Race Report: Meteor 10K

Ah, sunrise. Heralding a new day full of fresh possibilities. In this case, my first 10K race. At 7:15 am we were driving east into the blinding sunrise, heading for the campus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the Meteor 10K.

We arrived with plenty of time to spare; I picked up my race number amidst the total chaos of the expo hall and then we strolled down to the start/finish line. I did a brief warmup, some stretches, and then joined the participant crowd.

Final adjustments

I was very pleased to see that the race was using start and finish timing mats for this chip-timed event, unlike several previous events I have participated in. This ensured that my time would be extremely accurate. When the DJ booth started blaring the Rocky theme I knew the big moment was at hand. I also knew I could not bolt out too fast at the start which would guarantee a quick fade later in the race. I decided to start with a slowish warmup first mile and then settle into a faster pace. The race started, everyone surged forward, and I was off!

Around mile 1 (photo from Run Michigan image gallery)

I did exactly what I had planned for the first mile: 8:41. OK. Feeling good. Breathing under control-- nice slow, deep breaths. Legs feel fresh. Stomach rock solid. Let's open things up a little.

Somewhere around mile 1.5, passing the start/finish line crowd again. Looking good!

I settled back into a nice groove and slowly upped my speed. The miles just seemed to fly by. I felt great, the best I've felt since I got sick two weeks ago. I had struggled somewhat with training this past week; I just felt like something was "off." I felt like I had lost my "running mojo." It came roaring back during this race. I was passing people right and left. I felt like I had wings on my feet! I passed the 5K mark just before 27:00. As we started up Hines Dr., (holy potholes, Batman!) which was a long out-and-back, the front of the field passed me on the opposite side. I love these races that double back on themselves, giving us middle-of-the-packers a chance to see elite runners in action. The turnaround point on Hines Dr. was shortly after the 4-mile mark. I decided to bear down and pick up my pace a little for the final two miles. I didn't really have any time goal for this race. I told John before the start I would finish in 55 minutes if I took things nice and easy and 50:00 if I worked for it. Soon enough mile 5 was behind me and I could hear the noise from the finish line area. I was undeniably tired and working harder than ever. Just a little bit more! After an unscheduled "water jump" (partially flooded driveway) right at mile 6 the path jogged a little to the right and then it was just one long straightaway to the finish. I pushed hard all the way to the line and finished in 51:22.

Immediately after the finish, still breathless, watching a race volunteer remove my timing chip from my shoe.

My splits were 8:41, 8:24, 8:13, 8:10, 8:04, 8:11, and the final 0.2 at a 7:20 pace for an average of 8:16. I finished 17/124 in my age group (30-39) and 181/617 overall. It was a great race; the weather was perfect (sunny, about 45 degrees at the start, no wind). I also got a bunch of stuff on sale at the race expo afterwards, and any time I can get an awesome blue Asics shirt for 50% off is a good day.

Talking with Erika and Victor after the race.