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What an awesome run! Sometimes it feels good to just get out and push HARD! I ran a marathon yesterday so wasn’t sure what today would hold. I can confidently say that I could easily have taken 2 minutes off this time if I’d started more towards the front. I was feeling strong from the first step!
The course was fantastic. Tons of hills, and for whatever reason I always do better on hills. Ran hard up every one of them, and fast down the other side. I set a goal about halfway through to not let anyone pass me and I maintained that as far as I could tell. There was an older guy who kept trying. He’d get ahead and I would pass him. Then he’d pass me. Then I’d pass him. Every time I heard him I’d speed up. I could tell, though, that I was running on fumes during mile 6 so when he pulled ahead I drafted in behind him, then when we hit mile 7 I shot past him and he never caught up again.
Definitely a “left it all on the course” race. Splits were:
-10:27 (grrr….too many people not properly seeded)
-9:18
-9:49 (BIG hill)
-9:44 (more big hill)
-8:35 (What goes up…must come down)
-8:18
-8:12
-8:14 pace for last .48 miles
AWESOME! Not only that but it was beautiful out. No rain. The sun even came out. I took my jacket off about halfway through and ran sleeveless. What a difference from last year!
Can’t WAIT to run this one again next year, and I feel completely confident about the Goofy Challenge in three weeks!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 12/20/2009
• Time: 09:37:23
• Total Time: 1:08:24.47
• Calories: 715
• Distance: 7.48 miles
• Average Pace: 9:08.8/mile
• Max Pace: 6:14.67/mile
• Ascent: 1,075.86 ft
• Descent: 1,072.71 ft