Notes
18th of 1325 10K runners. 960 women and 365 men. 3 women beat me; all ran sub 35:20 or better.
Race delayed about 15 min due to technical difficulties. 5 K race had taken off in the other direction approx 20 min prior to start of 10K/HM crowd. I am up front and standing on the R side approx 3 rows back. Several bad-looking runners ready to go after 750 bucks. See Luke Beevor about 5 min prior to start of the race. He has been warming up elsewhere. 15-20 other guys all doing striders to keep loose after they let us know it would be another 10 min delay. I was glad to do 5-6 more progressive run outs as did not get a good warmup in.
Gun goes off and the top 6-8 guys are gone. I check pace after a quarter mile and at 5:45 and check down and relax. Probably in about 40th place at this point as many bolted out. Work diligently on relaxing at I want my first mile as close to 6:10 as possible. Running at 6:10 pace just before first split then move down a small decline and go through at 6:07. Good. I have been tagging along with three women who appear to be running just over 6 pace. 2 younger girls and Erica Holroyd. She is a 38 y/o runner who I didn't catch until the 2.5 mile mark at All-American 5K this summer. The other young girl who is running very smoothly and right at 6:05 pace in front of the other 2 ends up being the HM OA winner. Former D2 soccer player until her Sr year at Southern Indiana when the XC coach sees her running, invites her to run with the team and she becomes an All-American with zero xc experience. the four of us have been passing several people during the first 2 miles who had bolted out at sub-6 pace.
Follow the winner and Holroyd through the 3 mile mark. Mile three got a bit aggressive and we go through at sub-6. I have closed to just behind both girls (one dropped back at 2 miles) and work to stay right at 6 flat pace. The HM runners split off from us at the 4.5 mile mark. I pass HM winner right at the 4 mile mark with a split of 6:01. Things still under control but know the next 2.2 miles are going to start to hurt real soon. There is a guy about 45 seconds ahead of me (ends up being Edward Hamer, 40ish runner) and I begin to key off of him to maintain turnover and stay as close to 6 flat as possible thru the rest of the race. Mile 5 split 6:06 and hurting pretty good now but know I am less than 8 min away from a great time. Sucking it up during mile 6 and I am slowly pulling on Hamer. Never catch him but do close about half of the gap from the 4 mile mark.
Tired but start kicking at .35 miles out and end up finishing at just under 5:30 pace. Pretty sure I am in the top 20 and end up being 18th in today.
Splits: 6:07/6:01/5:58/6:01/6:06/6:06/1:27 for final .27 miles = 5:28 kick pace.
5k splits = 18:56/18:50. 20th at the 5k mark and finished 18th.
1st of 26 guys in 50-54 group. I know 3 guys who weren't there who would have altered the top three age-group order but, as the saying goes: "you have to be there to place."
Age-performance % = 80.23%
Age-graded result = 33:18. That will work.
Probably about as fast as I can race this distance on current volume. Don't think I could have pulled the splits off any better without blowing up at the end. Was able to temper the pace during the first 1.5 miles which allowed me to finish better. I may possibly be wising up finally. A damn good day as I picked up my winner's pumpkin pie and the wife and I walked back to the hotel to relax for about an hour prior to hitting Trader Joes for some food.
CBEGM again performs at a high level !