Totally in the zone the whole time. I didn't really notice anything around me the whole race, I was completely focused the whole time. I never saw anything more than 3 feet ahead of me, I stared at the ground from start to finish. Somehow that works for me, helps me focus and stay in the zone.

Anyway, the plan was to go comfortably hard in mile 1, want to stop by end of mile 2, and ignore pain in the last 1.1.

I could not believe I hit 8:56 in mile 1, so I just wanted to hold it. Felt good at that point and I'd been breathing 4 steps out, 2 steps in. At mile 2, I felt like I could stop, but I didn't WANT to stop, so maybe I could have gone a little harder. But by this time I was breathing 3 in/3 out. Funny story, I was so amazed at my performance thus far that I started imagining crossing the line sub-28, and I actually started to tear up with happiness. Ridiculous? Yes. But I just hadn't been able to fathom doing that, and thinking it was possible made me so happy, in a weird way. But then, I thought, "silly, you haven't even done it yet, just keep running."

The last mile I was working pretty hard, breathing 2 in 2 out. I focused either on breathing or repeating "ignore pain" in my head, or "just keep running." Tom caught me with maybe a quarter mile to go, and said, "hey baby!" and came alongside me, but i just glanced at him and literally waved him off. i felt guilty but i knew he'd break my zone. He told me later that it didn't seem like I was working hard enough, like I didn't seem like I was dying. But I was working pretty hard - and my physiology is such that I can go long pretty hard, but I can't really kick it up harder. I've been aware of this since I ran my first mile for gym in 6th grade, it's just me. I guess I need to work on speed spurts (there's a section about that in this month's Runners World).

I was running with a girl for maybe the last half mile, and she seemed to be cruising. I couldn't pass her, and she wasn't passing me...until maybe 100 yards to go, and she just left me in the dust. I really wanted to keep up with her, but like I said, I dont' have spurts, even if I didn't seem to be at max. But I could have gone on longer. Sigh.

When I crossed the line, I saw it had just passed 28:00, and I was confused for a second because I thought I had been going for 27, and was like, I slowed down a whole minute in the last mile???? But then, I realized that no, I was going for 28 - and I had done it!!! Watch time 27:57. WOOOOOOOOOOO!

I felt pretty good immediately afterwards, no feelings of dying.

Not much...I'm super pumped to keep training and get faster from this successful day.

Nothing. Ooops.

But post race food = good. Two beers (and not just like Bud or anything, it was local brewpub beer - and it was good). Plus a few donut holes, a slice of pizza, and a flatbread cheese sandwich. Excellent. Oh yeah, and 2 shots of hot chocolate.

Ran into DMW and Steve again, chatted with them some more - but it was cold!! They both ran great races. It was fun to see them, we talked about the Romantic Niantic and how they're going to school us in Feb. Heh :).


I just need to keep training, I'll get faster.


This is a fun race, lots of people, flat and fast, and easy for us to get to since it's local. Cheap too. Post-race food and beer is excellent excellent, which is key for me too :). So, I'd do this race every year.

Oh yeah, they had mile markers and people calling out times when you crossed, so you had a good gauge of your performance, which was nice.

No drink stations, but that's fine since it's so short and it's cold - very little risk of dehydration.