AM: Tippy Connect 10k. Ran a 27 second PR at the end of a 90+ mile week. I'm okay with that. Report to follow later. The rich chocolatey goodness: 5:48, 6:04, 5:55, 6:14, 5:55, 6:14, 1:00 REPORT I've won this race two years in a row with hobby jogger times, so I was ready to have someone else turn the race around a bit. I knew my training partner Brandon was running, and even though I've run higher mileage lately and I think I am in a bit better shape, he is a former Division I 10k runner. I ran 3.25 to campus, saw Brandon and talked to him, and we sized a few people up. He spotted the eventual winner, Patrick, who is the director of Purdue's recreational facility (he ran 35:07). I could tell in my warmup that my legs were solid and that a light 4 yesterday was enough to run a decent race. I was expecting to run 6:10 for the hills and 5:55-6:00 for downhills and flats, finishing 6:05 or faster for a workout @ 1:20 HMP. I did a half mile @ MP and got going as fast as 6:04 toward the end, which felt pretty easy, and did some light strides in the parking lot. So I knew I could run 6:04 without killing myself. Some confusion about where the first turn was since it was different than last year. I asked for clarification, and some was given, but it threw the lead guy off. Short, sharp downhill to start then it flattens. 5:48 first mile. Right on 5k PR pace. Here we go. It honestly felt how I start most halfs (you know it feels fast, but it feels comfortable). Brandon said we were fast, and I told him I knew but I was feeling good and would slow up for the hills and see if we could let the lead guy get humbled by the first hill. 6:04 for McCormick hill. I figured 6:10-6:15 would be good. We were trying to pull Patrick back in but he was running strong and Brandon and I pulled each other along, trading places here and there. Some course changes I had not expected occurred at mile 2-3. We hit a flat stretch, but I was feeling it a bit (probably appropriate effort though). I knew the intersection at Lindberg was coming and that last year they had a cop stationed there, not doing a darn thing. I heard race volunteers and Brandon tell me not to go but I said screw it, I am going to go and see if I can scare the race people into seeing how dangerous a multi-lane road is without any sort of assistance for an event of that size (not big, but big enough). I yelled a few words for revision for the following year. We hit some other course changes I didn't expect, but people were stationed to help us. Kind of. Miles 3-5: 5:55, 6:14, 5:55 (good downhill that could have been faster for mile 5). I had pulled away from Brandon at the intersection, he pulled away on the hill and up the gradual, grinding grade of Northwestern. Tried to stay behind him. I closed the gap a touch, but couldn't quite get there. Hit the downhill .2 and tried to catch him, but I was still 10 seconds behind. 6:14 for mile 6, just under 60 seconds for the partial (5:20, peaked at 4:40). Did about 1.5 with Brandon and Patrick. We are going to meet up and do a bog run tomorrow. Kept going to hit 2 for my preliminary cool down. Hung out and chatted. Awards took forever, so I hit 3 miles back home. Didn't expect to run a PR today, but it pleased me after sucking it up at B2B (this course is harder in some ways I think) and I think on a flat course and lower mileage I can run well in Philly in 3 weeks, which doesn't mean a ton because the real work will be reflected on November 3rd.
PM: 4 miles w/ 2 miles on the Vinton Elementary playground grass, averaged 8:38. 84 degrees feels like 82 degrees? A rare 31% humidity. As they say in Maine "the way life should be."
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