My "Get Smart" Race Report

Yup. Missed a PR by "that much". But I'm still pretty happy with the results.

The race was the La Habra 10K. La Habra is one of hundreds (if not thousands) of small bedroom communities that make up the Los Angeles metro area. This race took on that small community flavor (at least as small an event as you can have here in L.A.). About a thousand or so runners between a kids 1K, a 5K and a 10K. No chip timing. No closed streets. The day was absolutely beautiful. As I was driving to the race right after dawn, I was thinking about how different the last 10K I ran was back in February. That day was cold, stormy and raining. I remember watching a car spin out and hit a tree during a downpour. Yesterday was just so different. It was a perfect day for a run.

I had heard before the race that this was not one that was likely to result in a PR. It is a double 5K loop through some rolling hills. Nothing huge, but almost constant. But, I've been feeling pretty good over the last couple of weeks, so I was looking forward to the challenge. I was also going to try to apply some 10K race strategy offered by Glover in his book: (1) start out a little slower than workout pace for the first couple of miles, (2) pay close attention to pace in the middle three miles, (3) speed up in the last mile plus. With this in mind, I knew that I wanted to settle in at an 8:45 for the duration of the race to make my goal. Ho! He he! I obviously have to practice that strategy! I started out way too hot (8:30 instead of 8:50 - honest I was trying to hold back). Then the hills I've attached the elevation profile). 9:36 instead of 8:45, Then the downhill. Ugh. Then repeat for loop 2. At one point about 3.5 miles in, I tucked behind another runner. He was running a very comfortable pace that I was able to match stride for stride. I should have just stayed there. Instead I tried to move ahead of him about mile 4 when I sensed he was slowing. Then on the next uphill, he passed me. I got to watch the back of his singlet the rest of the race as it faded into the distance. Arrgh!

Well, it was still a ton of fun. My 10K PR is a 55.41 (done in December). Yesterday's damage - 55.56. I was satisfied considering the hills. If I would have only tucked in and stayed behind that other runner - he ended up 40 seconds in from of me. There was my PR! Turns out he pushed a little harder because he was worried that I was going to out kick him. We had a good laugh afterwards!

So - no PR. Missed it by 15 hundredths of a second. But still a great time. Oh yeah - the free Chick-fil-A sandwiches sure hit the spot too!