For my first-ever 10K, I decided to use a strategy I had seen posted on a number of running sites. In order to keep from going out too fast, and thus risk burning out deep into the race, I started back in the pack a little. This proved to be a poor decision, because the race was so crowded, when the gun went off I didn't have room to run. Seriously: I walked from where I was to the ACTUAL start line because there wasn't room for me to take a stride.
Once I did get moving, my plan was to just try to keep at around and 8-minute-mile pace, and really only press going uphills. I had originally thought that I would finish in about 48 minutes: in training I'd been running the course in about 50 minutes. But what I learned was that the course was actually about a quarter-mile longer than I had thought, so I'd only been running about 6 miles instead of 6.2.
But no worries, because at an 8-minute-mile pace I can run all day.
I crossed the first mile marker at 8:05, and the second at like 15:57. So I was keeping right on that pace. Right at 24 minutes for three miles. 32 minutes for four miles (and it is only fair to point out here that the overall winner was crossing the line just as I crossed the 4-mile line).
The 5th mile is all uphill, including a fairly steep climb up to and along Park Avenue. That was the section I was conserving for, because I really wanted to attack that piece. That portion of my plan worked perfectly: I kicked that hill's butt, and I bet I passed like two dozen more runners in the process. I got that one done in 8 minutes as well, for which I was quite proud of myself.
The sixth mile has some uphills and some downhills. I felt great going back over the IST bridge, but my legs were starting to burn going up the last hill at Frasier street. I think I may have started my closing kick a little too early, because that last half-mile was the toughest. But I owe a debt of gratitude to a woman named Michele Henry: I saw her ahead of me and I knew she was the last person I had a chance to beat.
I kicked it up a notch, but I still wasn't sure I was going to pass her. People were cheering for her as we reached the Creamery. From parts unknown I found another gear and caught up to her with about 100 meters to go. She sped up, and that was just the push I needed to find one last surge. I put her behind me just a few meters from the line, and finished in 50:34. I went to thank her for her unintentional help, but she was already gone. I found out her name only when the results were posted.
Overall I'd say that was a pretty good race, aside from my tactical errors at the start. I finished 234th (22nd for my age group). You can see the complete results, including those of people who are not me, by clicking
here.
