St. Johns Sunshine Run 10K 10/8/11

So I have decided that due to my inability to post within a reasonable team frame I will stop numbering the days and highlight specific runs and races. Unfortanetly I have been waiting to post my reflactions over the races until I have photos from the race, which usually ends up being at the end of the week after the race, at which point I am ooober busy with school, my two jobs, and running. So.. here is what happened for ever ago with the Sunshine 10k!

St. Johns Sunshine Run 10K 10/8/11


I could not have asked for a more beautiful day to run!! Cool crisp Fall morning weather warmed by the sun slowly rising. The race started and I bolted out in front! (Until this season I have never been one to take the lead, but now every race I have started doing this) Something I think I forget to mention in the Kickin' Route 66 entry was a thought that came to me as I was running the half marathon. I have finally become.. "That Guy". "That guy" who when everyone lines up at the start you look at him and think he'll probably win. And "that guy" who you think, surely he went out to fast and is gonna slow his pace when he gets tired. "That Guy" that everybody slowly can't see any more because he is so far ahead. I've never been "THAT GUY"! I'm still not the fastest (despite my victory every weekend), I have alot to improve, but! I finanly know what it feels like to be "that guy", and if I keep up the training, I will remain "that guy".

Back to the 10k race. I'm out in front feeling great, strollin down Kimbrough. There were bicyclist leading the race and I joked around with them a little as I used them to keep my pace fast. Greeting the race volunteers from time to time. After I completed the neighborhood loop I was back on Kimbrough headed back to the stadium. It was here where I started hearing the guy close behind me! I have decided on a new strategy, and it's never look back (I refuse to look behind me to see how close or far away the next opponent is). This keeps me going strong, not knowing how close they might be, I will stay on pace and keep pushing. So, i could hear his footprints (but not right behind, there was some distance) and occasionally I could hear him breathing. I kept trying to get faster and faster so that his sounds would be too far behind me to hear. Eventually I turned the last corner taking me into the cardinals stadium and for some reason I didn't really sprint. I don't know why, it was the weirdest thing, I basically just coasted into the finish line at 36:34 for the 10k taking 1st place.
Here is an Article covering the race! I'm in it! I feel foolish that I didn't mention Cross Country Missions. I will get another chance soon and then I will talk it up all I can!