Results HERE

I ventured up to Longmont this morning to participate in the 35th running of the Longmont Turkey Trot 10k. Met up with Mr. Fuller at the registration table and we then proceeded to do a mile warm up. The temperature was in the mid 30’s and I love the cold weather for racing. I had the feeling that I might be able to bust out a fast 10k today!

Mile 1 – The first mile featured an immediate hill but finished with a net elevation decline and I came through with a 5:50. Faster than I wanted to be, but since it was a bit downhill from the start, I was not worried. At this point in the race I was in 9th pace.

Mile 2 – Four runners passed me after the first mile, which I thought was odd since I wasn’t slowing down. The second mile was in 6:01 and I still felt great and figured I would soon start reeling in some runners.

Mile 3 – Came through with a 5:54 split and passed two more runners.

Mile 4 – At the start of mile 4, I started to get a side stich. Now the only time I ever get a side stitch is if I go running to soon after eating. So I was a bit baffled because all I had eaten this morning was a Cliff Bar. I was hoping the side stitch would soon pass, but it was starting to bother me. The fourth mile was a bit of an incline and I came through with a 6:08 split.

Mile 5 – I felt horrible. The side stitch was in full force and now my back was tighening up and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I wanted to quit and probably would have if the finish line was closer. I gutted it out and came through with a 6:37 split. Lovely, I was now running slower than my marathon race pace.

Mile 6 – I tried to get tough, but I couldn’t move. Three or four guys passed me on the last mile and the girl who was in second place. I ran a 6:26 split, I was now running marathon race pace.

With .2 miles to go, I threw in a surge, just so I didn’t get beat by the girl that recently passed me…pathetic I know but I did muster up some fight. I finished in 38:09.

Not a horrible time, but 40 seconds slower than my last 10k, which was run this summer in Longmont on a warm summer day. I have no idea what happened today, I felt fine before the race and after the race. I had been battling a cold this entire week, but by Friday I felt really good and this morning I felt 100% normal. Not sure what happened today, perhaps some lingering tiredness from the marathon or just one of those days that you have to chalk up to an anomoly. I felt horrible out there though and was in 5x more pain than I was at any point during the marathon.

Anyway, Brandon rocked the 10k, threw down a huge PR. He even set a 5k PR in his 10k PR, but you can check out his blog for the story.