Coup du Lac: Bucksport Tour du Lac 10-miler Results

Overall Time:  1:07:55
Overall Place:  16th
Pace Per Mile:  6:47.5
Age Group Finish:  4th
Mile 1-5 Splits:  6:47, 6:44, 6:36, 6:52, 6:50 (33:49)
Mile 6-10 Splits:  7:13, 6:54, 6:47, 6:42, 6:30 (34:06)

As shaky as this month has been for running overall, I couldn't have asked for a better end to it.

There aren't many 10-milers for me to compare myself to - I only have this and the Cape Elizabeth run in February to compare.  Also, with it being summer, Marathons (and even half marathons) are extremely rare.  That's what makes this race important from a personal stance.  It's a waypoint in my long distance summer running that ultimately sets the tempo for the fall marathon.  

The race time is early - 7:30AM - but that's actually a good thing when late June temps can soar past 90 degrees fast.  Luckily the sun stayed behind the clouds and gave us a fairly cool 60-65 degree run.  Unlike the Hampden race last week when temps were surging past 80 before the race began, the Tour du Lac would prove to be about as comfortable as a summer long distance race could be.

RK and I convened briefly before the race to discuss strategies.  Though most plans are thrown out the window after the first 10-20% of the race, it was still good to get a pre-race gauge of where we are.  I took a 1/2-mile jog to get a feel for my legs.  There was an ache in my left calf but it has been like this for the last few weeks and hasn't really come into play during any race or workout.  Once I'm warmed up or speeding up, the ache goes away.  Content that I'm good for at least a 70-minute run, I focus in and prep myself on the start line.

The first few miles are almost all inclines but are easily manageable provided one doesn't go out too fast.  This is the kind of course that is very unforgiving to people who are too fast too early.  Miles 4 and 5 are mostly small rolling hills and not much of a change in elevation which allows a bit of a momentum pickup.

Then there's mile 6.

I see it before I get to the marker - the big hill with a 5-6% grade for at least a quarter mile.  Though this hill doesn't necessarily take it all out, it does slow down runners significantly.  It makes the second hill at the beginning of mile 7 seem bigger than it really is.  Once I'm at the top, the next half mile of 7 is a free fall, followed by rolling hills until the end of 8.

For me, I am already building momentum and starting to accelerate on mile 7, continuing to build on 8 and 9 until I encounter a small hill at the start of mile 10.  I always push hard on this hill so I can ride that effort down the next half mile until I make it back on Broadway.  The final quarter mile is a bit uphill which puts a lot more effort on the legs to push to the finish.

I moved ahead of RK after 3 miles, Stephen Whalen (who finished right behind me) after 4, then there was no one for the rest of the race.  I did start to hear footsteps on 9 but I put my foot on the gas to make sure I stayed ahead.

What resulted was a personal record on the course by over 2 minutes and a new 10-mile PR by 43 seconds, crossing the line just barely under my intended goal of 68 minutes.  It's a great way to seal the month of June.