Scott Coffee 8k (33:03)

On Saturday, I ran the Scott Coffee 8k (Moorestown, NJ). Even though my local running store sponsors it, I’ve only run the race one other time in 2015. It’s always a hot, humid, weekend and this year was no different. That being said, Moorestown is beautiful and I enjoy the race and seeing friends. Plus, every race participant gets a free bag of coffee.

Anyway, I arrived to the race start in Moorestown around 7:30, did 2 miles of warmup and then relaxed. The Scott Coffee 8k starts at 8:35. I chatted with a few friends and before I knew it, we were off.

I’ve been attempting to find a new racing shoe, and this time I used the Reebok Floatride Run Fast Pro. I don’t regret that decision and I liked it for the race distance. By the end, my feet were burning so I doubt it will be a marathon shoe for me.

As we were off for the Scott Coffee 8k, I realized I felt decent. I hadn’t felt great all week so I was surprised my legs actually didn’t feel too bad. Since the race is bigger, I was surrounded by people including some random guy who couldn’t stop yelling. He wasn’t really talking to anyone but just talking for the sake of talking. Thankfully, I dropped him after about a mile. We hit the first mile of the Scott Coffee 8k in 6:29 which I was pleased with.

The next mile, I stuck with a couple of women and we ultimately ran the entire race together. At each water station, I grabbed water. It was so hot and humid. There was also a sprinkler and I ran through that too.  I hit the second mile in 6:31 and was pleased.

The next mile went through the backroads of Moorestown and this is where it gets hilly. I was surprised I wasn’t feeling like I was dying, which I’ve struggled with the last couple of 10ks. My legs felt decent and I told myself: “just a 5k left”. I hit the 3rd mile in 6:47. I thought I was moving faster but I guess not.

The next mile felt decent and everyone kept shouting: “you’re almost there”. LOL, please don’t tell me that unless I’ve crossed the finish line. I told myself, less than 15 minutes of hard work to go. I passed a couple of people. I didn’t feel bad and I was pleased that I finally felt like I was having a decent race.

As we crossed mile 4, I remembered I wasn’t doing a 5 miler but an 8k which is a few feet shorter. Somehow knowing I had less than a mile to go always feels better to me. The last mile is downhill through the streets of Moorestown and I just charged to the finish line. Main Street is closed due to a craft fair so you run by multiple crafters who are confused by what is happening.

I crossed the finish line of the Scott Coffee 8k (NJ) in 33:03 which I’m pleased with. It’s over 10 seconds per mile faster than the last 10k I did and it was on a harder and more humid day. Fitness is taking longer to come back than previous times but I do know it will come back. I’ll continue racing through the summer in hopes for a few good races. If you’re ever in the area, I recommend the Scott Coffee 8k. You don’t get a medal but you do get Lacas Coffee.

Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. This week I talked about tying your shoes2…who knew you needed to learn about that?  In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport. There are often giveaways as well as discount codes.

Questions for you:

What is your favorite type of coffee?

Have you run an 8k before?