A few weeks ago I ran a road race on Saturday and then did a triathlon on Sunday. It was so much fun that I decided to do it again this weekend! But instead of just doing a 5K, I’m going to conquer a tough 10 miler.

This is the 14th year for the Papa John’s 10 Miler. The race started after first the Vencor Stakes and then the Gil Clark Memorial Run both fizzled out. The Louisville Triple Crown of Running needed a third race, so Papa John stepped in. When the race first began in 2001, it seemed kind of redundant to me. It followed much of the same route as the Derby Festival miniMarathon that was usually run 3-4 weeks later. But now that the Derby race course has changed drastically and no longer goes through South Louisville and Iroquois Park, I’m very thankful that the Papa John’s 10 Miler is still around. It’s become my favorite road race each year. Running though Iroquois Park always reminds me of the days when I first started running. I spent a lot of time in that park!

I haven’t run over 7 miles since I did Ironman back in August…so I’m not exactly conditioned to run 10 miles at a hard pace. If I did, I would be worthless in Sunday’s triathlon. So with that in mind, I have no intention of besting my PR of 1:14:00 in this race. Instead, I’ll just run at a pace that feels challenging and see how I feel with a few miles to go. If I’m feeling strong, I’ll push it. If not, I’ll coast home and save my legs for Sunday. I plan on trying to replenish my body with some healthy anti-inflammatory foods as soon as possible after the race. I will also take a cold shower or ice bath to reduce inflammation and wear my compression socks around for a while. I would say that I was planning on propping my feet up and relaxing the rest of the day, but with three kids…that isn’t happening!

Sunday is the 3rd Sprint Triathlon in the Headfirst Performance, four race series in Shelbyville. The previous two have been in reverse order (run, bike, swim). The third and fourth are supposed to be the traditional swim-bike-run, but with a forecast of temperatures in the 30’s on Sunday morning, the race director decided to continue with the reverse format. So this will be the exact same race as last month – a 5K Run, 12 mile Bike and 400 yard Swim. My goal is to finish faster than last month, so hopefully I’ll get under an hour.

I also want to take a minute to mention my newest sponsor, Headfirst Performance. I’ve been literally doing Headfirst races since the beginning. My very first triathlon back in 2008 was timed by Todd and Cynthia Heady. I’ve done at least 2-3 of their races every year since. There is just a different feel to doing a race put on by a local company than one done by someone like Ironman or Rev3. I’m excited to be part of Team Headfirst Performance and I can’t wait to tell you more about this amazing group of people!

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.