Race Report - Mini-Heart 15K

I just need to explain something about me and running. I have NEVER tried to go real fast. I am a 10 minute miler thru and thru. Always have been - for the past 8 years I have been running. I almost always finish a 10K in 62 minutes or so. Hell, I've even finished a 10k in like, 65 minutes (in my 1st triathlon, after biking 30 miles on a mntn bike).

This past year I have been trying to do just a little better. I have been focusing more on how I feel during my run. Am I pushing myself enough? Can I try harder? My legs feel stronger now from the weight training. So I finished my last 10k on Thanksgiving in 59 minutes and change (average was 9.3 minute miles).

BUT TODAY I AM REALLY HAPPY!

I finished this 15K (9.3 miles) in 1:24 57 which is an average pace of 9:07 minute miles!!!!!
My best time ever.

5k split 27:53
10k split 56:36

I met my friend Nancy downtown and we picked up our packets, got our time chips and walked back to my car to put all our free stuff away. I then found out that I had locked my keys in the car - duh. I took my ignition key instead of the key that opens the doors (I have different keys, weird I know). Fuck. So we walked back and stuck all our junk in her car but we kept getting lost in the parking garage and we getting short on time. Race was starting in like 12 minutes and I still had to pee really bad. Finally we get a block from the starting line and we both stand in line to pee at the port-o-pottys.

Gun goes off and it takes us a good 4 minutes to get to the starting line. TONS of people. The 1st mile is down a hill, then a steady incline for a good .75 miles. I usually can't keep up with Nancy. She runs faster than me. But I was keeping up and our 1st mile split was 8:40. YES! We slapped hands and kept going. By the 2cd mile, I was feeling good and thinking maybe I'd try and stay with Nancy the whole race. Then she saw this guy she likes from her work. He was running slower. She slowed down to chat with him but I kept going. She caught up with me about a 1/2 mile later. We kept running. Lots of hills. We turned around at mile 4.5 and at that point were right on 9 minute miles. Then we turned right, straight up a hill. We run up that hill and lost some time, but I think we made it up on the downhill. Passed the 10K split. My watch showed we were right on time, and we kept running. I was trying to finish in 1:25. We headed up the last hill after mile 8 and ran down the next hill, past mile 9, and then finally crossed the finish like at 1:24 57!

After the race I called AAA to come and get my doors unlocked. They met me within about a 1/2 hour and then I went to Dominic's work to eat brunch again. Yum.

Tonight I am going to Hot Yoga. My legs are tired and sore and I need some stretching. Me and Nancy are meeting at 10am tomorrow for our 20 miler.