Issaquah Rotary Run

Issaquah Rotary Run 10K

October 7, 2007

46:19 chip time/7:28 pace

46:28 gun time

2nd in AG/32nd OA

The main event was a 10K though there was also a 5K. The course went through Issaquah with several blocks that included running down Front St. while vendors were setting up for the Salmon Days festival - very colorful with booths full of tie-dye, arts & crafts and other typical street fair offerings lining the course. There were people to cheer us on and the smells of food, incense, candles and soaps permeating the air (which I'm not sure was a good thing while breathing hard). It was also some sort of road race championship so there were lots of fast people there.

It was a fine 10K time for me, probably my best. My splits were 7:09, 7:29, 7:43 for the first 3 miles and it was feeling pretty hard. I leveled off with 7:30, 7:29 and 7:27 for the final miles (and it still felt hard). I had hoped I might surprise myself with something a little bit faster since my 5K pace has improved so much this season, but I just haven't run enough longer distances for that to happen yet.

Later, when I checked my heart rate monitor, I appreciated my effort more. My heart rate was around 178-179 for the early miles and 183 in the last 2 miles. This is near my max of 185 or so and tells me I was working pretty hard, regardless of time. When I talked to Coach Tom at Wednesday night track, he asked me how I liked the hill. I said "What hill?". I didn't notice the hill in mile 3, but that's where my pace took a nose dive, so I guess there really was a 1/2 mile hill that gained 190 feet. I just thought I was starting to fade from going out too fast.

Nancy A. took first in our AG with a great time of 41:41 (6:43 pace). We are fairly closely matched in triathlons...until the run portion comes along and then she's gone! This was a championship road race of some sort and the top women had paces in the upper 5 min/mile range