Chattahoochee River Run 10K

Well this season is off to a great start so far. I can't express how rewarding it is to physically and mentally experience a progression in training. I really think that if I play it smart, this could be a great season for me.

On a bit of a whim, I registered for the CRR 10k. I have said repeatedly that my focus between Mercedes and ING half needs to be speed. (though I can't help but to think I am shirking the long runs right now). Racing a 10k fit right into the training plan.

I personally think a 10k race is the hardest. Most people can run a 10k; but few can race it. For most the 6.2 miles is just outside the realm of pushing yourself 100% for 40-50 minutes. I am learning, quickly, more and more about what my body can really handle. I have only raced 2 10k's in my life. About 2 years ago I raced on and finished at 49:32. Back in December I raced one in Chattanooga and put up a 52:21 (I did this as an LT test, not a race)

The CRR 10k is one of the fastest 10ks in the south. It is flat and has two nice downhill moments that allow runners to hit unusual speeds. The winner typically runs sub-30 which averages to about 4:45 per mile...unbelievable. But what makes this race tough and misleading to most is that running downhill is a bit of a science. It is a quad pounding science at that. Can you let yourself go, increasing your cadence and foot strike or do you put the brakes on and slow yourself down? Most average runners can't differentiate between the two. Fortunately for me, I live in a hilly section of Atlanta and can practice.

I felt pretty confident that I would PR in this race. The 49:32 wasn't all that impressive (8:00 mile pace) and I would like to think that I have trained a bit over the past two years since then. Ideally, I thought I would finish around 48:00.

Results: 46:35, 7:27 mile pace. 34/100 in my Age Group and 387/1621 overall

Spilts:
mile 1: 7:37 HR 154
mile 2: 7:45 HR 163
mile 3: 7:41 HR 163
mile 4: 7:30 HR 165
mile 5: 7:26 HR 167
mile 6: 6:53 HR 167
.2(5) mile: 1.43 HR 173

I am very pleased with my time. I felt like I gave it 90% the whole time. I was hurting a bit but my breathing wasn't labored and I knew physically I could maintain my stride. I started out quicker than anticipated and spent too much energy in that first mile. I forced myself to back off during mile two in hopes to have a bit left in the reserve for the end. I still need to work on this during my LT runs. I have trouble holding back. I am strong enough to fight through it and hold on, but I need to work on getting strong as the race goes on.

So to PR by 3 minutes is exciting. My long term goal is to get my 10k time down to sub-45. After this, I think it is a bit more achieveable