Another weekend, another 10k

Yesterday I had looked into running a 5k, but my aching bones wouldn't let me. So I just went for my regular game of soccer. When I got home, I had an email from a running group I belong to, announcing a 10k and 20k race this morning in Leesburg, 22 miles from home. I decided to see how I felt in the morning. The alarm went off at 5.15 (yes, such a time does exist on a Sunday), and off I went to Leesburg. I decided not to risk the 20k, and entered the 10k.

This time, unlike the last 10k, I was actually able to pace myself. My first mile was 10 minutes, exactly what I was aiming for. I then picked up the pace a little, and with the sun not beating down on me, was able to run the whole race easily. Coming to the finish line, I saw an older gentleman who had collapsed just shy of the finish line, 2 people raced over and picked him up, ensuring that he finished, before carrying him to the waiting EMTs. Determined to finish ahead of my previous finish of 59.40, I pushed for the line, and was actually helped by someone trying to pass me in the last tenth of a mile... no way I was going to let her pass. As I ran over the line I saw the time at 54.40. A good 5 minutes faster than last time. I still don't have my actual finish time though, as the race was chip timed, which means that the exact moment that I crossed the start and finish was logged. That should go up on the website over the next few days, and I'd anticipate a 10-15 second drop in my finish time, as I was in the middle of the pack...

All in all, a good start to a Sunday.