6.39 miles in 52:06

connect.garmin.com/activity/76051025 my goal this afternoon was to get back in the running for the elite eight in the march miles madness challenge. i was way behind and needed a good 10K just to get into eighth place. my daughter was going north to practice on the grand piano at the church where she will perform her senior recital this sunday, so i hitched a ride out to the six and half mile mark and ran back to town. my first mile was just under 8 minutes. the second 8:21. the third 8:24. just before three miles i squeezed some gu into my mouth and swallowed. it must've worked. my splits for the next miles just kept getting better and better. mile 4 was 8:04. mile 5 came in at 8:06. mile 6 a quick 8:02. the final 0.2 miles to a 10K were at 7:59 pace. my 10K time: 50:32! that's the fastest i've ever run one. i quietly aimed for a sub-50 10K at the beginning of the year, thinking i'd be lucky to get it. now i'm confident it will fall...if i have a course like this one - all downhill with the wind at my back. call it cheating if you want. i call it strategy! i slowed my pace after hitting the 10K mark and stopped a couple of blocks from home to walk in.