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99th Annual Thanksgiving Day Race - Run10k


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Cincinnati, Ohio
United States
Thanksgiving Day Race
28F / -2C
Sunny
Total Time = 38m 33s
Overall Rank = 128/11490
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 7/578
Pre-race routine:

Drove to race area around Paul Brown Stadium with Mary, Erin and Conor. We walked up to the stadium area and hung around, as we were a little early. I did a jog to the port a pot, stretched a little, then did a actual warm up jog. I felt good, but wondered how this would turn out. IT WAS FREAKING COLD at the start, but the sun was out, so it was getting better, especially since I was wearing ALL black. Black tights, shirt, and hat.
Event warmup:

See Above.
Run
  • 38m 33s
  • 6.33 miles
  • 06m 05s  min/mile
Comments:

First, I should mention that for the last couple of weeks, I haven't been quite feeling "myself". After the IM, I went to 3rd shift and I've been in some other time zone or something. I was SO looking forward to this race all year, and because I wasn't feeling "IT", it was starting to make me grouchy. So, with my toe a few feet away from the starting line, and thousands of people behind me, the gun went off. My intention was to go 6:20's the first 3 miles and 6:10s the second half, for a nice negative split. Mile 1 was 6:04...to fast...I tried to ease up. Mile 2 was 6:08..still fast, but I was feeling as if I was dogging this race and not giving any effort. People were PASSING ME for GAUD'S sake! Ok Jim, stick with your plan...REMEMBER THE PLAN! We went over the first bridge here, over the OHIO river. The bridge is a hill, and I shortened my stride and just tried to keep my pace. BE THE BRIDGE!. I slowed up a tad more, I REALLY didn't want to die the last bit of this race. We rounded the Newport Levee and through Newport. Mile 3 was 6:23. OK..that was good. I felt great. This was effortless. Now I wanted to PICK up the pace and get back to the game plan. I took the pace up a slight notch. Not blazing, but just a tad. Mile 4 was just before the bridge back to Ohio...6:11. Ok, THAT's what I'm supposed to be doing. During THIS mile, I began passing loads of people, and now NO ONE was passing me. Where I would be struggling at this point in the past, I felt like I was just hitting my potential. Others were huffing and puffing with shoulders slumped. I felt like I had wings on my feet. Time to hit the uphill on the bridge. Again, I shortened my stride and kept my pace. Once I crested the midpoint of the bridge and began down the other side, I pushed it up another notch. Now I was passing groups of people...the "rabbits" who had pushed it to hard, to early...rabbits like I USED to be. Older.....wiser.....faster. At the edge of the bridge I hit mile 5...6:10. Gaud I felt great. The last part of my plan was to wait until I had 1 mile left and open up the gate on everything I had left. I came to the very end of the bridge and made a right turn, and let go. I picked up the pace to the edge of what I believed I could sustain for the next mile. People were being passed left and right now. Nothing hurt. Legs felt great, but I was just on the edge of my potential, a very dangerous place usually, but with so little left, there was no reason to hold back. I held this pace until MILE 6....5:49. Now it was pick it up one more time. If there was any speed left to give, this is where I would. I looked inside the tank, and it said GO! I went. There was only one guy in front of me. I came up beside him and he gave a quick "looking great", and I exchanged the same. I passed him and held the best pace I had left. I got by him about 3 strides, but he had apparently held a little back and passed me back with about 15 yards to go. Fine. I had done my best and there was no turbo to respond with. I was already so far ahead of my goal, I knew I had done my best. I crossed the line alone, as fast as I had in several years, and the THIRD fastest I ever had in the over 20 TIMES I've done this race. I looked down at my Garmin and hit the STOP button....6.33 miles. Whatever. I'm getting used to these little quirks with proper distance. I walked a little and almost immediately felt relaxed and recovered. HOW FREAKING wierd. I wasn't doubled over in pain, I wasn't breathing hard and nothing hurt. I felt like I could go do another 20. WOW. IM fitness is awesome. I never want to loose this feeling, but I know I will eventually, at which time I'll probably sign up for another IM. I got my chip removed, and found Mary, Erin and Conor at the finish line...still looking for me to cross the line.
What would you do differently?:

ZERO. Although I didn't hold back as much as I wanted in the beginning, I felt like I was lolly gagging it to begin with. My 10K average is now my old 5K average, so I wonder how fast I can crank out a 5K now. I KNOW I need an off season, but I don't want one. Harder. Faster. Longer. Higher. I'm sure I'm in a large group of OC people who need therapy, but I'm happy this way.
Post race
Warm down:

NONE! We walked over to where they were giving all the freebees away, and we collected enough stuff to pay for my race! Yea....good times!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Nothing. If I had some olympic contenders pacing me and pushing me LIKE SOME PEOPLE, I may have shaved off a few seconds, but other than that, I did as good as I could.

Event comments:

THIS was the 99th running of this race, so they have it down pat. Sure, they could do better, but not much. It's one of my favorite races. It's UBER local and HUGE for a 10K. Loads of fun.




Last updated: 2008-07-13 12:00 AM
Running
00:38:33 | 06.33 miles | 06m 05s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/578
Overall: 0/11490
Performance: Good
I wanted to negative split this puppy, and it was my intention to do the first 3 miles at a 6:20 pace and the second 3 at a 6:10 pace, but you can see how it turned out. Mile 1: 6:04 Mile 2: 6:08 Mile 3: 6:23 Mile 4: 6:11 Mile 5: 6:10 Mile 6: 5:49 Mile .3: 1:49 The course was long. I was wearing my GARMIN, and confirmed it with other runners...it was long. Also, I'm tired of these winey ass race directors telling me my GARMIN is wrong....ALL WE ALL WRONG? I know this sad ass technology can only pin point a knats ass from outer space and send rockets through bed room windows from 2,000 miles away. I'm pretty sure when umteen people wearing the same device all come up with the SAME freaking distance...WE might be right. I shall now step down from my soap box and eat turkey.
Course: Ya start at Paul Brown's overpriced stadium, run around the deserted streets of Cincinnati, cross the river into historic Newport Kentucky, home to all that is good, cross another bridge into Covington Kentucky for a short distance, then back across yet ANOTHER bridge into Cincinnati, and finally finish back near Paul Brown's stupid stadium, home of the biggest joke of a football team that's ever been established.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2008-11-27 1:03 PM

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Extreme Veteran
331
10010010025
Latonia, Kentucky (near Cincinnati)
Subject: 99th Annual Thanksgiving Day Race


2008-11-28 9:42 AM
in reply to: #1828885

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Master
2005
2000
South Florida
Subject: RE: 99th Annual Thanksgiving Day Race
Awesome dude!!!  Glad you found "it" again   Sooooper speedy!!!!!!!!
2008-11-28 7:10 PM
in reply to: #1828885

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Veteran
284
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Subject: RE: 99th Annual Thanksgiving Day Race
Nice job! It was a beautiful day out there. Having that fitness level really pays off. I was just in marathon shape and I ran a personal best by six minutes. Also loved the course description. Poor Poor Bengals...
2008-11-29 8:05 AM
in reply to: #1828885

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Member
34
25
Liberty Township, Ohio
Subject: RE: 99th Annual Thanksgiving Day Race
Nice race report! Looks like you left it all out there on the course! Maybe I'll have to try one of these Ironman things.
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