Perfect 10 miler - race report (Read 368 times)

Race day temp was perfect. It was cool such that you were a bit cold in a tech shirt and shorts. I ate early and headed off to pick up my race packet. I was 1 hour before race start. I got my packet and put the stuff in the car and walked around. About 35 minutes before race start some friends arrived. 15 minutes before the race start I jogged slowly just over a mile with the guy (mark) I was going to try to pace. He ran 6:4x's last year but said he wasn't going out fast and would run 7:15's with me. We lined up for the race start and I saw another guy I knew on the other side of the road and about 2-3 rows in front of me. I am about 7 - 8 rows back. In my mind I think keep him (mike) in your sites. The gun goes off there is a bit of jockeying in the first mile or so but I get into pace faily quickly. The first mile marker goes past with the timer saying I passed it in 7:00 but my watch thinks it is short and at the mile I hit 7:15. Good deal... mile 2 and 3 go well... and it is just winding through a development some turns but after each turn I seam to gap people. Mark is yo-yo-ing with me... as I accelerate out of the corners but his presence helps me maintain pace. A couple times I dropped off without realizing it and there he was and I picked up my turnover. Mile 2 - 7:11 Mile 3 - 6:54 and I felt good and it was just a tiny bit downhill... mike is coming back to me... Mile 4 - 7:11 slowly dragging mike back in... There aren't many people between me and him now... He is running in a group of 4-5 runners. there is one guy between us. I bridge the gap before the 5th mile... and we are headed up hill at a very small grade... I slowed when I joined their group to regroup a bit and try to relax. Just as we approach the 1/2 way point a very fit looking woman in her 20's picked up the pace a bit and leaves the group and I tuck in behind her and go with her as I am feeling good... Mile 5 - 7:24 after about 200 yards she drops of her pace and I just keep going... the grade gets a bit steeper and we are definitely going up hill now. I see the leader coming back at me. I am feeling pretty good but I really am itching for this hill to be over... I crest the hill (well the turn around )... and start back down... Mile 6 - 7:30 I try to relax into the hill but my legs are just a tiny bit stiff. Soon I am relaxed and cooking down the hill. I am picking people off as I coast down the hill. Mile 7 - 6:48 in the middle of mile 8 my HR jumped up as I was pressing a bit with 3 to go... and I backed off just a bit and POP... my groin on my right side said HELLO... I audibly said "oh come on... not now" and after a few more steps I realized that I might be able to continue but I would have to be carefull not to overstride the rest of the way down the gentle downhill. mile 8 - 6:44 ok now I am struggling... back in the developement... turns... I am still kicking butt coming out of each turn... I think it is my leg strenght from the hills... ;-) there is a group ahead of me with a guy that looks to be in my age group. about 100 yards up ... I think I can get them if I just keep on it... I catch a woman who decides I am not going to pass her and I spend the rest of this mile with her on my heals... mile 9 - 6:54 ok the group of 3 with that guy in it are just about 25 in front of me. I figure I'll keep them there until there is 800 to go and then I'll just drive like I am running a yasso 800... I know I can endure some serious pain for 800... the group picks it up... and pulls a bit away from me... but I don't react yet. I am running on th edge anyways and my groin is trying to get my attention but I am doing my best to ignore it. hmm... my watch says there is still 3/4 a mile to go but I see the school where we started so I kick it in... I am catching that group now... up the side of the school... just have to go around it... and onto the track... as we approach the turn off the road to the school grounds I go into full drive... (I figure there is 200 left)... I see an opening to the inside of the guy I have been chasing he sees me coming and doesn't step in front of me... and I go past him... as he kicks it in... I hear him behind me but I am pretty sure I gapped him... but I dig deep and try to find something else... there is another 2 people in front of me on the track... I see the clock... 1:09:3x... and I think oh boy I might break my 15k time in a 10 miler... Lungs burning... groin barely hanging on. Legs just a bit rubbery... 1:09:50 click... click... but I am pumping my arms like crazy... pass the 2 people just before the finish line... and I think I cracked 70 minutes... find out later it was 1:09:56 It turns out the field was small only 25 people in my age group... last year there were 40+ I finished 4/25 about a minute and 20 behind the next guy... but the guy I passed going onto the track was in my age group! I ran negative 5 mile splits... but the first 1/2 was slightly uphill and the second half was slightly downhill... so that was to be expected... but in the flat section I ran the last 3 miles quicker than the first 3 by about 20 seconds a mile... in the standings you have to go back about 25-30 slots to find somone who ran the first 5 as slow as I did... I rather go out a bit slow than a bit too fast... I think you can make up some time in a longer race and have it even out... but I'll learn over time... This race told me that I can run a 1/2 marathon at a 7:00 pace in nov if I put the work in between now and then... and if my groin heels up... groin update:... still a bit touch and go... it was good the week after but I tweeked it on a long run... I rested 3 days and yesterday went out for a run and like a dummy I ran 8:00's instead of a nice easy 9:30 pace... and well... it said hello when I backed down to slow at the finish of my run... it wasn't a sharp pain but it was enough for me to notice it... the pain is not severe and is dulling out... so hopefully it is healing... I'll see how it responds today to a truthful easy run...