Bluegrass 10,000 Recap

The Stats
6.21 mi; 53'24" chip time; 8'36" avg. mile; 720 out of 2,702 (top 27%)

The full contingent of PTR was on hand for the Bluegrass 10,000 in Lexington, KY this Fourth of July. Joy may have registered for the wrong event, but all issues were sorted out at packet pick-up the night before the race. A dining stop at The Village Idiot and some pulled pork mac-n-cheese loaded us up on carbohydrates that we were sure to burn Saturday morning. The start time of 7:30 am seems a bit uncalled for, but it had the upside of cooler temperatures for a time of year that normally features high heat.

It's all smiles before the race

The race started and it was immediately apparent that this was going to be a crowded affair. For a race with under 3,000 finishers the roads seemed unusually packed. My split time on the first mile was my second slowest despite having fresh legs. Runners weaved in and out trying to find a comfortable pace, and I took to the sidewalks off and on as I ran on Mill Street. It was a downhill stretch on Mill Street before turning left on Vine Street, which allowed me to start mile 2 (my fastest) with some pace.
Vine Street was the longest stretch of the race. I found some space and settled in as we breezed past downtown and the street changed names to Main. Two blocks onto Main St. I could see the race leader looping back toward the finish on the other side of the street; I was a solid two miles behind him. We hit the 3 mile mark and the road became Richmond Rd. Some downhill sections mocked us as we knew they would become uphill sections on the way home. Mile four was my second fastest mile and led to the turn around point at Margaret Dr.
By the end of mile 4 I was pretty gassed. Muscles were aching and it was apparent that my pace was only falling from there until the finish. My lack of training was showing itself. That's when the inclines started. I entered full "jog mode" and tried to relax my upper body and ease blood flow and breathing. Still, I was breathing heavy throughout the fifth mile. I distracted myself from the pain by searching for the rest of PTR on the other side of the road. It worked until I had to refocus on where I was stepping and remembered that each step hurt.
The race re-entered downtown and I took some comfort from the sight of clustered brick buildings. We passed Thoroughbred Park with its iconic horse statues and came "down the stretch" of the last half mile. The race finish line was visible from at least 600 meters away, if not more. This provided a type of optical illusion where you think you are getting closer to finishing only to be reminded there is still a ways to go. I had no punch for the finish line. It was a mindful jog over the finish mat, and then my hands instantly searched for my knees. I grabbed water and Gatorade and double-fisted the runner's delight combo over to the horse statue near the old courthouse.

Ashley was the first to join me and revealed that she was only five minutes behind me at the finish. Mike walked up next, another five minutes in arrears. Mom and the rest of PTR all met in the park and it allowed us to snap a post-race photo. Thankfully, the picture is from a good distance away because I'm sure we were all pretty worn out.

America, The Sweaty