Success. I was ambitiously wishing for a 35:00 10km today after running a 16:44 5km over thanksgiving. I missed that time (likely due to poor pacing) but I still managed a respectable 35:29. That put me in 9th overall, 1st AG. Additionally I was going for top 10 and 1st age group. Again, success.
I programmed my watch to carry me through the first 5km at just above 17:30 so I could negative split into my 35 minute goal. I ran through the first 1500m following the absolute leaders (who came in around 31 minutes). Despite my watch screaming at me to slow down I was finally running with people in a race and my brain stupidly took over. I let the lead 8 go and started running with 2 other guys. We traded leads through to nearly 4km holding about 3:25/km. Still too fast. At the first turn around (3.5kmish) I let them go to try and salvage my pace. The course was 2 loops of 5km so coming into the second lap I slowed right down and crossed at 17:30. Right on pace... sort of. The last 1.5km were at a much slower pace than I wanted so I told myself that was a little breather, a reward, and now I would have to hold a real pace. This was easier said than done as for the next 3km my watch would be screaming at me to speed up. At about 6km I had caught one of the guys who had passed me earlier. He told me he was finished, I told him he was not. However I would go on to beat him in the end. The next person up the road was quite far ahead so I set my sights on carrying myself to the turn around at a pace under 3:35/km. From there I was banking on adrenaline to put me back on track. What I wasn't expecting was the motivation to finish coming from a very fast female hunting me down. I think she ended up around 36. That really woke me up though. At the turn around I told myself I would find my 3:30 pace until 9km then I would dig deep and smang the last km. I spent most of my training doing kms. I can crush one, it's only one. However it was all slightly up hill. I thought I heard 10th behind me and I absolutely refused to be caught so I surged on every incline and held the pace to the next one. By the final turn I was flying however the clock reminded me of my pacing mistakes and seeing the clock counting up from 35:20 gave me all the reasons I needed to sprint for the finish. 10th was 4 seconds behind me and gaining. I made it.
Adam "2-weeks of rest and swimming" Fortais
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