Race Report: Global Energy 10K Orlando 2017

I ran the Global Energy 10K in 2016, the first time it was held in Orlando. Then as now I used it as part of back-to-back training runs, preparing for a runDisney race challenge.

Following the Mermaid fiasco the previous day, the slick and professional managment of this race stood out more than I might normally notice.

In 2017 this global race took place in 38 cites across 21 countries.

Training & Goals
I treated this like a training run as part of my ongoing Dopey training plan, which calls for some back-to-back runs. My only goal was to finish healthy and hopefully score some free bagels like I did last year.

Race Day: September 24, 2017
I drove to Festival Park in Orlando for the race. Parking and packet pickup were both a breeze (just like last year) and I was ready to run with plenty of time to spare.

The staging area had a DJ and a couple of MCs kept the crowd informed and entertained as we waited to start.

It was 77° with 89% humidity at the start of the race (2 degrees cooler with the same humidity as last year!).

I didn't take any photos during the race or before or after, so here's a nifty video of the route from Relive.

Mile 1: 10:41
The course for the 10K was the same route as last year.

Mile 2: 10:55
I decided to take it nice and easy, running my 4:1 intervals the entire race.

Mile 3: 11:23

Mile 4: 12:03

Mile 5: 13:14
I felt okay but slowed my pace when I started feeling overheated. I've been struggling with my runs a bit since we returned from our summer holiday. I've also been super paranoid about overdoing it and unnecessarily stressing my body during training. So... slow down and don't push it.

Mile 6+: 13:48, 8:50*
Even though I'm trying not to stress out about stuff, I was still kind of disappointed with my slow time. At least I was feeling fine when it was over.

After Party
There were plenty of treats for runners after the event. Water, bananas, and oranges were given out in the finish line chute. We also got a drawstring backpack, small sport towel, and arm band. Around the "runner village" there were stands giving out treats, including sleeves of bagels (score!). All bibs had a food voucher attached that we runners could exchange for a grilled cheese sandwich (I passed on this).

Recommendation
It's a well-organized event with a nice 10K route, above-par swag, and an extremely affordable price. Highly recommended. I'll run this again as long as I don't have any conflicts.

Chip time: 1:15:55
Placement details: 167th finisher of 304 women. No other placement details given.
Race Amenities: Swag included nice gender specific tech shirt, drawstring backpack, sport towel, arm band, finisher medal, nice refreshement / fuel spread.
Cost: $10 (past participant discount applied)

*I often forget to turn off my Garmin after a race, so the final time is skewed.

Report written October 17, 2017