In the past, I have always run a strong 10k two weeks after a marathon. This race was only an 8k, but it was two weeks after Philly, so I was looking forward to it. Early this past week, I felt good about it after a couple of hard, but good workouts, a 10x440 session Monday and a tempo run Tuesday. I began to think that a 40 minute 8k might be possible. Then, summer returned to the mid-Atlantic region with daytime highs in the 70's and overnight lows only getting into the 50's….in December! L I had a couple of “easy” 6 mile runs Wednesday and Friday that weren’t nearly as comfortable as they should have been. I decided that a race in the 42-44 minute range was more likely. So, I set goals of floor - 44 minutes, realistic - 42 minutes and ceiling 40 minutes. I thought that I would probably run around 42:30, or an 8:30 pace.

 

After a 3/4 mile start around a local mall parking lot to spread the field out, the race was out and back on the B&A Trail in Glen Burnie, MD with a hundred yard finish back in the parking lot. The course was mostly flat with just a few gentle grades and a couple of very short “hills” in the last half mile. The weather was nice at race time. A clear sky, cool from an overnight low in the mid-50's and no wind.

 

My first mile split was 8:17. I thought that was a little too fast and that it indicated that positive splits were in the cards for the day as the sun warmed things up. But, I felt good, so I decided to see how long I could maintain the pace. Mile 2 was 8:15. Mile 3, which included the most significant downhill grade on the course, was 7:54. Mile 4 ran back up the grade and was 8:00.  The last .97 mile was 7:31 (7:45/mile pace). I had a strong finishing kick. Finish time was 39:58 for an average pace of 8:02/mile. This was the fastest paced race I’ve run in the 18 months of my second running life, including the 5k’s I ran earlier this year. I was very pleased. 

 

Met RWOL Masters Forumites DaveP, Grandpa Charlie, Charlie’s wife (Granny Jean) and their daughter (Tracy) before the race. We went to a local diner for a huge breakfast after the award ceremony. We almost left for breakfast before the award ceremony, but decided to wait because there was a good chance that Tracy might win an age group award. Good thing we waited. She won the 20-29 age group. And I took second in the 60+ age group.  It was my first age group award since 1989.

 

One more race next weekend and my fall season will be ended. Then a 3 week R&R break before leaving for Florida for the winter and starting a spring 10k training program down there, where FrankS (Parrothead) can work my butt and gut off. J

 

Jim2

 

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