The Sunday morning 10k was preceded by a solid week of mileage, so I wasn't expecting to go out guns blazing, but after a 3.5m warm up that left me dripping with sweat - I knew it was going to be a suffer fest. At the line I maintained optimism...
The first mile starts immediately with a long hard hill that you repeat at miles 2 and 6 - at this point it wasn't so bad! I specifically didn't hammer the hill on the first time around. The backside of the hill is a gradual downhill and I eased into what felt like a comfortable pace. I felt ok passing the one mile mark at 5:42, but there was an ~8 second gap between me and John Sullivan and his pack ahead of me.
I maintained my pace, hoping that a steady effort would find me picking off folks who were hurting from the heat. We turned back to do our second longer loop and second ascent up the hill, and I hit the 2m mark at about 11:22. I had a pack of folks that I was leading and as we crested the hill, I was passed by a Greater Lowell runner. I felt dead legged by that point, but the GL runner wouldn't hold his place for long...and it wasn't anything I did. I was feeling awfully cooked, and noticed I was slowing down. That feeling was shared by many, I think. Before the start of the 4th mile, I had overtaken the GL runner as he faded more than me, and I started to create a gap on the group behind me. I think my split was probably around 6-flat for that third mile. So I certainly wasn't doing anything special.
The fourth mile had a gradual uphill that on any other day wouldn't have been noticeable. But to me, on this day, I was getting gut punched continually. This mile was even slower than the 3rd, and the distance inside no-mans land was growing on either side of me. John Sullivan was way ahead, and I didn't feel like anyone was breathing down my neck. After a botched water stop where I didn't get any water to throw on my head, I had a serious slow down for mile 5. I was hitting patches of stagnant air that filled my mouth and lungs with...I'm not sure...I would call it the opposite of oxygen.
Since I didn't have the gas to make a move on the group ahead, I slowed (yes, I ham & egged it...if such a thing could be done on this day). I was hanging at probably 6:30 pace and allowing myself to recover. After missing the opportunity to douse myself with water, I felt dangerously overheated. But this little reprieve worked out. The group behind me caught up and passed me briefly before I caught a second wind and re-created a small gap. After rounding a small parking lot before ascending the hill for the third and final time, I allowed whoever caught up with me during the sixth mile to get even so we could have a good fight up the hill and finish strong. This worked a bit in my favor since I was ever so slightly recovered. I grunted my way up the hill, took a few gulps of oxygen on the flat, and had a comfortable kick in through the finish.
All in all, a crappy performance for me, but it was expected. I'm not bummed; it will be good training in the long run.
37:02 for 17th place. I won a headband thing for coming in whatever in my age group, and I also won a free pair of shoes in the raffle. Good stuff! LEVELRENNER!
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