10K on the 10th Race Report- PR!!

Today I completed a virtual race Non-Runner Nancy organized called 10K on the 10th by competing in a local race called the Miracle for Mary 10K, 5K and bike ride. There were about 250 people from the Clarksville, TN, and Fort Campbell, KY, areas, including lots of 101st Airborne soldiers.

The beginning of the race was very well organized. There was a variety of things going on. The 50-mile bike riders started first. Then two minutes later, the 20-mile bikers. Then the 10-mile bikers. During the start of all those races, I took a warm-up run of about 1/2 mile. The clock was already at 6 minutes by the time we 10K runners started. (The 5K-ers were after us.)

It was flat for mile one, then rolling hills until the last 1/2 mile or so. I wasn't expecting the hills. I had run a race in this same area in February and we had a flat route.

The well-organized part kind of ended after the start, unfortunately. There was not ONE water stop on the entire route! I was glad I had my water belt. It was 60 degrees and humid, and probably 90% of runners didn't have any water for the 10K.

And I'm using the term 10K loosely! When I got to the finish and stopped my Garmin, it said 5.50 miles. Hmmm, I'm not math genius, but I'm thinking that's not actually 10 kilometers. At the finish, I was on track for a PR, so I took a quick drink of water, griped a little about the short route, started the old Garmin again, and took off running. By golly, I was going to finish what I started and get my PR. I was the ONLY runner who kept going. I just headed on down the road for the last .7.

I PR'd with a 1:00:10, over two minutes faster than my February race. I was hoping for under one hour, but I'll take it! I needed to maintain a 9:39 pace to get a 59:59 finish, and I just missed it. However, that's my 5K pace, so running a 10K at my 5K pace probably wasn't realistic. I'm still happy about the PR!

Since I was the ONLY one who kept going to 6.2 miles, does that make me get 1st place?

They didn't tear off our race bibs or use chip timing, so I don't know where I placed at the finish or if I might have placed in my age group. But I do know one thing: I WAS NOT LAST! It might be wrong, but I was psyched to pass all the Army guys who slowed down in the last half. (I do support their sacrifices; I just liked beating them.)

Splits:
Mile 1 9:26 average pace
Mile 2 9:42
Mile 3 9:40
Mile 4 9:54
Mile 5 10:04
Mile 6 9:38
last .2 8:12

Average pace: 9:41---- by far the fastest pace I've ever had in any race situation. I've had a few training runs in the 9:30's for 3 miles, but I've never run 6 miles anywhere near this fast. Go, Me. That's why I like running and doing races--- it's so neat to see yourself improve, to set goals and meet them (or almost), to feel proud of yourself.

I'm so glad I kept going for the full 10K!