Vulcan 10k

Note to self: Respect all races. This was the lesson I learned today after running the Vulcan 10k. With a relatively flat course, cool weather, and no swim/bike beforehand, this should have been a walk in the park for me. However, I failed to realize the effects of an epic race less than a week old, followed by a week of tropical vacation living, and 20 hours of travel ending two nights before the run. I felt strong for the first 3 miles, easily maintaining a 5:30 mile pace. However, leg and side cramping caused the race to take a drastic turn for the worst after the midway point. Unlike Xterra Worlds in Hawaii, I was able to keep running to the finish, albeit in serious pain. I ended up just over 38 minutes, which is still respectable for a first ever 10k race. However, realizing that there was a minute difference in mile pace between the two race halves, and barely a hint of windedness at the end, I know that was far from my potential. As my last planned race of the season, I'll have plenty of time to sort out the cramping issues.