YMCA 10k Race: 4/12/08

Saturday, April 12, 2008
YMCA 5k/10k Race [Done! 53:30 / ave pace 8:31]

Current mood: triumphant - decided to leave this from (original) myspace blog :)

I've never ran a 10K before but I was shooting for 55 minutes and I finished in 53:30! So I was very excited!!!

The race went through a very prestigious part of downtown - the historic district of Cloverdale, where the houses are colonial style for the most part, the roads are cobblestone, the huge methodist church that sits in the middle of the park is built with rock, and plenty of trees everywhere - big and green - even at this time of the year. It was beautiful...I've never been there before.

It was raining, heavily, 20 minutes before the race was to start -- thunder and some lightening, the works. I was afraid they were going to call it, but they didn't!!! I think we might have started a couple of minutes late though just to let it all pass.

The course was partial loop / partial out and back for 5K, the 10K sent you on the same route over again..which I thought would SUCK...and it did for some because I know several people who were suppose to go for 10K quit half-way because it was an option.

But...I had a strong day - Very pleased with my time & Very pleased with my run. I thought on the 5K that I should slow down, that I would burn out. But this guy was pacing right with me and I didn't want to give it up!!! On the second trip around, I lost him! I kept turning around to see if he was keeping up, and he was falling further behind. I seems like a long ways when you are running, but he was just a minute behind me. I checked the Garmin and saw that I had actually picked up speed as the race went on! I guess it takes me a while to get warmed up...

I stuck around for the awards because there weren't many people there and I thought for sure I would get an award...then I realized since there weren't that many, the age groups were divided like this:

less than 18
19-39
40-55
over 55

I fall in the 20 year range there.... THAT SUCKS. 90% of the racing females fell in that category!

But I am happy with my progress! I have something to set the bar for next time. I'll post the time sheet and some pics as soon as they go up on the website ;)