Notes
Was going to go into this at 7:05 pace, but I was pretty confident I could do better but really didn't want to crash and burn and have a bad race experience right before Baystate. I took off and realized I was going at 6:30 pace so I slowed but really couldn't get any slower than the 6:50. Decided to hold on to that as long as I could. Lance was in front on me not by much and then Greg M. and Eric and I were going back and forth the first couple of miles. Eric took off around the second mile and shortly after that I was in front of Lance with Greg M. going back and forth with me, all the while I could see Eric slightly ahead. I decided to try to hold on to Greg and see what happens, I was feeling good. He fell off so I then thought I would hold on to Eric, as long as I could see him but not be gaining then I would be safe I felt. Just after mile 5 I was gaining and looked down at my watch and wasn't going that fast. I stayed behind him for a bit. we passed mile 6 together and he said go, I waited a bit to see if he was messing with me and he wasn't so I went and was on my own. I was still feeling good then. I was hot but it didn't seem to be slowing me down. Somewhere in there I was in front with no one to been seen in front of me. A volunteer had given me directions, at the top of the hill turn right. so I am thinking it must not be marked, if it was why make a point to tell me this. I look ahead and there is no hill. so I am slightly panicked about missing this turn, the further I run the more I worried. Kept looking back to make sure the people behind me were still there and that they hadn't turned somewhere I didn't see. This was enough to mess with my rhythm. I found the hill clearly marked half a mile or more from the where the volunteer had said this. After that it was long and lonely. No one in front, not really anyone close behind. I started to get hotter and needed water. I stopped at mile 8 and drank two waters and dumped one on myself and then continued running. I felt I needed the water more than the little time I was losing by stopping. Mile 10 was a struggle. I was very hot and wanted to walk. Once I saw mile 11 I knew I was good, I could push through 2 miles. I did but the heat had me tired. I stopped at mile 12 for Gatorade and actually waited for the volunteer there to get water from under the table. At this time I was passed by a female. I had no idea that she just took the second place spot from me. I really feel I had more in me and that I could have stayed 6:50/7:00 the rest of the race had it not been too hot. But I really can't complain, it's a nice PR.