Cajun Cup 10K 2021

Happy Thanksgiving week! I hope you are having a wonderful week with your family as we kick off the holiday season!

I'm so thankful races are back. I was reminded how much I missed racing, the atmosphere, the spectators, and above all else the exhilaration that comes with crossing that finish line!

I knew I needed a 10K for a proof of time for princess (since mine was a year too old) but I wanted to find a good race - one I was familiar with and knew I could obtain my goal.

The Cajun Cup 10K is located in a town about an hour away. I've run it several times in the past so I decided on this one since it was familiar to me!

We left SUPER early that morning because Kim was also running the 1 miler which started about a half hour before the 10K.

My friend wasn't a steady runner prior to this, but I thinks he has been bitten by the running bug! :)

Proud of my friend!

It was in the 40's that morning which translates to SO COLD to us down here in the south. I wasn't quite sure what to wear - did I need my ear cover? gloves? a jacket?  

I finally decided on nothing extra besides what was already on me (long sleeve dry fit shirt and ankle length tights) and that was the best decision! 

This race led us through downtown Lafayette, through a residential neighborhood, then finally over to the Cajun Dome.

The first few miles literally flew by and it was the best feeling! My official goal for this race was to finish under an hour and somewhere in the eight minute per mile range. I knew I wouldn't be anywhere near my 10K PR, but that was ok with me.

I managed to find a group of people who were keeping a somewhat steady pace, so I followed them and it worked!

One thing I will say I'm annoyed about with this race - I clearly heard them say over the loud speaker that it didn't matter where you stood in the starting corral, your time would be calculated from the moment you crossed the start line. It took me a good 20 seconds to cross that start line and although my finish time was 54:44, their official clock time was 55:06 when I crossed the finish line, and that's my official time on the log. I feel like I remember this happening to me at this race before, so I stood closer to the starting line the following time I ran it. Well, I forgot all about that this go round. Oh well, lesson learned for next time!

I'm still proud of myself regardless! I achieved my goal plus some!

After the race, I asked a lady to take our picture and she literally took it crooked. I had to adjust the photo to make it straight. This photo will always make me laugh for that very reason!

Is this how all the cool kids are taking photos now-days? Guess I need to get with the program!

Despite the little time disparity, this race was absolutely perfect! You couldn't have asked for better weather, the sun was shining, the course was mostly flat, and the water supply was perfect. I will definitely be back to run this one again in the future!

Smoothie King was also out with free smoothies after the race! YUM!

Post race offerings in the south are always unique and delicious! You never know what you're going to encounter - for this race, it was jambalya and it was delicious! 

After the race, we went shopping for a little while, then stopped for a late brunch at Another Broken Egg. It was all so good! 

I absolutely love days where you can put away the worries of the week, spend time with a friend, and enjoy the gorgeous weather. A little retail therapy never hurt anything, either! It truly was a perfect day! 

Happy Thanksgiving!! On this holiday week, I'm thankful for so many things, you guys included! Have a wonderful holiday!

Cajun Cup 10K 2016

On Saturday morning, I ran my 2nd post baby race....the Cajun Cup 10K in Lafayette, LA. My running buddy Heather was initially supposed to run this one with me, but was unable to due to a nasty sickness that hit her the day before.

Instead, my friend Kim and I loaded up the car with Brayden and all the essentials at 5:30 a.m. and set off for Lafayette (it's about an hour plus a little drive). Thankfully, we met ZERO traffic and were able to make it to the race start about an hour before the race began.

After finding a parking spot (that was NO easy feat...I mean, how does one even use a parking meter??), I headed over to packet pickup. This is a large race, but the directors have got it going on!! There's PLENTY of port-a-potties, a really nice race start/finish area, vendors to see, the whole 9 yards!

We ended up parking in that parking garage. It was open and others were doing it so we did too! Also, the parking meters only took quarters. I mean...I don't ever carry change on me anymore. Lordy.

Kim and Brayden walked over to the start line to see me off! 

It was a bit cool outside which was perfect for the race! I loved the weather! I was also still coughing like the week before but not quite as bad...thankfully it had calmed down a little bit and I was able to breathe a little easier.

I decided to line up somewhere mid-way through the pack. This race was chip timed so I knew the timer wouldn't start until I crossed the start line. I also decided not to place a goal on my back for this race. I wanted to just run it and see what happened. Last week's race kinda traumatized me....

