PINTS TO PASTA 10K RACE REPORT

The race route through Portland.

Well, I just couldn't contain myself and ended up basically racing this event the day after a twenty mile training run (post to follow about that). I felt surprisingly good after that twenty mile run and when the gun went off I still thought I would just "have fun" but my legs responded well enough and there were so many targets to catch in front of me I just couldn't contain myself. I ended up 12 seconds from a 10K personal record.

My alarm went off at 6:15am, my second straight day of waking up at that time for running. If you know me, you know I am not a morning person, so the fact that I am waking up at 6:15am to run tells you how severe my running sickness has become. Thomas of three years ago would have slapped me upside the head. Despite the early hour, I was feeling pretty decent. After longer runs my legs normally feel sore and achy and completely used, but this morning they only felt "not fresh" and much better than expected.

I was running this race with Laurel, so she swung by at 6:45am and we trucked it near the Old Spaghetti Factory to park. We then had to walk a really long way to catch the shuttle to the start line, as it is a point to point race. At the start line they had drinks and food (bagels and cream cheese), which I thought was a really nice touch. I didn't have any breakfast so I ate half a bagel and cream cheese. Yum!

Before we knew it the race was starting. This race had pacers, which was kind of unique for a 10k. Like the Helvetia Half though, it wasn't implemented real great at the starting line. The pacers were all bunched together when they needed to be spread out through the whole corral so people could get in the right starting spot. I didn't care and hung toward the back of the pack. I was running this for fun anyways.

When the "gun" went off we started to shuffle forward. Some people were getting really anxious because we walked almost the whole way to the start line because it was so crowded. Normally I would have been one of those people trying to jog, getting frustrated, trying to find a hole, etc. I was content just to walk and even walked across the timing mat before I started to jog. I was just running for fun, right?

Well, pretty soon I am jogging and then picking it up into more of a run. The course goes downhill for a lot of the first mile, so it felt pretty easy. My legs are responding really well... they were not hurting at all and had more spring than I would have thought. I pass the 10:00/mile pacer. That was kind of fun. Wow, there are a lot of people ahead of me. I bet I can pick some of them off.

And so it went. The first two miles are mostly downhill and that really helped me ease into the race and the pace I wanted. By the end of the second mile I have passed the 9:30 and 9:00 pacers. The 8:30 pacer is in my sights. The only real uphill in the race is around mile 2.5. I blow up that without issue. I pass many people. I ran twenty miles yesterday. Look at me Ma!

The course then crossed the Broadway Bridge. That was fun to run on and we hit mile 3 just after we are over the river. I can't hear my phone calling out my mile times but I have passed the 8:30 pacer and can see myself getting closer to the 8:00 pacer, so I know I am sub eight. At this point the course flattens out and I kind of wished it was a 5K. The downhill part really gets you rolling and then all of a sudden you kind of have to work at it for most of the rest of the race (pretty flat from here). Regardless, I keep the pace up. My legs are tired but I can run three more miles.

Sometime after mile four I pass the 8:00 pacer. At the time I thought that would be my final passing of a pacer, but in the distance I can make out another yellow pace balloon. There is no chance I pass the 7:30 pacer, right? I figured I was running about 7:30. Anyways, the rest of the race was fairly uneventful. Just flat along the waterfront. We passed by the Portland Boat Festival, which was fun. A lot of people were cheering for us at this point.

Eventually I got to within about 30 feet of the 7:30 pacer but was having trouble passing him. All of mile six he was just teasing me but I kept my pace knowing pushing to pass him wouldn't be a good idea. Finally, after passing the mile six sign, I get even with him and pass him. He shouts encouragement to me. I can do it! The finish line is in sight. Way far away, but in sight. It seemingly takes forever to get there. I cross the finish line and see I was fairly close to a PR. Holy hell.

I couldn't believe how well I did! I grabbed water and some chocolate milk and then waited for Laurel to finish. She ended up getting her 10k PR, beating her time from last year! So a very sucessful race for both of us. Afterward we (okay, I) scarfed down the free pasta/salad/bread and our two beers that were provided with race entry. Yum!

Laurel and I after finishing!

Overall I couldn't believe how well I did, only 12 seconds off a PR after a 20 mile run the day before. I am glad I didn't PR, I wouldn't quite know how I would feel about a PR on this course. With those first two miles mostly being downhill and losing elevation on the point to point, it is not really comparable to other 10K races. Should I have been "fresh" I bet I could have gone sub 45.

Afterward my legs felt pretty good. Today I woke up and they weren't even sore like after most races. They are definitely tired and wouldn't be capable of that again, but I thought for sore they would be aching and in pain or something. Nope. I'll try to do a recovery jog of five miles or so at run group tonight and then take Tuesday off.

All told I am super pleased with this race! I'll have a report on my twenty mile long run the day before next.

Official Results: 46:07, 7:25/mile. 159/1738 overall, 119/608 male. 14/64 males 25-29.
Mile Times: 7:13, 7:23, 7:28, 7:08, 7:23, 7:15.