May the Mass x Acceleration be with you

Warmup:

10 minute warmup jog

2x2:00 at 1/2 marathon pace, with 2 min recovery jogs

2x150m @ 10k pace

Race:

Bank to Bay 10K race - 37:59  (18:51.25, 19:07.75)

After last year's abysmal performance at this event (41:01 while shooting for 37:40), I was a little more anxious than usual to run a good race this year. I was shooting for 39:00 because my earlier 4 mile time indicated this was a roughly equivalent performance. Also, McMillans said that my goal of 3:03 for the marathon was equivalent to 39 min, and I wanted to prove to myself I am on target for such a performance.

Bank to Bay is a fairly challenging course, with a few good hills scattered throughout, but also features a downhill finish the last 1/2 mile. So, I knew whatever time I ran here would be a legitimate time.

In order to run 39 minutes, I needed to run 6:16/mile, so I aimed for 6:15 so it would be easier to track during the race.

The first mile, we start uphill the first half, and then plunge down to near sea level. I wanted to hold back so I went out at what felt like temp run pace. There was a big pack in front of me that was pulling away from me, including another guy who was shooting for the same time as me (Mark), but I was pretty sure I didn't want to go out as fast as they were. I ended up running by myself by 1/2 mile, as people behind me fell away, too. I figured I was running the first mile with the right effort, so I was very surprised to see the mile mark at under 6 minutes. Since, on the downhill, I wasn't even breathing hard at all I didn't panic. I just told myself that this meant I could relax. Not slow down, but relax.

I caught up with and passed all of the previously mentioned pack by the 2nd mile, passed in 12:03, including Mark. After that I was able to reel in a few more people here and there until just after the halfway point where I passed the #2 girl. After that there was no one anywhere close to me in front of me. One guy came along and passed me around 5 1/2 miles, on the uphill. He kept pulling further away from me all the way to the finish. No one that I passed was anywhere close to me. The #2 girl, who I passed just after the 1/2 way point was 45 seconds back by the finish.
Each mile I got progressivley slower, but I never ran as slow as my goal pace.  My slowest, most uphill split was 6:14.5 - the 6th mile, but I kicked in a 68 second last .21 miles.

When I got close enough to the finish line to see the finish clock I realized it said 37:39, not 37:59, so I knew I had a chance to not only break 39 minutes, but 38 minutes as well. I gave it everything I had and just made it according to my watch. When official results were posted they agreed with my watch. More than a minute under my goal! And I won my age division to boot!

Now I have to reset training paces and marathon goals. McMillans says 37:59 predicts a 2:58:15 marathon. It will take a bit to wrap my brain around that one. That would be a PR by more than 13 minutes!

Splits:
1 - 5:58.5
2 - 12:03 - 6:04.5
3 - 18:11.5 - 6:08.75
      3.11 - 18:51.25 - 39.6
4 - 24:23 - 6:11.5
5 - 30:36.75 - 6:14
6 - 36:51.25 - 6:14.5
      6.21 - 37:59 - 1:08

 

Cooldown:

2.1 miles in 17:10