Steve - 10.1

7:30 am start for the 10k. Pretty early, but got there in plenty of time. By race time it was getting pretty hot. Probably around 80 degrees once the race was a few miles in. The course is a double loop course. We run a 5k out-and-back twice, which is kind of boring, but oh well. I was running in my Asics Sorties, the Japanese flats...

I got out to a quick start and stayed close to my friend who was wanting to run about 6:10 for the first mile. Hit the first marker at 6:11 and it felt pretty good. I knew it was probably too fast. I dialed it down a bit and tried to just get into a good rhythm. I hit the first turnaround at 10:00 exactly, so I was right on pace for 40:00. A few people passed me so I realized I was slowing down too much. My thoughts were further confirmed when I hit mile 2 in 6:45. I grabbed some water and threw it down my throat and picked it up a few notches. Started feeling pretty good and passed a few people. Hit the 3rd mile at 6:30 and then the turnaround in 20:00, right on pace again for 40:00. I started to feel a bit of a fatigue but maintained the pace as best as I could. The middle part of a race is always tough because you have to fight the urge to let down. I tried not to worry too much about how much distance I had left. The one good thing about this stupid double loop course is I saw my wife twice during the race. She was running the 10k also and she cheered for me whenever we crossed paths. It was nice to have the encouragement. It helped carry me in that rough stretch of 2 miles. I hit mile 4 in 6:42 and then crossed the final turnaround in 30:30. I fell 30 seconds off pace and needed a Lukian-like pace to have a shot at sub 40. Somehow I started to get a second wind and felt pretty good. I knew I was speeding up cuz I was passing a decent amount of people. I tried not to look at my watch so I wouldn't worry about time. I didn't even look at my watch when I crossed mile 6 (in 6:27). At that point some college age girl passed me and some fan cheered her on. As she passed me she said "Go Bears", which kind of annoyed me for some reason. I turned it up and left her like she was standing still. I caught up with some guy that I had in my sights for a while and we both sprinted the last 20 meters, finishing tied in 40:31, a new PR for me! I would have the last laugh with this fellow because my chip time was 1.3 seconds faster. Oh and that girl I passed had a chip time 20 seconds faster than me...

1.65 mi in 16:41
10k in 40:31 (6:11, 6:45, 6:30, 6:42, 6:41, 6:27, 1:15)
2.25 mi in 22 min