race report: lone gull 10k

Date/Time: Sept 19, 2010, 9:00 a.m.

Place: Gloucester, MA
Weather: 60ish-70ish (perfect)
Distance: 6.2 miles
Net Time: 54:28
Pace: 8:46/mile
Gun Time: 54:49
Age Group: 73/246

Gender: 113/380
Overall: 309/675

Link to Garmin Connect Summary here.

Race Website here.

Mile Splits (Garmin was a little off from the actual mile markers)

1 8:50

2 8:40

3 8:34

4 8:47

5 8:47

6 8:32

0.3 2:14

I'm going to aim for consistently getting 8:35 splits for my next 10K. My previous 53:00 goal was a bit of a jump given the hectic nature of the school year. I might just aim for 8:50 splits for my next two half marathons.

Course Observations:

I am definitely doing this one again! It's mostly flat with a few rolling hills (not any beastly ones in sight) and does a little lollipop, so you can see your friends if you're within lollipop range of them. I think it repeats some of the Cape Ann 25K. I loved the ocean views and the lack of car traffic on the course.

What I Thought of the Race:

1) Very clear directions on the website, and a few signs directing runners to the parking lot start.

2) Plentiful parking reasonably close to the start. I wish they'd labeled directions to the start but I found it based on the throngs of people heading over.

3) They use D-Tag timing.

4) Volunteers are quite pleasant.
5) The crowd support was somewhat minimal (except for my CRC pals!)
6) They have several water stops (no Gatorade, which is fine with me for a 10K).
7) A volunteer yells out time at each mile marker.
8) Post-race food is great! This year, they offered water, bagels, bananas, Stonyfield Farm yogurt smoothies, Oikos yogurt, apples, scrambled eggs, bacon, caramelized french toast, coffee and oj.

Things to Note for Next Year:
1) Leaving Brighton at 7:00 a.m. affords plenty of time to get to the race.
2) REGISTER EARLY. They only gave out shirts to the first 400 runners...and I had bib #409. I could have gotten a shirt if I'd stayed after, but had to head to the Red Sox game.