ToeJam Hill was the toughest 10k course I've run, and I didn't even try the half-marathon, which has an extra hill to it (winner of that race was 1:23). Easy first two miles, mostly downhill, and three of us in the lead pack flew through. We talked after the race and figured we were running 5:30 miles or so (no mile markers, it was a fun run). But I wasn't expecting the hills that just kept coming miles 3-5, and the two leaders left me as I lost my rhythm and pace. If I would have been more familiar with the course perhaps I would have stayed with them or tried to surge earlier, but I kept seeing uphills coming so saved some energy and tried to stick with a decent pace. The last mile was actually easier than I planned so I caught up a bit, but I was 1-2 minutes behind the leader and another 45 seconds-minute back of 2nd. Not a bad race considering it was a tough course, and I enjoyed getting out. 1 mile warm-up and 2 miles cool down for the distance. Then I took the ferry over to Seattle and watched the M's beat the Rangers. I made sure to get up and walk around every three innings because I felt the cramps coming.
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