Pearland Pear Run 10K

Back in February, I was disappointed with a tough struggle through most of the Rodeo Run 10K, so I've had today's event in Pearland in mind all spring as a place to prove that I can still manage myself effectively through this distance. I had been worried that this weekend would be warmer than I'd like, but having 64F for an overnight low and knowing that a mostly tree-shaded course was ahead had me feeling good before the starter's gun went off.

Early on, my biggest strategic concern was avoiding starting out too fast. Repeating my 8:38 first mile mistake from last weekend's 5K would have made the next 5.2 miserable. I focused a lot on my stride, trying to keep it as economical as possible. "Forward only, no bounce. Forward only, no bounce" were thoughts I repeated over and over to myself.

The combination of the twisty residential 10K course and small field of runners meant that I spent much of the race being aware of only one or maybe two other runners behind or ahead of me at any given time after the 5K group split off. It was just like running in my own neighborhood, with the exception of having cops and EMS on bicycles buzzing by every few minutes!

As I crossed the finish, the gentleman that ended up removing my timing chip must have read the expression on my face perfectly. "Was that your best 10K?" he asked.

"Best EVER!" I answered back. :)

I had come in under my old PR for the 10K distance, which was 1:03:20 from last year's TXU Energy Turkey Trot. I had also lopped off five minutes from my Pear Run time from a year ago. What pleased me almost as much was how effectively I managed to find and hold pace. According to my Garmin Forerunner, my slowest mile and fastest mile splits differed by only 16 seconds. This is an area that I've struggled with ever since I started running a couple of years ago.

After taking the opportunity to use the restroom and grab a Gatorade out of my car, I noticed the last few runners entering the park on their final approach to the finish, tailed by the full swarm of the EMS and cop cyclists. Having a very good idea of how these runners were probably feeling at this point, I made a point of cheering each of them in.

I certainly would consider running this race again for a third time next spring; the event was a job well done by the Pearland Citizens Police Academy. The race packet bag contained a couple of unexpected items -- a George Strait CD and a firearm lock? Finally, I do find it amusing that despite the race's name and the grinning fruit pictured on the race shirt, the post-race refreshments didn't include any actual pears.

The splits, per my Garmin Forerunner 101:

Mile 1 -- 9:52
Mile 2 -- 10:01
Mile 3 -- 10:02
Mile 4 -- 10:03
Mile 5 -- 10:08
Mile 6 -- 10:08
Last .24 mi -- 2:17

Event: Pearland Pear Run 10K (12 May 2007)
Location: Independence Park, Pearland TX
Result: 1:02:35 (new 10K personal record)
Benefits: Pearland Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association