The Inaugural BAA 10k, the first time in my life that negatives have been positive

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Hi, my name is Dutch and I have a problem. Hi, Dutch...

No really, I do have a problem, I get caught up in the moment at start of EVERY race. The nervous energy, the "will I do well", "am I faster than that guy", "is today a PR for me", "do these shorts make me look fat"...all sorts of thoughts run through my mind. That all leads to me going out way too fast, blowing up within a few miles of a race and then fighting through pain and agony in order to finish and turn in a decent time.

Well, not this time my friends, no sir. THIS time I was finally gonna do it, I was gonna run negative splits at the Inaugural BAA 10k. Now to be honest, I was helped in that decision by looking around and seeing all the pro's and club runners warming up around me. Looking like little, fast, nimble deer in their warm up gear and here I am walking around looking like bull in a china factory the decision was made. So, knowing there was NO way I was gonna place, I decided that this would be the first race I would actually try this novelty thing called "the negative split".

So...walking up to the 7:30min pace corral I did some last minute stretching, reminded myself of the goal at hand and waited for the gun to go off. And...for the first time...when it did go off I didn't take off like a bat out of hell. Looking down at my pace, I decided to start on 7:30's and then slowly work my way down.

Miles 1,2,3-7:38, 7:23, 7:30

I wouldn't say they were comfortable miles. Not in the sense that I was hurting, rather I didn't know what to do since I wasn't hurting. I mean, isn't every race supposed to be a battle with nausea and cramping right out of the gate? Realizing that wasn't the case was a new experience. Change? We fear change... I was trying to be conservative (hence the 7:38) but hitting the turn (yes it was an out and back course...my favorite kind) I realized I could start chipping away at my pace on the way home.



Don't worry Marathon Photo,
I bought this pic it just hasnt arrived yet



Miles 4,5- 7:19, 7:12

Now I felt like I could start to speed up. I should probably run negatives knocking off 10secs per per mile but I kinda got excited when I hit the turn and then tried to make myself settle down. In hindsight I didn't need to be so conservative the first half but oh well.

Miles 6 and the .2- 7:02 and 6:23

One mile left and I felt good...like I had gas in the tank for a kick.  Contrary to my normal feeling of running on vapors and having extending conversations with the deity of choice about how, if I ever cross the finish line, I will never run another one of these stupid races again. So with only the .2mi to go I figured I should dump whatever fuel I had left.

For the first time ever, I crossed a finish line: not angry, not a wreck and actually happy with my performance. And...I might actually have been happy. I only thought other people experienced this but no, no I could too. Granted it was no land speed record at 45:39 but it was a decent time. It was however only 8secs slower than the 10k I'd run the 2 weeks prior and in that race I blew up at mile 3 and was hanging on for dear life. I'm still chasing a 40min 10k but I guess getting smarter about how to race will help.

My name is Dutch, I have a problem...but I'm working on it and am making progress...