After the race began, I had to weave a little but once I found my groove, it was on! I kept trying to debate my pace. Last week, I started out waaaaay too fast (on top of being sick and not being able to breathe) and fizzled out in the end. I didn't want to do that but  I kept reminding myself that I was breathing a bit easier than the week before.

I even managed to hit a mile that was under the 9 minute mark (I think it was 8:58 or somewhere around there). Once I saw that, I knew I could at least beat my time from the week before, so that's what I focused on.

This course ran by the local University and all throughout the streets of Lafayette. It really is a pretty course and it doesn't go out and back so you never see the same thing twice.

Another huge perk this race has going on for itself is the water stops. Y'all, there were FOUR water stops on the course along with gatorade! Now that is what I'm talking about!! 

Somewhere around mile 5, I spotted the back of a runDisney shirt. (That happens almost every race I run!) As I passed the girl, I glanced to see which race she ran. It happened to be Dopey of 2016 and I knew if I saw her at the finish line, I wanted to stop and congratulate her on her awesome accomplishment. Little distractions like that really help me get through a race and I love it!

Also, my music was turned up loud in both ears which also helped me stay focused. Last time I ran this race, I remembered hearing the finish area, then running way far away from it before finally looping back to it. This time, I was prepared....my music was so loud, I couldn't hear anything else!

As I neared the finish line, I knew I hadn't given this race my all because I had WAY too much left in the tank. Ah well...I'll get this right one of these days! 

Finish time 56:12, about a minute faster than last week's race! Also, after checking time results,  I came in the top 1/3 of runners in this race. Even though I was slightly disappointed in my overall performance because I feel as if I could have done better, I'll take it anyway!

Another fun addition to this race this year were medals! The shirt and artwork designs are always done by a local artist, so that's what went on the medals as well! I loved it!

This was my third time running this race and I feel as if they just keep getting better and better! 

As mentioned before, there were several vendors out and about to enjoy after the race. The first was Smoothie King!

This was the perfect post-race treat! Loved it!

Also, the Great Harvest Bread Company was out there giving away samples of their delicious bread. One of these just opened in my hometown and I can't wait to try them out! This bread was so yummy!

Remember the Dopey Challenge girl I mentioned earlier? Well, she crossed the finish line not long after I did, so I stopped to talk to her. She was so nice and we chatted about Disney and runDisney for a little while! I loved it!

After the race, Kim and I were going to eat breakfast at Another Broken Egg Cafe, but the line was insane. Instead, we went to Super Target and had our first red cups of the season! 

The Chestnut Praline Latte is SO good!

We might have also enjoyed lunch at McAlisters. They seriously need to return to Lake Charles. For real.

I can't thank my friend Kim enough for coming along with us and watching Brayden while I ran this race! I certainly couldn't have done it without her!

Next race: The Cajun Country Half Marathon in December!! :) Can't wait!

2013 Cajun Cup 10K Recap

Today, I am incredibly excited to share a race recap with you. The day of the Cajun Cup 10K began like any other ordinary “long run” Saturday. I went through the motions and decided I wouldn’t pressure myself.

It’s just a 10K, go out and run it for fun…

In fact, I was so confident I wasn’t going to push myself, I didn’t even look up my current 10K PR (this race held that PR back in 2011). In the back of my mind, I assumed my PR was somewhere around 55 minutes. When I hit that time back in 2011, I was marathon training (which I’m not doing now), so I knew I didn’t even have a chance.

If you know me, you know I’m competitive with myself. Running is totally a mind game. Apart from training runs, positive thinking is SO important when preparing for a race. Negativity can defeat you before you even defeat yourself. I didn’t go into this race with negative thoughts,but I certainly wasn’t pumping myself up or being positive, either.

This race also holds a special place for both Kelli and I. Back in 2011, this race was the start of a great friendship between Kelli, Heather, and I. We call it our “runiversary”!

Kelli and I had about an hour drive to the race from our hometown. (Yet another reason why I wasn’t setting myself up for a PR.)

When we arrived, I began foam rolling immediately. On the sidewalk.

