Short version

Race:  Asheville Hot Chocolate 10K

2013:  45:12, 2^nd in 60 to 64 age group

2015:  48:06, 1^st in 60 to 64 age group.

Moral of the story:  slow down less than the competition

TLDR version.

Just the facts ma'am:

Miles in 4 prior months:  2013 – 640,   2015 – 370

Weight:  2013- 167         2015 - 177

Conclusion - less miles, more weight = not good for 10K time.

The course changed a little from 2013 to 2015 – it moved further up the hill for the start and finish, which led to a bigger downhill at the start, but a huge uphill in the last half mile.

Having been injured for most of the last half of 2014, I had no real idea what to expect.  In possession of a huge ego and large doses of over confidence, I thought that somewhere close to a similar age grading to the results achieved in 2013 might be possible – that would be about 47 minutes.  So the goal was to take advantage of the 1^st mile downhill (goal accomplished) and then see how long I could hold on to 7:15 to 7:30.  Well, that got me only through half the race.  At that point we turned around and headed back into the 17 mph wind.

A little side note.  In 2010, 11, and 12 I was accustomed to winning my age group when it was just the locals.  When speedsters from Tenn, Charolotte, or SC showed up for the bigger races I knew to expect 2^nd or 3^rd places.  But in this race in 2013 a new local old phart showed up and beat me by 7 seconds.  Didn’t even know who this guy was.  He beat me again in a 5K the following July.  Bummer!   But that was the last time we showed up at the same race.  So this morning as we lined up, I was a little offset when I notice the gentleman standing beside me.  We nodded, friendly like, and the horn went off.  It was a narrow start, and with 750 participants, things bunched up a bit, and I lost track of my nemesis (let’s call him OG for other guy).  About a half mile in he and a young lady pull up beside me, chatting away.  We’re flying downhill at way too fast a pace, and he’s chatting.  Not a good sign.

The course levels out at about the one mile mark.  I evidently slow down a little less than OG because he’s now behind me – but I have no idea how far behind.  The course runs flat along the French Broad River for miles 2 and 3, turns around and comes back the way we came.  At the turnaround, I see OG, only about 20 meters behind me.  With about a mile to go, we make a turn and start back up the hill we came down.  I can look back and see OG, now about 40 meters back – so that’s good.  But the first really steep part of the hill sets me walking for 30 seconds, and a final section a little over a quarter mile to go has me walking again for 30 seconds – I’m sure OG is going to come by.  I make the final turn onto flat stretch with only the .2 to go.  Taking no changes, I don’t bother to look back – just use whatever energy I have to reach the end.  Final time – 48:05.  OG = 48:26.

Finished first in the 60-64 age group, with 19 total in the group.  All is right with the old phart Asheville running community.

Sweet!  Way to keep ahead of the other guy

Congrats on the win! Slowing down less than the competition is good news!

A race is all about how you rank. You were the best and the fastest in the old dudes category.  Congratulations!

Moral of the story:  slow down less than the competition. 

That sums up my running for the last ten [10] years. Cheers.

A race is all about how you rank. You were the best and the fastest in the old dudes category.  Congratulations!

It's a good thing the categories were by 5 years instead of 10.  There was a guy in the 65 to 69 that beat me by 2 minutes.  

Congratulations on the AG win, and never look back.

If I didn't hate hills so much, I'd haul my sorry ass up there for this race.

Nice job, bluesky!