Elizabeth River Run 10-k

The weather turned out to be incredible for this race. It was slightly overcast at the start and cool enough to be nice but not too cool to be cold.

I decided to run my race. I wouldn't run faster than 8:35 for the first mile. With all the weaving that I do in that first mile I figured I'd be better off saving the energy for later in the race. For mile two I was planning on about 8:30. Then mile three and four I was shooting for 8:15 per mile. The last two miles I wanted at least 8:00 per mile if not better.

That was my game plan and I pretty much stuck to it...mostly. My pace the first mile was right on 8:30-8:35. It was crowded but not frustrating. I think my idea to not try to weave was a good one. That wastes so much energy probably more mental than physical but energy is energy. It's still frustrating getting caught behind a walker in the first quarter mile and at the same time it's frustrating getting cut off by some moron you're going to pass later in the race but I held back and just let it thin out some.

Mile two was down the most historic street in Old Towne Portsmouth. It was nice passing the old buildings. It was this mile that I realized this was the first race that I was actually enjoying the scenery. I decided to run without my ipod today and I think that really helped me enjoy the scenery. We turned off of the historic district and ran along the boardwalk overlooking the Elizabeth River and downtown Norfolk. It's a nice skyline to look at and anything over water is nice.

Mile three turned us onto the Navy Hospital and then on the outside loop around the hospital campus. Again this loop was on the water overlooking Norfolk and the Portsmouth Shipyard. It was at the 5k point that I realized my garmin was tell me I had run 3.3 miles and the markers were saying I had only gone 3.1 miles. I know it's a minor detail but it was a bit of a deflator knowing I was going to need to run an "extra" .2 miles but even more was knowing my pace timings were wrong.

Mile four continued around the hospital campus. It was at this point that I began to pass the people that had blown past me in the beginning. It might be mean of me but I take delight in passing people like that. This one guy was acting like a goofball at the start of the race. I heard his friend ask him "why are you so happy?" and the guy responded something about how 10k was no big deal, yadda, yadda. Well at about 4.5 miles he was walking. I started passing people at this point. I had planned my race to run negative splits. That's just the strategy that I like to run and it gives me the boost of passing people and the motivation I need to keep up the pace even when it's hard.

Mile 5 we hit the entrance to the hospital campus and turned toward the finish line. I knew the area well and I knew how far the mile would be and not so much what it would feel like. For some reason this really helped me get into a groove and just step it up as much as I could.

I started my final kick with about .4 miles left and then tried my best to fully kick out the last .25 miles.

53:12 was my watch time. I'll post chip time when they post it. Pics later.