I’m sure that was quite a sight. Thankfully most people knew what I was doing…

We arrived at packet pickup and I received my number, no problem. My ONE complaint with this race falls in the race shirt category. (Isn’t it always about the race shirts?) I PRE-registered for this race about two months ago and they were out of shirts in the size I ordered. I was offered an XS or an XL. I needed a Medium. My race number was added to a list of about 15 others who also needed a medium. How many of those on the list also pre-registered and didn’t receive the size they requested? In my opinion, if someone PRE-registers,that shirt should belong to them and them only. Extra shirts should be ordered in each size for those who aren’t pre-registered and once those “extra” shirts are gone, those who did not pre-register should be added to the list of shirts to order. Another problem, I don’t live in Lafayette. Which means I have to drive an hour to pick up this shirt once it arrives at the store. Not cool. I don’t know about you, but I love wearing shirts of races I’ve run…and I’m even more proud of the shirt if I did well in a race.

Ok I’m off my soapbox and have no more complaints about this race, I promise! :0) I really truly do love this race and highly recommend it, especially if you live in or near the Lafayette area!

Despite the shirt situation, I brightened up when I saw CHRISTMAS decorations throughout the downtown area. Yes, I know Thanksgiving deserves it’s own holiday I completely agree, but I do love Christmas oh so much…

Cue: Toby Mac Christmas on Pandora. Yep. For the entire race. Happy Karen!

This race began at the same location as 2011, but I noticed they divided runners out by the time frame they expected to finish the race. I LOVED this idea!! It definitely helped with congestion at the start line.

Also, something new from 2011 - my bib had a chip timer on the back. With 1500 runners, it’s difficult to get an accurate time recording without chip timers. Great idea!

Kelli and I ran into fellow Go-Runner (Erin) during our walk to the start line! Erin, Kelli, and I are all in the same running group back home.

Ready or not, here we go! This is when the nerves started to hit me. No matter the distance, I always seem to get butterflies at a race start.

I absolutely love this race. Growing up, I lived in Lafayette for several years and this race always brings back such fun memories for me!

We ran past the University of Lafayette campus and several other UL landmarks. On major roads, lanes were closed off for the race. Despite traffic, there were plenty of law enforcement officers monitoring the course.

Mile 1 met us as we entered a neighborhood. I looked down at my watch and saw that I ran the first mile in 8:43. I was worried that I started out too fast and wouldn’t be able to keep up that pace although I felt great at that point. I was following a girl in a bright pink tank top – she continued running, so did I!

Made it halfway!

There were several points on this course where I ran on the sidewalk. When the outside lane had a slant to it, I noticed tightening in my knee – that was my cue to hop on the sidewalk. Worked every time!

Halfway there, feeling great.

I have to laugh – moments after I took this picture, a giant truck pulling a huge trailer turned into the parking lot entrance RIGHT in front of me. As he began turning, I said aloud “I KNOW he is NOT!” Sure enough, he did. He caused me to come to a dead stop. I paused my watch for all of 5 seconds but it still ticked me off. Other runners were laughing at me because I yelled at him, “You’ve GOT to be kidding me!” Not cool truck dude. Not cool at all.

The weather for this race was clear, cool, and beautiful. An absolute PERFECT day for a race.

By mile four, I started counting in my head. Could I PR? Possibly. Wait, how could I PR if I didn’t even really know my current 10K PR? I decided to stick with 55 minutes as a PR and go from there.

Remember the girl in the hot pink tank top? Well, throughout the race, I found another girl in a hot pink tank and by the end of the race, I was trailing both of them. They really helped keep me on pace.

Approaching downtown and the finish!

Don’t stop now! You’re almost there….

I crossed the finish line at 54 minutes and 29 seconds! I knew it was a PR of some sort…or at least I thought…

As I waited for Kelli, I checked my 2011 time and sure enough, I PR’d by much more than I thought! My time from 2011 was 57 minutes which means I PR’d by 2 minutes and 30 seconds this time around!

There’s Kelli! She ran a great race, too…and she accomplished her goal. I was very proud of her!

After the race, we HAD to make a stop by the Great Harvest booth – we remembered their amazing bread from the last time we ran this race.

Another new feature this year was the Cajun Timing instant results booth. Runners could type in their race bib and print their results instantly.

I was super excited about this feature, until my receipt printed blank. I really did run this race, guys!! Hah!

That’s a wrap! Another Cajun Cup 10K in the books…and a PR to boot!

After the race, Kelli and I enjoyed breakfast at Another Broken Egg followed by lots of shopping time in Lafayette. Actually, we spent most of our day in Lafayette and really enjoyed it!

I stayed on a PR high the rest of the weekend! What a great day!

I hope you all had a great weekend as well! Have you ever run a 10K? What’s your favorite race distance?