Rockville 10K/5K - Run10k

I wanted to keep my string of PR's going for the year, but I didn't think I could do it. PF in my left foot kicked up, my mileage was down, and my weight was up a little. Decided to do the best I could, but beating 60 minutes for a 10K seemed out of reach. However, in a training run on Thursday, managed to pull off the middle 3 miles at a 9:30 pace, so maybe....

Come race day, I decided I would just go for it, and see what happened. First mile kinda of stiff from a lack of a proper warmup and the cold. Started out fast with the 9 minute people. Diane said, "you're starting way too fast for me, see ya." Up the hill on Piccard I was already a little winded, but I knew at the turn around, it would be downhill for a ways, and I could recover. Kept up my pace, and at mile 2 and 3 I was averaging around a 9:23 by my Garmin. Awesome! Motored up the long hill on Gude, passing people on the incline, and losing ground on the backsides. I noticed that the road was not very straight, and the people running the far left, are actually running farther. I sight a straight line, and to the pack, it appears I'm all over the place, running several times all by myself to the far right, but it's the straightest shortest path, and I pass several runners this way. At the turnaround at Rockville Pike at 3.85, there's Diane! WTH, how could she be there (she'd been training at 11-11:30 all summer and fall). Mile 4, still around 9:30. Yeah. Up the little turnaround hill, and there she is again, only about 20 seconds behind me. I'm hurting, but I can't let her catch me, but I know that dreaded hill on Piccard is coming up. Grind, grind, grind, the hill kicks up, my HR is over max, damn it, got to walk the last 20-30 yards. Well, there goes my race, and Diane will be passing me any moment (and she says she's not competitive!) Get to the peak, start running again, and feel strong. Marguerite cheers me on, 2 stoplights to go, and I kick it as much as I can. My lungs are ready to burst, but I'm racing! Around the final turn, see the finish and the clock. It's still under 60! Run as hard as I can, and the clock says 59.5x and the Garmin says, 59:34. Woo hoo! I hope it stands. After a couple adjustments, it does. Another PR. Diane finishes just under 60 too! Amazing race for her. Now onto winter maintenance. Time to lose some more weight, and try to break into the 8's.

Keep losing weight.

Walked around, had a little food and coffee.


Weight, stiffness, and PF


Nice kind of low key race.