Smile Center 10k on the docket today. I am in base-building mode, so a little early to be racing, but I registered for this race a long time ago, so here I am. Goal was to run 6:00 pace the whole time, regardless of competition. I wanted to break 60 miles this week, so had to fit in quite of bit of miles before/after. Ran 3 miles warm up, then another mile between strides and additional jogging. Lots of prerace jitter bathroom breaks, which is good. I knew Maryann was running the race, so it would be between me and her. Mile 1 - 5:50, Maryann led, then I led, then she led, I tried to draft off people, slight uphill this mile, I think the mile was short Mile 2 - 6:09, MaryAnn and I are still trading of leads, I draft when I can, still slight uphill, I think this mile was long, 12:00 for two miles Mile 3 - 5:39, slight downhill, still trading leads, I think this mile was short Mile 4 - 6:04, slight downhill, I took the lead right before the three mile mark and held it, though I could hear MaryAnn right behind, I started focusing on catching the guy ahead of me, who was slowing, but he missed a turn. I yelled at him with no response, then I heard MaryAnn yelling, but I am not sure if he heard either of us, only when us RACERS started yelling at him did the volunteers/police start calling for him to turn around. This mile was likely dead on Mile 5 - 5:58, trying to stay strong and get another sub 6:00, this mile was likely a bit short, given how the next mile goes, MaryAnn still right behind Mile 6 - gradual uphill, I didn't see the mile marker, but it was a 6:27 mile according to my garmin. I tried to stay strong, but obviously didn't. I knew MaryAnn was right behind .24 by my watch to the end (another indicator mile 5 was short), 5:42 pace. MaryAnn stayed right behind, I held her off by 2 seconds, from what I hear. We had a turn with perhaps 30m to the finish line, I wish it had been a longer straight away. I saw the clock turn 37, came in at 37:02 by that clock and was ecstatic, since I didn't get the sixth mile split I was in ignorant-laden bliss. Turns out their clock wasn't synced right, so my real time was 37:32, which means I really slowed down the last mile or they didn't have the miles accurately marked, I am not sure which. Too bad, I like 37:02 alot better.
I never ran a sub-38:00 flat 10k in Utah in 2008, mostly because I trained through the races, and I only ran two flat 10ks. I trained through today's race too, though. The NCAA altitude adjustment for the 10k is about a minute, and I ran 36:38 at my height of fitness in December 2008, in Paris, France, so near sea level. Today I was 54 sec off that time, so I think I am fairly close to where I was in December 2008, which is awesome, since my mileage was much higher when I did the 36:38. I would have liked to hit my 6:00 pace, but I guess I'll have to leave that for another time, and overall I am happy.
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