At last year's Lighthouse Run, I broke the 75-minute barrier, cutting almost five minutes off my 10-mile personal best. With temperatures forecast to climb into the 80s for the 2012 edition, could I go even faster?
After consulting with some running buddies, I decided to start out a bit slower than PR pace, somewhere in the 7:45 to 8:00 per mile range. However, when I arrived at the start area, I felt a cool breeze off the lake. It was still warmer than optimum running conditions, but it was pretty good for a mid-June race. I decided to go out at PR pace (about 7:25/mile) and see how things went.
Mile 1 (7:19) -- As much as I try to tell myself not to start too fast, I was out in a flash. The first half mile was probably about 7:00 pace. I waved to Jenelle, Eliana, my parents, and Grandma Iz, who were a few blocks past the start. Eliana was very excited to see me, pointing at me and running towards me -- thankfully not getting too close. Having a 1.5-year old cheer you on is wonderful, and her cheers will probably get even more wonderful as she grows up. Anyway, I eased up a bit heading over the Main St. bridge and clocked the first mile just a bit quicker than I was targeting.
Mile 2 (7:20) -- I kept it going steadily through the zoo. I continued my tradition of saying to the runners around me, "Uh oh, I just heard there's a tiger loose." You don't have to outrun the tiger, just the other people in the race.
Mile 3 (7:25) -- I was once again wearing my Saucony Grid Fastwitch 3 shoes, also known as my 'fast shoes', for this race. They are 40% lighter than the shoes in which I train and run marathons, but they are not nearly as comfortable. My feet are a bit sore as I type this, but I made it through.
Mile 4 (7:25) -- I saw Aunt Lisa and Cousin Rachel at Lake Meadow Drive. It's always great to see relatives on the course. Thanks for the cheers! I'd also like to give a big thanks to everyone along the course who had sprinklers / mist sprayers set up for all the runners. It was a big help in my efforts to stay cool.
Mile 5 (7:27) -- Aunt Sue once again handed me a bottle of water as I headed east on 4 mile road. The heat was starting to affect my pace, but I tried to keep things under 7:30.
Mile 6 (7:36) -- As we turned back to the south, it seemed more difficult to maintain the pace I had held for the first five miles. The wind may have been against us, but I think it was more the heat and fatigue that gradually takes effect. I was also trying to save some energy for the last few miles.
Mile 7 (7:38) -- A lot of races have both water and some kind of sports drink at the aid stations. The Lighthouse Run has just water, which is why I carried an Accel Gel with me, gulping it down just past the six-mile marker. I followed it with plenty of water (from the bottle Aunt Sue gave me) so that I didn't cramp up. This required a bit longer of a walk break, but I was worth it to get the bunch of carbs and the hint of protein that accel gel provides.
Mile 8 (7:29) -- Back on Main Street, I felt pretty good, so I starting picking things up with about 2.5 miles to go. I didn't feel quite as good as I did last year, when my final two miles were 6:59 and 6:36, but I knew that I had something left in the tank. I might as well use it.
Mile 9 (7:14) -- Here we go! I zoomed by those in the four-mile race and those in the two-mile fun run/walk, as well as a few tired 10-milers. I caught and passed a member of the SCJ Off! and Running team, Juan, who I expected to finish way in front of me. Only the top four runners from each team contribute to the team's time. Not knowing how many other SCJ folks were in front of me, I had extra motivation to run fast, as every second counts in the corporate team competition.
Mile 10 (6:50) -- I picked off more runners as I tried to use every last ounce of strength in the final mile. The cheers of my family, about a quarter mile from the finish, were once again wonderful. Down the final stretch, I didn't have anyone to chase, but a few folks close behind me gave me the motivation to sprint for the line. I held them off and finished with a clock time of 1:13:46. My chip time was 1:13:43, which means I took 56 seconds off my previous personal record. YES!
As for the SCJ Off! and Running team, we won the corporate division! What made this especially exciting is that I was the fourth place finisher on the team. For the first time ever at the Lighthouse Run, I am going home with a medal. Sweet. The margin of victory was pretty big -- Juan's time would have been fast enough -- but it still felt great to be announced at the award ceremony and presented with a medal. I'll have a picture soon.
Next up -- the Freedom 5K on July 1. Can I set another personal best? I sure hope so.
