10k / 667 for 2013

This has been a slack running week for me. With travel and classes, I just wasn't motivated.
However, today I ran in my first sanctioned 10k race and my first race that my time was tracked.
My average times last month were not great - to the point I was a little concerned why I all of a sudden I was running so much slower. So, yesterday I purposely try to push for a fast pace. I averaged under a 9 minute mile for a 4 mile run. This was much better and gave me confidence going into today's 10k. I didn't have any notion that I could win the 10k, but I wanted to place in my age division.




Kelly and Cindy ran, of course. If it weren't for them I probably wouldn't pay someone to let me run.
The race started as all races typically do- like a herd of cows trying to get to the feed trough first. As always, this herd thins out. In the past, I always run my first mile in a race at a fast pace. In my last 5k, my first mile was 7+minute mile. I think it's due to the adrenaline and trying to get away from the herd of cattle behind me.
Today about 1/2 mile into the 10k, this guy passed me...




(the guy with the headband)
He was running a steady pace, so I decided to just tail him. I did for the entire race.
I would try to have my right foot land the same time his right foot landed. It gave me the sensation that his foot was pulling mine forward. Time really flew and I was zoned out. I got so close to him at one point I almost caught his heel with my toe. I thought at any minute this guy is going to turn around and knock the shit out of me - or maybe he was oblivious to me being behind him. Not likely since we were clearly away from the herd and no one else was really around us.
Anyway, I stayed on him the entire race until the last 1/2 mile. I passed him, took off and sprinted for the finish.
After the race the guy I basically just stalked for the last 50 minutes came up to me. I thought - this is it, he's going to punch me. Instead he gave me a high five.
I thanked him for setting a great pace and told him that was the fastest I had run for that long. He in turned thanked me. Wow. He told me he wanted to stop and walk or at least slow down several times during the race. He could tell I was behind him the whole time and was using me to push him. He was going to keep me from passing him.
BAM!!!