Executive Summary: 53:32, started easy and finished strong.

I was not really sure how to approach today’s race.  It’s my 3^rd race in 4 weeks, and also the hilliest of the 3.  Also, my main priority has been building my mileage to prepare for the half marathon I’m running in November.  Since this race was really just for fun, I went ahead and ran my 13 mile long run on Friday.  I figured if nothing else, I could take it easy today and run this at HMP as a good workout.

But after I got my LR done, I realized that I didn’t have anything coming up on the schedule that would be affected by really racing today, if I got there and felt like I had the legs for it.  So I figured I’d show up and just run how I felt like running.

Prerace: It was a cold 46 degrees at the start.  I ran my 2 mile warmup with 4 strides, which was enough that I was comfortable starting in short sleeves without a jacket or gloves.  I intentionally started my warmup later, so I finished within 5 minutes of the start.  There was also a 5K that started 10 minutes after the 10K.

Start: The start was pretty narrow.  We started off dodging horse poop at the fairgrounds and then headed onto a sidewalk, so it took about half a mile to really get clear.  I just focused on running evenly and easing my way into race pace.

Mile 1- 8:52

Now we’re onto the bike path and there’s more room.  Everybody ahead of me must have gone out too fast, because I’m breezing by everyone.  One guy in black tights and a hat passes me around mile 1.5.  I start to get a side stitch.  Clearly I have some work to do.  I breathe all the way out, that makes it worse.  I switch my breathing to the other leg.  It’s not terrible, and I’m otherwise running really easily.

Mile 2 – 8:43

We head out onto the road to a part I’m not familiar with.  This whole mile is uphill but not very steep.  I catch black tights guy and say “leapfrog”.  I can hear him behind me and realize that he’s probably using me to pull him up the hill.

Mile 3- 8:52

Black tights guy passes me and I try to keep him in sight.  There’s nobody else to race because we are just breezing past everyone else.  There was a girl off to the side trying to work out a cramp or something, and a guy started clapping when she got back on the road.  I thought that seemed like a good idea and start clapping too, and then I realize he’s just the volunteer dude clapping for everyone.  We hit the turnaround midway through the mile since the course is a loop with an extra out and back for the 10K.  Somewhere in here my side stitch disappeared.  I count from a telephone pole and black tights guy now has 30 seconds on me.

Mile 4- 8:35

Finally heading downhill.  I am feeling good and decide I want to get into the 8:20s.  I get there and still feel good, so decide to try for the teens.

Mile 5- 8:19

OK, I’m feeling great.  I think about that 5K that I ran a month ago at what was probably on 8:08 pace, and decide that it would be fun to have my last mile of my 10K be at my 5K pace.  But I get there and am still feeling good.  7:59 was my goal pace for that 5K.  Maybe I can use this mile to redeem myself!  I aim for 7:59 and it feels really, really good.  I know we’re running downhill, but I’m still thrilled.  I keep waiting to feel tired, or pukey, or something, but it doesn’t happen.  No side stitch, either.  I just feel strong, like I am finally actually running.

What does happen is that I hit the back of the 5K.  Lots of people to run around.  But I’m passing 10Kers very handily too.  Black tights guy is out of sight.  He must be hauling.

Mile 6- 7:58. My first actual sub-8 mile in any race ever.

After that mile, I stop looking at my watch and just keep running.  I am feeling great.  I give a thumbs-up to the photographer, turn the corner, and sprint to the finish.  I am passing everyone, even the 10Kers, the whole way.  Except for the random dude who made a point of going around me in the chute after the finish line.

Last 0.3- 7:38 pace.

Final: 53:32, for about the same pace as my apparently slightly shorter and flatter 10K two weeks ago.

Black tights guy still beat me by 40 seconds.  He says his strategy was to attack on the uphills and recover on the downhills, but his splits might have a different tale to tell.

As a training run, this feels really good.  I felt like I had more distance at that pace at the end.  So maybe when I’m feeling tired in a future race, I should just run faster, because running faster is fun!  In reality, I do well easing into my race pace and picking it up as I go, I think.

Official results aren't up yet and apparently were a bit of a mess because it was tear tag timing instead of chips, they had way more runners than last year, and once both 5K and 10K finishers were coming in at the same time, all hell apparently broke loose.

Great job, Zelanie!  You really hauled butt those last couple of miles.  You're going to rock that half marathon.

Great job, Zel!

Congrats Zelanie.

Strong race, and finish especially.

Nice job!

congrats on the great job and sub 8 mile in the race...great splits too!

Congrats!

Great job, Zelanie. That sounds like a fun time, passing so many people. You finished that really strong!