Notes
Very good race. I didn't have my fast gear today - haven't really had it all season - but that's by design, really. And like every other race this season I haven't needed it.
This course is an out-and back. The first half is downhill with the wind and the second half is uphill into the wind, but by "uphill" and "downhill" I mean it's so close to flat you almost can't tell. I started conservatively with the intent of catching Mark Loeffler by the mile mark just as I have so far this season. I did that, but then I discovered how good he is on flat courses. By three miles it was clear that I was not going to be able to stay with him, but at that point I found myself in a pack with two men from Montgomery County Road Runners and two women from Georgetown Running Company. One of the MCRRC guys got dropped and the second one and the better of the two GRC women started pulling away from me. Then a few more people came up from behind us and bridged the gap for me to reattach to the MCRRC guy. I let him take the wind for me for a few minutes and then attacked. But unfortunately by that time it was too late to catch two of the guys who had come up from behind at halfway. I steadily closed on the GRC woman until the last 400 where she flipped a switch and flew away. My "kick" was just good enough to hold off the second GRC woman and one other guy who were closing hard on me.
Damn good race. Not a super-fast time, although within three seconds of my (certified) PR which is a little weak because I have not run many 10ks. However the quality of the competition was excellent and I think I raced as well as I possibly could have. I don't think I could have placed any better. I definitely want to run this race again when I am actually training for the event.
Mark finished 47 seconds ahead in 36:24. There's no way in hell I could have done that. I don't understand how I beat him the last two weeks except maybe that I am good at energy management on hilly/turny courses.