Running hasnt been going well for me the last 3 weeks and I have been avoiding my normal amount of hills and my mileage is down. Plus my weight is up. All in all, I didnt have huge expectations heading in to this one, but given that my 10K PR is on a hilly course and this one was billed as "mostly flat except for one hill" I thought I could possibly get a new PR. Weather was good - upper 50's and drizzly. Uh.... no. Mostly flat my ass. As I review the course in my head it SEEMS like it still should have been easier than my PR route, but it really didnt feel that way. I dont know if it was harder or if I was just feeling it. Given that my running P who has nearly identical times came in a miniscule 5 seconds behind me I am going to say it is a genuinely hard course. Either way, it didnt really boost my confidence going into my Hilly HM in 3 weeks. Started off with a gentle up hill, I felt it more than I should but was doing ok, some undulating sections that made it hard to get a rhythm and then we were out on the roads that were what I would call steeply rolling followed by gently rolling. For the first time in eons my running partner was actually running the same race. She went out fast and I was having a hard time not kicking up to stay with her, just cruised a little bit behind. Mile 1 7:35 Mile 2 7:42 Mile 3 7:36 - have started to close in on my training P, but I am realizing the effects of avoiding hills the last 3 weeks Mile 4 8:49 - this was the big hill. Passed my P right before the hill. At points I was struggling to stay above a 10:30 pace. It was one of those where it just kept coming and coming. Crested the hill right before the mile marker. Opened up to a fairly flat stretch. It took a good 1/2 mile before I was able to hold pace, left too much on the hill. Mile 5 7:43 - at this point I know my goal of 48 is not happening, still think I might have an outside chance of a PR if the rest of the course is relatively flat to downhill. At mile 5.4 I hit another hill. This is when I really realize I left too much on the first hill Mile 6 8:19 Mile 6.2 1:35 (7:55 ish pace) Overall time 49:21 Still managed to pull 1st in AG, but this was a masters championship, so I dont think there were a lot of people in my AG. Winning woman was 36:?? Dont know my overall placings yet. Oh well...cant have a PR EVERY race. It has actually been since last July that I didnt PR in a race.

You were 1st in AG but did not have a good race. I WISH! If times are dropping you my be over training. Remember to TAMPER.

Hey Ennay, You ran a good time. As someone told me very recently you can't set a PR every race. I don't think you should second guess your training and just keep doing what you've been doing. A few extra lbs could have made a small difference, but I have a strong suspicion that it was the course and a bit too much amibition the first 3 miles that cost you the most. You have many more PR's ahead, I am quite sure. Congrats on another AG win and on doing so well in the series.