Drove down with the family enjoying the anticipation of a good race, my first 10K since Deseret, which doesn't count. Surprised to see the flashing lights of a cop who asked me if I saw him on the entrance ramp. "Of course I didn't see you." (If I'd seen him I would have slowed down.) So that was the 1st whammy, the second was that according to the race schedule there were to be 2 starts, one for 5K, one for 10K. I watched the crowd line up and take off. Yaaah! Then I ran one more warm-up lap around the block coming back to the start to see, surprise, no one there. I'd even asked a guy in charge if they were going to start at 9:15 and he said yes, but they changed their minds at the last minute. They made an announcement moments before the start but I was in the zone about my race and not listening--also not wearing my hearing aids but I still would have heard if I was trying to hear. So I started about 3 1/2 minutes behind everybody and got the wonderful joy of getting to weave through all the 5K'rs. Since the race was chip-timed I figured it'd be okay but that didn't mean I wasn't running angry for a little bit before I settled in. I resigned myself to passing people the entire time. When we split off for the 10K course my minions were laid out before me. A group of probably a dozen topped off my a red-shirted runner who looked serious. I ate them up. I felt like explaining myself as I cruised so easily by everybody but I didn't. "I started late so don't worry that I'm passing you so easily, you're still running well." Try saying that in one breath. I think about mile 3.5 I had caught red shirt. We had a tough hill at mile 4 and there were 3 more runners ahead. The 2nd was a younger kid I passed as we did a step up on a curb along 8th North. Finally we were on the home straight and there was an orange long-sleeved runner that I set my sights on. He was running a good pace and gave me some doubt but I set myself to catch him, painfully but purposefully. As we made the last turn, his own negative thinking got the best of him and he gave in. So my last sprint was passing 5K'rs once again who were not sprinting. But this definitely counts as my fastest flat 10K ever. Ran 37:18 at Des a year ago, but that's so downhill it's not a great barometer. They did the awards from chip time so all's well that ends well. Peace and Love from Christ who brought the possibility of peace to all who believe in His Father, the God who is Love.
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