I wasn’t feeling especially fast today. I hit more red lights than normal. I knew I wouldn’t be setting a new record on my 5K, but I knew I had to set a PR for my 10K, so I didn’t let myself stop at the half way point to catch my breath. I stopped only long enough to see where I was time-wise, and make sure my GPS updated at the furthest point.

I was hot and dry today. I think it was at least 15 degrees warmer than 2 days ago; that’s a big change. I actually ran out of water before I got back home. There was a nice warm desert wind blowing and the fire danger is high. All those things combine to take a lot out of you when you run. I tried to talk myself out of it all morning and then the first quarter mile. But after I crossed Carmel Country Road and headed up the hill, I was committed.

I wasn’t especially fast or slow, but I knew that in previous runs I had stopped at the half-way point for multiple minutes. If I simply cut my rest there, I could set a PR, as long as I didn’t die and wind up walking or stopping later on… and then I did.

About half-way up the big hill on Del Mar Heights road, there were two landscaping trucks blocking the sidewalk and bike lane. I was barely able to squeeze by on the edge of the sidewalk. They each had huge water coolers and I was just about out of water. I thought about asking the guys if I could grab some water, but then decided that was a bad idea. I broke down and walked for a bit while I considered it. Then I got back into a jog the rest of the way up the hill. Then it was all down hill from there and I finished strong. I was a bit upset about missing the light to cross Carmel Country Road both ways today, but there’s not much I can do about it.

I still managed to set my PR for a 10K. I cut more than 4 minutes off my old PR. That’s pretty huge.

Old 10K PR: 1:10:28
New 10K PR: 1:06:23