Mon 2006 Sep 4, Victory 10k Grand Prix race, 60 deg

Victory 10k race, 43:55, pace 7:50. Whoee what a race! A new 10k PR by 40 seconds, total gain this year more than a minute and a half. Splits: 7:01, 7:06, 7:23, 6:50, 6:51, 7:13, 1:27. But not good enough to beat LS, who finished 45 seconds faster yet. He trailed me until the water station at about 4.5 miles, then went ahead. I kept up for a half mile, but then had to drop to a brief walk a couple of times and simply could not keep up in the last mile. The temperature was so lovely this morning, unusual for the Victory race, but the relative humidity was right up there, dew point 56. I'm having the post-race upset stomach as I write this. History suggests that it will last all day. I did eat two Clif bars three hours before the race, and suspect that those things are connected. I never used to have this problem, but I also never used to eat before a race. I'll try other foods, but may need to go back to not eating the morning of the race. No problem during the race, only later. No pains at all in this race, but I did tear a little skin off the left big toe after the race when removing the band-aid that protected the black toenail. Tsk. This too shall pass.

LS is a good runner, and still faster than I am. I'm sure he'll take the lead in the Grand Prix after this race, and more power to him. He should. He's in good position, because TCM is the only race left for me, and he's every bit as good a marathoner as I am. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to that race because a marathon, even if much longer, is so much less intense.