.  As always, all opinions are my own.

There’s something about a women-only race that just pumps you up in a unique way.  It makes you feel like you can tackle more than the course; you walk away feeling like you can tackle anything.  At least that’s how I felt this weekend after the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women!

This year, I was lucky to be one of the influencers for the race.  Myself and a group of other social media savvy ladies were able to help promote and attend the event.  And I’m so thankful I was given the opportunity, because it was a great experience. 

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how things went getting ready for the race as well as race day itself!

Training (+ a little honesty)

I put together a bomb training plan for this race.  It was an intermediate style plan, with 4 days of running a week that included two comfortable short runs, one day of speedwork, and one long run.  I was confident that if I could follow the plan to a T for the six weeks leading up to the race, I would be able to shave at least 30 seconds a mile compared to my time at Falmouth Road Race.

I followed it perfectly for the first 2 1/2 weeks.  And then life happened. 

A big ol’ messy pile of life.  Major things in my personal space that have made it hard to keep up with blogging, work, and running.  I didn’t follow the plan I set out to follow.

My reflection on this last month of training, instead, was simply “I did the best I could.”  Because it’s true.  I was feeling guilty about not following my plan; guilty that I couldn’t show ya’ll how you can improve when you have a strategic plan; guilty that I wasn’t going to have the race I wanted in my mind.

But I’m letting that guilt go.  Because I did the best I could given everything going on right now.  I still ran 2-3 times a week leading up to the event, and still tried to incorporate some different style runs over the last few months (i.e. mix it up with a few different speeds, hills, etc).

I arrived at the starting line Monday knowing, at this point in life, I did the best I could.

Logistics

I arrived race day morning and lucked out with a really quick check in.  Apparently my bib had been mailed to me but it must have been lost in the mail.  It was a really quick process to get reassigned a new bib number though.  I got dropped off at the Commons at 11am, and already used the porta potty and had my bib in hand by about 11:07. 

Speaking of which, thank you race directors for the ample amount of porta potties.  There were NO LINES.  It was like a dream for anyone that loves road races.

T-shirt pick up was easy and quick as well, and I was so thrilled that they had a variety of sizes (XS to 3XL) and that the shirts were long sleeve!  I have so many short sleeve race shirts but am in dire need of a few more long sleeve shirts.  This was perfect.

My family met me over by the race expo after they found parking, and we browsed around for about a half hour until the start.  They called over runners by time waves, so that everyone was lined up and (should have been) seeded appropriately.  Of course, there were people that didn’t follow that, but I think that’s an issue at every race I’ve ever been to.

All in all, everything about check in and the pre-race logistics were extremely smooth and well organized!

The Course & Race Experience

The start of the race was right at the Boston Common, and we’d be starting the run down Beacon Street.  As the gun went off for the start, the announcer did a great job of building excitement and motivation as we made our way down the corral to actually cross the starting line.  My fav was when he yelled out – “You can run this race – who says you can’t run the world?!”  Total pump you up stuff.

After crossing the start we continued down Beacon Street, then turned right over the Mass Ave Bridge.  We then looped around Memorial Drive, back down the bridge and up to Commonwealth Ave, where we turned left and finished back over by the Commons.

The course was fabulous because there are so few courses that run in Boston proper.  Most “Boston” races end up taking place somewhat outside the city, but this was literally right smack dab in the middle of the city.  The cityscape views from the course were gorgeous.  I wish we had a clearer, non rainy day – but it was still great scenery regardless.

One thing I loved was that the race had a ton of water stops – at least 4 or 5.  I know a 10K isn’t that long, but it was really humid and muggy out with temps in the 70s for the event, so I really appreciated having access to water when it was needed.

As far as my own race experience – I felt like I had a smooth start for the first few miles.  I ran comfortably and felt good.  I definitely struggled the last two miles though, and knew I wouldn’t be able to hold on to the pace I wanted.  But that was OK.  I mixed in a few walking breaks and just enjoyed my time out there.

As I rounded the corner towards the finish, I knew I wasn’t going to have the time I initially hoped for when I made my training plan.  But I also saw I was going to have a time that was a little better than I was anticipating, which I was happy with.

I ended up finished in 1:17, coming in at a 12:29 pace.  This was faster than my pace at Falmouth of 12:40, so I was pleased with that, especially given all the craziness leading up to this race.  I would have liked to hit that 12:00 pace, but I did the best I could and I’m happy with that.

{PS – I loved that your results were automatically emailed to you within just a few minutes of finishing.  It was great not having to wait half a day to look them up!}

Post Race

After you crossed the finish line, you were led into the finisher’s tent where bags of snacks were ready to grab and go.  It wasn’t an extensive food spread, but between a banana, some chips, and a few bars – it was plenty to replenish after a 10K distance race.  There were also plenty of vendors and tables set up post-race which were fun to explore.  I especially loved the Liberte yogurt truck – yum!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was really pleased with this race.  I’ve wanted to run it since I heard about it a few years ago, but had never been able to until now.  It was very well organized, had a good amount of race-day festivities and kids activities, and the course was fabulous.  A truly awesome event!

Share with me:  Have you ever done a women’s only race?  Have you ever run the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women?  What’s your favorite city-based race that you’ve ever run?

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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