Race Report: Downers Grove (IL) 10 Miler

Time by my watch: 1:13:53. Average pace: 7:23/mile. Place in age group: tbd.

Sponsored by the local Park District, the two-loop course through suburban Downers Grove offers something for everyone: hills in miles 1, 2 and 5, and long flat stretches in between. I ran the first two miles at 7:20 per. Things felt OK and I said "well, you geezer, let's see what you can do to hold the pace..." I think I had one 7:30 mile in there, but the rest were dead on 7:20. A few years ago, that was a good 5K pace and a smoking 10K pace for me, so I feel pretty positive about holding it for 10 miles.

I kept hearing Karyn's voice: "21/15 cadence! Stride length! Attack the uphills! Run strong on the downhills!" Darned if it didn't work!

Oh, there was a guy riding my left shoulder most of the last 5 miles. Despite multiple attempts on his part, I was NOT going to let him pass me, certainly not in a sprint to the finish. I didn't.

Small victories and vertical finishes...