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Mini Training 10K - a new PR...BUT...

Approaching this weekend I knew I wanted, no "needed", to PR. I haven't run a 10K since this same race last year and I "had" to be faster. But I also knew that I would be coming off of a 12 mile day on Friday...and I wasn't sure how that would affect me. Also, the weather forecast was not great.

After yesterday's 12 miles (inside because of the rain) I was pretty sure I could do "ok" for the race today, but wasn't sure and was letting doubts creep into my head. Woke up this morning and it was warm and drizzling (but not raining hard) and breezy (but not windy). I changed my clothing strategy and went downtown. Before the race I decided I was going to be too warm with my jacket since it wasn't "actually" raining...so I checked it. Good call as it turned out. It looked like a lot of other people wished they had made that decision.

My sportband decided it wasn't going to cooperate with starting at the start time, so I was relying on the split timers. Fortunately for the Mini training series they have actual timing clocks at each mile marker, so I was able to know where I was, except for how long it took me to cross the start line after the gun. But I knew as long as I kept gun time under 1:18:00 I would PR.

The weather was actually good running weather for me - low 50s, drizzle, light wind. I could breathe pretty well. I hadn't drank much this morning (ok, anything) so I did get water at the first stop and I don't normally do that...but it was my only water stop.

Before mile 2 I had passed the chick I decided I needed to finish in front of and a friend of mine. Then I didn't have a "target" for a while. Around mile 5 I noticed this woman that was run/walking and kept passing me and then falling behind. I wasn't sure if I could stay ahead of her or not. Right before mile 6 she passed me and did a cheer routine (super rude) and I wasn't able to catch her. When I came around the corner I saw 1:17:00+ on the clock and I booked it hard to the finish line...finishing in under 1:18:00 gun time. I went and got my printed chip time and it was 1:16:22 - a PR my almost 2.5 minutes.

But it is a bittersweet PR...I ran a 1:10+ 6 mile race in July but my 10K (6.2 mile) PR is a full SIX minutes slower. I am glad I did as well as I did on this particular course, but I am still feeling very slow. I know it's early in the year. I know I don't need to be killing time in order to finish the marathon. But I really want to be hitting 12:00 or better for races under 13.1 miles. End of whine.

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