Run for Hospice 10K

Wow! Another one! 2nd PR in 2 days at the Run for Hospice 10K at the Talbot County YMCA, Easton, Maryland.

Short report: Watch time 1:04:31, 10:24 min/mile pace for my fastest 10K since, oh, the 1980s. 3:23 faster than my most recent 10K PR from 2001.

Long report: JEEZ! Was I ever sore from the freeweights workout on Wednesday and my 5K yesterday!!! But I guess the lesson from today is that doesn't really affect my running speed too much unless I let it affect me mentally. Remember that flat course on a cold day that I was wishing for yesterday? Well, I got it today!

We gathered at the Easton, Maryland YMCA and stayed inside until just before the start because it was COLD out there! About 28*F but windy, and I'm not acclimated to it yet. I did a few laps around the parking lot just so I wouldn't be freezing!

About 60? runners started for the 10K. One small loop through a residential area and I was soon in last place. We passed the YMCA again just as the 5K runners started and joined our route and they quickly blew past me. I switched places a few times with a girl running in the back of the pack trailing a long scarf behind her. We headed out on the road leading toward Oxford, through one stoplight and then out of town on the highway shoulder. Somewhere around the place that the Mile 1 marker should have been I passed Long Scarf Girl for good.

Mile 2: 20:42. Hey! That's PR territory for me! This isn't feeling TOO bad, maybe I can keep it up. Check the HRM - running about 170, this might be do-able! Through one water stop, walk a couple steps and down a Dixie cup of water.

Mile 3: 10:40 split. Crossing the road and heading out into a big loop in a very nice wooded residential area. Hmm, I haven't been here before, these houses are REALLY nice! Huge lots, a few on the waterfront with long driveways and formal gates. I keep trotting along, sightseeing.

Mile 4: 10:28 split. This still feels manageable, but I'm not sure I can keep it up. Heart rate is creeping up to the 175s. Pass one guy, get passed by a skinny woman I hadn't seen before. I zip off the sleeves easily from my new jacket while I'm still running - I LOVE this jacket for running in!

Mile 5: 9:47 split. I'm not sure the mile marker was placed correctly - the next mile felt awfully long! I pass a larger guy who is clearly getting fatigued and starting to walk. I'm feeling surprisingly okay considering the 5K I raced yesterday! Nothing really hurts, but my legs are getting heavier, heavier.... Back across the stoplight crossing with the nice policeman stopping traffic.

Mile 6: 11:11 split. Getting tired - try to keep it up past the Y and around the corner to the finish line!

Final 0.2 miles: Pick up the pace in the final stretch - 1:41 for a 1:04:31 finish and new PR!

I stopped and cheered for the few runners coming after me to finish. Post-race gathering inside the gym was nice and low-key with some good refreshments - sweet rolls and blueberry muffins, yum!!

This was a very nice little race on a pretty course and I enjoyed it! I was also glad to get a chance to take a look around this YMCA because I'll probably join it next year in order to train in their pool on weekends.

Using the Race Result Predictor at www.marathonguide.com, that time and the one from my 5K yesterday both predict that I should be going sub-5:00 for the marathon - and I'm a LONG way from that. I guess that just shows my long-distance endurance still has a long way to go!! But it's still nice to see that improvement at shorter distances.