Lumbering through Anchorage 10K Classic

It wasn't my best day at the Anchorage 10K Classic on Saturday, which is a bit of a disappointment because I like to bring my A game to Anchorage races (and always have). But missing two weeks of training and having no workouts in more than five weeks took its toll.

Nevertheless, Skinny Raven puts on a quality event, and I'm looking forward to returning the future.

I went in feeling a little tired from a long week and the first two miles (net downhill of 150 feet) felt fast, even though the splits were equivalent to what I'd done just at Midnight Sun Run in June, 11:42. After that the course climbs back up and gets moderately tough at times--especially the finish with a 100 ft climb over the last 600 m.

It didn't help that I lost a few seconds at 5.5 miles by almost taking the wrong turn through a crowd of runners at the out and back section, and after that I just figured bring it home. Which just what you don't want to think at the end of a hard fought 10K!

So I fell back from two masters runners I was trying to catch and eaten up by another on the stretch. Ended up at 37:04 for 15th overall, 5th masters but only 3rd in my age group. Simply got out classed by runners that were more ready. But I feel upbeat and happy that the knee is fine.