10:30AM - Weather High 30s, cloudy. The 5k went off an hour before and Jonn cruised to a 19:26 Finish good for 105th place of 3174 runners!! Had a phenomenal race and finished about 35 seconds ahead of his 20:02 finish last year! Great ruN!
I was getting psyched for my run. Legs felt fresh and relaxed and I was raring to go. 10:30ish came around and still the last of the 5k runners were finishing. I lined up after a 1.5 mile warm up well back in the pack. I lined up right under the 7 minute per mile banner, and held my tongue well for the substantially um "hefty" runners that were lumbering up to the starting line for what looked like their first race ever. More power to them to get out here and run, and I was determined to make up any time I lost later. (Plus I've realized this helps me keep my first mile slower than others so that I feel relaxed later in the race... nothing could have prepared me for the awesome race to come however!
MILE 1 - Hit at 6:50; Under my 7:00 goal pace, and felt good and relaxed, weaving through the slower runners. Crowd was still thick here at this portion.
MILE 2 - Hit at 13:04!! (Had to double check my watch. Was that for real? That meant I had just ran a 6:14 Mile? And didn't feel winded?? Thinking: "Okay, Benn. Lay off now; find your rhythm." "But this IS a rhythm. A good one too!" "Well keep with it then!" Remember what Jonn said: "Just race." Fell in behind a nice guy in 80s spandex that seemed to know everyone we met along the course. As the race was also the New York State Masters 10k Championship, there was a lot at stake for the veteran runners.
MILE 3 - Easy, around 2.5 miles saw the leaders coming back at us, a lot them I know first hand. It's nice to see at least part of the race develop and see the strategy that's unfolding - how far apart the leaders are. Hit the 5k MARK at about 20:33 and for the first time realized I was well under my goal pace! Determined not to let up I pushed with that 80s guy in spandex, staying behind him as we dodged the "rabbits" that were appearing more and more to transition to tortoises. Thinking mantra: "Do it for, Emmy. Do it for you. Take out the slow runners; Take 'em to school!"
MILE 4 - Hit at 26:00 exactly. Wow Mile 4 was definitely faster I think because I saw as I rounded the cone and came back on the opposite side of the road just how many people I was ahead of. Also determined to stick with Spandex Man!
MILE 5 - Gradual uphill into the wind. Starting to feel a little coldness on my hands and my knees. Should have worn gloves. Noticed that we had relaxed off the pace a bit as we hit the 5-mile mark at 32:53. But wait! I wanted to scream! Is that time right? Checked my watch again... it was!! I just broke my 5 MILE PR from way back as a Freshman Collegiate XC Runner in 2004!! Previous record: 33:03!!! After a silent celebration with a quick clenched fist "Woot!" I presseed on, setting sights on the next runners!
MILE 6 - Still cruising, sweating, and breathing steady but IRONICALLY not hard!! I couldn't believe how this race was unfolding. My previous 10k PR in the race had stood at 46:30. I knew now I would utterly obliterate that old record. As I turned the corner for the home straightaway back down towards the starting line, I could hear Emma, My Mom, Jonny, and Suzannah (my sister) screaming for me. I picked off four more people in the last 300 meters and cruised home....
10K - 40:46!! **NEW 10K PR!**
I took off my chip and tossed it in the bucket and went to pick up my medal and the real prize I sought ... nice ripe bananas and a multi-grain bar.
Overall Place: 73rd!!! of 671 runners that completed the course (Way better than the 280+ finish of 580 in 2004)
Division Place: 16th of 35
PERSONAL BEST> Post Race Thoughts: Wow that was the biggest adrenaline rush of my running career! I have never felt more relaxed, more composed, and more proud of myself, even if I finished well back in the pack. Even if I didnt receive actual trophies, my trophies were sentimental: I had my finisher's medal, but more importantly, I got my long sleeve t-shirt (this was important as the last two years despite me filling out my entry form 8 weeks in advance and checking off a tshirt size I was denied tshirts after driving an hour down to the race on the morning of). So that was a victory in and of itself. But perhaps best of all was my family's shock that I'd finished so quickly!
Jonn: "Holy crap, Benn! Was that a new PR? I thought you said you were gunning for 45 minutes dude!"
Mom: "Way to go kiddo! That's way faster than I've ever run!"
Emma: "I'm so proud of you, Benn!!! You're my hero!"
Su: "Way to go Boo-Boo! You looked so good! Like you weren't even tired!"
**Afterwards on the way to Thanksgiving weekend with Emma's family I had time to think about the race, and despite me having "horrible form" as Jonn pointed out, as well as weighing 166 pounds on race day (as opposed to the 149 in 2004), I had managed to set a huge PERSONAL RECORD! I can't wait for my next race, and I'm determined that after I take a couple days to enjoy the Turkey Day festivities I will restart solid training. This is my lazy weekend, plus I haven't seen Emmy in 3 and a half weeks since Halloween so it's time to take a couple days off. Still about 30 miles this week. Next week I'll get back on track.
40:46 Overall Time 6:35 PACE PER MILE!!!! Felt so good!
