The Get in Gear 10k was my 16th 10k race, but this was my first 10k during prime racing season in a number of years. I was really looking forward to this one.
The Get in Gear event is one of the most popular events in town, with a
long history. It draws large numbers of
runners from all age groups as well as top talent each year. 3 years ago I ran the Get in Gear Half, but
today it’s the 10k which is their most popular and highest participation distance.
The race began at Minnehaha Park, near the Mississippi River on West
River Parkway. From there it headed north to the Lake Street Bridge. Then across the bridge into St. Paul, where
it headed south on East Mississippi River Boulevard. Then back onto the Minneapolis side via the
Ford Bridge. The race ends in Minnehaha
Park where it began. The course is
relatively flat, but for a brief, but challenging climb about half way through
the race near Summit on the St. Paul side. I’m very familiar with much of the course,
as many races including the Twin Cities Marathon utilize major portions of this course.
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It was a good day for racing, with temps around 45, cloudy skies and an 8mph wind from the east. I did make a major rookie mistake at the start that cost me time though. I didn't realize it until the race began, but
I positioned myself too far back in the starting corral. I crossed the starting line in 423rd place and had significant difficulty fighting my way
through slower traffic until I could settle into my race. This went on through the first quarter mile,
when I noticed my pace was about 2 minutes slower than
desired.
Here's a video of the start...
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=967279096824693A&id=967279096824693a%2128321&v=3&authkey=%21AOKqsQF2vtz39RY
Runner traffic slowly began to thin, but in a bit of a panic now, I had to resort to a more aggressive “slalom” strategy, zigzagging in and around approximately 250 runners, until I eventually could run at my race pace. When all was said and done, I clocked a 6:45 first mile, but that was about 20 seconds slower than I wanted to run, as I wasted valuable energy trying to pass so many runners in the first half mile, while trying to make up lost time over the second half of same mile. I know better than to put myself in that kind of predicament, but today I just didn't do a good job properly sizing up my location the starting corral and paid for it.
Here's a video of the start...
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=967279096824693A&id=967279096824693a%2128321&v=3&authkey=%21AOKqsQF2vtz39RY
Runner traffic slowly began to thin, but in a bit of a panic now, I had to resort to a more aggressive “slalom” strategy, zigzagging in and around approximately 250 runners, until I eventually could run at my race pace. When all was said and done, I clocked a 6:45 first mile, but that was about 20 seconds slower than I wanted to run, as I wasted valuable energy trying to pass so many runners in the first half mile, while trying to make up lost time over the second half of same mile. I know better than to put myself in that kind of predicament, but today I just didn't do a good job properly sizing up my location the starting corral and paid for it.
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Once I got through first mile congestion, I was able to run my race and lengthen my stride. My per mile pace improved throughout the race, with my final two miles just
under a 6:20/mile pace. I finished with a
time of 40:26, placing 162 among 2,665 finishers. I placed 7th, among 110 finishers
in my age group. As mentioned earlier,
this was a top talent race, as I'm very familiar with the 6 runners that finished ahead of
me in my age class. They represent some of the top runners in the state in my age group. I was happy to finish less than a minute
behind 3 of the 6 and had it not been for my first mile, I may have been able to break 40 minutes today. But no excuses, I did my best today and happy with the result.
Finish video:
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/videoResults?rid=665&race=2970
Finish video:
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/videoResults?rid=665&race=2970
Race Results:
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=665&race=2970
I beat the current national class minimum age group standard for my age group, however I've come to find out that the World Masters Athletics age group standards, which are also recognized by the USATF organization as "the official" standard, is updating their age group charts this year. The new standards are available in some locations now. Using the new standards I came up 15 seconds shy of a national class time, which makes me reflect back on my race mistakes in the first mile. Bottom line, I'm going to need to run faster if I want to achieve the new national class standards. The old standards have been in place since 2009. Masters runners continue to improve, which in turn raises the standard across all age group categories.
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=665&race=2970
I beat the current national class minimum age group standard for my age group, however I've come to find out that the World Masters Athletics age group standards, which are also recognized by the USATF organization as "the official" standard, is updating their age group charts this year. The new standards are available in some locations now. Using the new standards I came up 15 seconds shy of a national class time, which makes me reflect back on my race mistakes in the first mile. Bottom line, I'm going to need to run faster if I want to achieve the new national class standards. The old standards have been in place since 2009. Masters runners continue to improve, which in turn raises the standard across all age group categories.
My next race is a 5k on Memorial Day Monday at Lake Nokomis. Looking forward to that race as well, as I normally don't run 5k's in the middle of the race season, so hoping for good weather and a good time!
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