Running Notes

Category Running
Tonight was the Saunders 10k in Rye Harbor, NH. Last year I ran this race and came in with a then PR of 57:48. Since then I got a new PR in June at the Market Square Day 10k, coming in 57:15. Given that today was day 81 of consecutive running days, I was hoping to see a new PR. However, it was supposed to be in the 80s today, so I wasn't holding my breath for any fantastic running.

Boy, was I wrong. I got a PR by MORE than two minutes! Official finish time...54:58!! A course PR by almost three minutes and a distance PR by two.

View of the harbor near the race start...

My plan was to run 9 minute miles if possible. That would have given me a finish time around 56:00. My first mile I was close to that pace, I ran it in 8:50. The first four miles were close to the 8:50 pace. I felt good. It had cooled off as the sun went lower in the sky (the race started at 6PM). And there were hills, small hills, but hills. I love hills. I kicked into gear on each hill and really pushed up them. At two points in the race, I actually swore at myself out loud. One was somewhere in the middle when I hit a hill and DIDN'T kick it into gear, so yelled at myself to GET UP THAT HILL. The second time was just at the last turn. I looked down at my watch and new I could really smoke my previous time, so I didn't want to come in slow. A few choice words with myself and I sped it up for the final 0.1 mile.

The BEST part, aside from an awesome race time, is that the Saunders 10k only gives shirts to a certain number of people. You have to finish in the top number of people for you age group and gender. I didn't even come close to getting one last year. But, GUESS WHO EARNED A SHIRT? That's right, ME. I've gotten a lot of race shirts in the last couple of years, but THIS one is the best by far because I EARNED it.

Here are the splits (YAY! negative splits!!)
Mile 1 - 8:51
Mile 2 - 8:55
Mile 3 - 8:51
Mile 4 - 8:49
Mile 5 - 8:40
Mile 6 - 8:42
0.2 - 2.15 Update: For my gender and age group, you had to be one of the first 115 finishers, I was 97!!!