Get In Gear 10K Race 2009

This was my first Get In Gear and also my first 10K ever. By simply finishing I achieved a PR for the 10K. A Minnesota event since 1978, the Get In Gear 10K is one of the largest 10Ks in the country and certainly among the best organized and pleasant races to run. This year nearly 6000 runners finished the event, including the 10K (3422 runners), the 5k (1604), and the newly added half marathon (804). The gloomy weather forecast --- cold, rain, wind and possibility of lightning --- didn't materialize. It was a chipper 43 degrees and I ran the race in my shorts and a t-shirt.

It was good to see Antonio Vega, a local runner and member of Team USA Minnesota, capture 3rd place in a  competitive men's field. Vega's personal best in the 10K came last year at the Peachtree Road Race with a time of 29:00:47. Vega was the second among American runners at the 2008 NYC Half Marathon with a time of 1:04:26.

Antonio Vega, Team USA Minnesota Photo: CompetitiveImage.Us

I have been having problems in my left leg (midway on the tibialis anterior muscle) and didn't quite know how my bum leg would behave. Resting up during the week kept the legs fresh and overall I had a good race. I maintained a fairly even pace for the entire race, at slightly under 7 minutes per mile. 

Time (43:23) and Pace (6:59)

Splits: 7:09, 6:46, 6:54, 7:00, 6:54, 6:56, 1:23