10K Race Report

Last Sunday Chris and I ran in the Colorado Marathon ... 10K. It went pretty well. My goal was to finish in under 53:00, and I was really hoping for an 8:30 pace. My PR for a 10K is from the Loveland Lake to Lake Tri in 2005 - 52:14. I've been gradually working up my mileage, with my longest run being a few weeks ago at about 8 miles in 90 minutes. I also started working in some more speed work the last few weeks. So anyway, the first mile I ran too fast. Everyone else around me was booking it, and I figured I could keep up with them so I should run fast too. When I got to mile 1 in 8:10 I knew I needed to slow down! I gradually worked into a more even pace. My heart rate was in the high 160's to low 170's - right around 170 is where I tried to keep it. That is funny to me because it is so different on the bike. I am pretty sure I can't hold that HR for 50 minutes when I'm riding. But running it was a challenge but not impossible.

The last two miles were on the same course as the marathon and half marathon. People who were finishing the half were just flying by me, it was very impressive. I started to feel pretty crappy but kept up the pace. I was extraordinarily happy to see the finish line, and crossed in 52:47 - an 8:31 pace. Woohoo! :) Chris came in not too long after in 57:06 (my secondary goal was to beat him).

I do the Lake to Lake in 7 weeks, so who knows how fast I can be by then :). It is exciting to see some of the fruits of my training. Today Chris and I ran up Maxwell (the "hill" behind the stadium). It took 24:50 to get to the top from Overland Trail. So we'll see how I can improve on that, but it was definitely a butt-kicking type run.

That's it for now. Tomorrow I am pretty excited about watching the Collegiate Cycling National Championship road race. It is awesome to have the country's best young cyclists racing a mile from my house (on some of my favorite roads)! GO RAMS! :) It is a little weird/sad to not be racing this year but I am mostly just fine with watching instead of racing!

Here is a picture of Chris from the race. Luckily there isn't a picture of me b/c I probably looked like an angry wreck.