Deseret News 10k

I don't know if I will actually get around to posting about all my races the last year.  To sum it up it's been a year of ups and downs.  Unfortunately the downs stand out in my mind that happened at key times when I was ready to attempt to qualify for the Olympic Trials and illness got in the way.  I'll save the details for another post but the events of the last year along with my 40th birthday last fall left me wondering if I would ever see times as fast as I used to run.  The reality is that my last true PR was in fall of 2015 when I ran a PR in the half marathon.  I couldn't help but think that maybe those days were over.

The Deseret News 10k is one of my favorite races every year.  The course is blazing fast with some steep downhill.  The holiday atmosphere and the fact that the last two miles goes down the parade route make it fun.  I also have a deep appreciation for my ancestors who arrived in the Salt Lake Valley with pioneer companies that the day commemorates.  This race gives out good prize money and always attracts a competitive field.  For a few years, the race directors changed and the competition declined a bit and I was able to snag some of that prize money with some top 3 finishes.  Last year the previous race director took over with the goal to bring the race back to previous competition levels.  This left me hoping for a top 10 spot and I finished 7th.  I knew this year the competition would be as hard, most likely harder.  There was no way I was going home with any prize money and I found myself the few days before even wondering why I was racing when I had no chance against runners like last year's champion, Taylor Ward, Olympian, Lindsay Anderson, and Boston Runner-up Sarah Sellers.  But I decided to focus on my goal- qualifying for the Olympic Trials and using this as a race to gauge my fitness in preparation.  I was going to ignore everyone and race for time, the same thing I'll need to do in Chicago.  I analyzed all my best (and not so good) performances at this race and came up with a game plan.  Exact splits I needed to hit at every mile.  It's a bit of a challenging course.  The first two miles are extremely steep downhill and it's easy to go out too fast.  Go out too fast and pay for it at the end.  (I've done that.)  Yet if you go out too slow and don't take advantage of the quick first miles it's very difficult to make it up at the end on the flat and uphill.  My goal was to break 36 minutes.

The race started and the front pack took off.  I was probably in at least 15th place for the women.  I knew some of those women would never come back but I hoped to catch a few.  Many of my high school boys took off ahead of me but were within eye sight. This is a big enough race I was surrounded by lots of runners to work with.  One lady in particular seemed to be racing about the pace I wanted.  That's always a positive and I looked to stay with her for the race.  The first two miles through the University of Utah campus are quick ones.  The goal for the first two miles was 5:30.  I came past the markers at 5:28 and 5:26.  A little fast but not too fast.  I was feeling good.  Mile 3 is a bit more challenging with some flat and even a small uphill before dropping again.  My goal was a 5:50 and I clocked a 5:49.  I was right where I wanted to be.  I had caught up with a few of my high school runners by the halfway point.  I encouraged them to come with me and work together as a team.  It was starting to take a bit more effort to hit the pace but I felt I really could't let up the pace now that the kids I coached were with me.  Mile 4 is another fast one and we came through at 5:37.  The lady that I was still running with started to drop back a bit and I had passed a few other women.  A few of my high schoolers had dropped back as well but I still had a couple right with me.  Mile 5 starts to flatten out along the parade route.  I was tired now but managed a 5:44.  The last mile is the toughest.  You have to turn east and head up the hill to Liberty Park.  My splits were all slightly ahead of my plan.  I was not only in a position to break 36 minutes but I had a chance at a PR!  Two of my high school boys took off ahead of me with strong kicks.  Later I wished I could have stayed with them but I felt I was doing all I could on some really dead legs to get up that hill to the finish.  I crossed the finish in 35:27!  It was a 20 second PR and I was even able to snag 10th place and win the masters division.

I was extremely happy to run a PR. It was good to see the work all year starting to come together and a big confidence builder that I can still run times I was capable of a few years ago.  I also really enjoyed spending the day with my high school team.  There were a few of my boys very happy to beat me and a few that I'm sure will be out to get me next year.  Honestly it is one of the most fun rivalries for me.  The truth is I don't care if they beat me and I like that it motivates them to work a little harder to try to finish ahead next time.  Mostly I just love seeing the kids enjoy doing what I love so much!