US 10k Classic

Not sure what you did with your Labor Day but I started mine with a little 6.2 mile run with 12,000 running buddies up Cobb Parkway from Cumberland Mall to Whitewater. Here is how it went down:

2:12am - My 7 year old came into the room to let me know that he had clogged the toilet. I tried the plunger for a few minutes with no luck. Later I remembered that my wife had told me that our 2 year old had flushed some toys the other day. The plumber will need to fix this one.

3:00am - Not sure why but I woke up and was wide awake. Decided it would be a good idea to go get a drink and start hydrating for the race coming up in a few hours. 16 ounces later I was back in bed and fell right back to sleep.

5:00am - The alarm went off... I was not real happy about it but that 16 ounces of water at 3:00 helped get me out of bed. Ate 2 slices of toast with peanut butter topping (something new I was trying), drank another 16 ounces of fluids, took a shower, got dressed, and headed to pick up Steph and Stacey who were running the race as well.

6:15am - Picked up Steph and Stacey and headed to event.

7:00am - Arrived at event, worked through traffic, parked, and then walked 1/2 mile to the starting line. Stood in line for 30 minutes for the restrooms.

7:45am - Race start. I like to start near the back because it feels good to pass a lot of people as you run. This was a mistake this time and the 3 of us spent the first 1.5 miles weaving in and out of traffic, having to stop and walk sometimes to find a way around a traffic jam. We did pass a lot of people though!

• Mile 1 (11:58): This was a slow mile and I am not real certain where the actual starting line was. The main problem was traffic, along with how far back I started. I actually showed this a an 8:58 mile on my watch but we were 12:00 minutes from when the gun went off. Felt good so far.
• Mile 2 (10:09): Another slow mile as I am still having to weave in and out of traffic. I am still running with Steph and Stacey and we are having a good time talking and joking with people around us. There were some funny t-shirts to read as well. Still feeling pretty good overall.
• Mile 3 (9:33): Mile time comes down as the traffic clears up a little bit. I decided to hit the water stand this time and got slowed up behind some runners that thought it was OK to stop running to get their water. After nearly knocking down the lady in front of me I had my water and was back on my way. I had not realized ahead of time how bad the hills were going to be on this course. This mile had hill number 3 of 6 in it and I am starting to feel them now. Still feeling pretty good overall but realizing I am halfway and still have some serious work to do. I lost Steph at the end of mile 3, she went on to complete the race just a few minutes behind me.
• Mile 4 (9:16): Somewhere in mile 4 I lost Stacey as well. She stayed right behind me to the end but I did not see her again until the end. The hill ended at a McDonald's this time and I thought for a second about hitting the drive through. Overall I am still feeling pretty good and mentally I realize that there are only 2 miles to go.
• Mile 5 (10:05): THE WALL! Everyone has heard about it but this was my first experience with it. Mile 5 contains the hill referred to as "Dead Man's Hill". I am not sure if this is because of the hill or the fact that there is a Krispey Kreme and KFC on the same hill. The thoughts of walking are now all that I can think about. My legs feel like lead and I am wondering why I am out here. At one point I took a half walking step but willed myself on. I made it through but only by sheer determination that I had come this far and I was going to fininsh it.
• Mile 6.2 (11:04): The finish seemed easier than mile 4.5 to 5.0. Not sure why. Maybe it was mental because I knew I only had a mile left and I would be done. I managed to find the gas to sprint to the finsh line from just outside the 6 mile mark. It felt great to finish and like I had accomplished something huge. Plus, I passed 2 runners pushing strollers adn you always want to finish in front of the strollers!
  

If you add up those times it looks like I hit 62:05 which is 2:06 longer than I had wanted. But, it was my first 10k and from reading the paper this morning this is also one of the hardest 10k's in the nation. Overall it was fun and I plan to participate again.