After last week’s Jingle Bells 8k went so well (8:04 pace), I was looking forward to the 10k this week. I had hopes of maybe running a sub-50 minute 10k for the first time in my second running life. But, it wasn’t to be. L

The race was run in DC on a mostly flat course. Just a few gentle grades and short hills. The temperature was 40 degrees and a light rain was falling. It was much like the ‘97 MCM. I liked the conditions. J

I had plenty of time after arriving at the race site to pick up my packet, get rid of my running suit and warm up. Skipped a potty stop because I didn't feel the need for one.....a bad decision! The fairly large field gathered at the race start and waited....and waited.....and waited. Both a 5k and a 10k were being run. Last year, both races started together and the 5k simply turned around sooner. This time, the race starter announced at least 3 times that the 5k would start first. A couple thousand 5/10k runners spread across 6 lanes on Pennsylvania Avenue looked quizzically at each other. A guy standing next to me said that there had been an announcement at the pre-race group calisthenics session that the 10k would start at 9 and the 5k at 9:05. Now, they were saying the opposite. Finally, the starter announced that there was a change in plans and both races would start together....but there would be a slight delay while the police finished setting up and stopped all cross traffic. We finally got off at about 9:10.

I had set three race goals, as usual. Floor goal - beat last year’s time in this race of 52:17 (8:26/mile.) Realistic goal - 51 minutes (8:14/mile.). Ceiling goal - sub-50 minutes (8:04/mile or better.)

I missed the first mile marker. Caught a mile 2 split of 17:24 (8:48 pace.) The first mile did include a slight rise up Capitol Hill, but not enough of one to slow me that much. So much for running a sub-50. L However, I did feel about right for being a third of the way through a 10k race, except for one thing. I felt “loggy”....blah. My legs felt OK. I just didn’t have the strength I had last week. And I felt a little “heavier” than normal, especially in my abdominal region. I knew what that meant. Just as I was thinking about easing off and just cruising through the rest of the race, a guy cut me off unnecessarily (we weren’t in a crowd at that point) and made me break stride to keep from clipping his heels. Pissed me off. I decided that he wasn’t going to beat me. He didn’t.

It was during mile 3 that what I thought was my problem today was confirmed. I knew immediately that it wasn’t just gas. L I’ve raced with the problem before and knew I could control it as long as I was running, but that it would affect my time. And that it would hit hard and fast when I stopped running.