Just to start out: I LOVE Onion Days. I picked this race the first year I was 'running' and I've gone back ever since. I love it even more now that I know all the amazing people that live down there!! A big THANK YOU goes to Marion for hosting the big-bad for you breakfast (thanks for the big gut and butt soup - it was FABULOUS, and I now have a big gut and butt :) ) and to Michelle, all the hubby's that cooked and kept us more than full, and everyone that came and brought good food and fun times!!! It was totally worth every calorie bite and every lost minute of sleep on a holiday! So, the race. Excited and set a time goal: 45 min. I figured if I got a 44:12 at Des News I could push HARD and get a 45:00. I knew this course was flat and not downhill, but I wanted to run my guts out. My mantra today: NO EXCUSES! Got to say a happy hello to all my fellow RHPC's and bloggers then we lined up. After TOU 1/2, I'd decided I wanted to beat Walter, even if for only a moment. So, I lined up at the start line (no chip times), and when the gun went off I was First!! I held my own through the crowd of 5Kers (about 200 yds), just long enough to be in front of Walter for all the newpaper pictures (hehehe) - if I ever do find a picture of this, I may just photoshop a finish line in front! The good thing about starting in the front, even when you have no business doing so, is that you can count how many women are in front of you. Two passed me quickly, I was in 3rd - not too shabby. A little past mile one the third lady passed me, about a mile later I passed her back, but then about .5 mile later she passed me back and said "you're doing great, thanks for pushing me, I need someone to keep me going!" After that she stayed consistently about 20-30 seconds in front of me. I knew if I just kept pace with her I'd do okay! I also leap-frogged JonA a few times. It was SO nice to have Kelly there on her bike with updates and encouragement! The last time I passed Jon I said "don't get chicked again!" I meant, don't pass me so I have to pass you back again, I just didn't have enough breath to say it. I thought he was behind me the whole time, but when the guy I thought was him passed me again...it wasn't Jon. My R shoelace came untied at mile 3 - I didn't have time to stop and tie it. I kept thinking..mile 4 you can stop and tie it...at the aide station at mile 4.5 you can tie it...I don't have time to stop to tie a shoe! Then about mile 4.5 my L shoelace came untied too. I figured I'd run through worse conditions than having loose shoelaces, so I just kept at it and never stopped. I did walk about 5-10 steps through the 4.5 water station, just enough to actually swallow. After the lead group took off and I hit my REAL pace I was able to pick off a few people, obviously only men. I love to have my 'you've just been pinked' shirt on and then pass the guys!
The SLIGHT up hill miles 4-6 slowed my pace too much, I think I could've made 45 if I would've kept up a little better. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20! I ended up finishing just 20 seconds behind the 3rd place lady and I was hoping that no one in front of me was in my age group. I was VERY pleased when I saw 1st place in my AG on the runnercard; this is the first time I've taken first in my age group! Overall a great race and I felt strong, I just loved having people there cheering me in at the end. I heard Marion yelling my name and it gave me the push I needed to sprint the finish! Oh, I could go on and on! I loved it, felt good, had a good time, ALMOST got my goal and this is my 2nd best 10K time, so best flat course time! I wish every race could feel this good! AP: 7:26 splits: 7:04, 7:15, 7:32, 7:22, 7:53, 7:41, (.2) 6:42. This was the most accurate my Garmin has ever been to a course. My time on the Garmin was 46:15 (same as official) and the distance was 6.21 - good tangents :)
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