Last year I did this in an asthma ridden, holy-crap-I-am-out-of-shape 39:45. I'm still embarrassed at that but I'd only bee running around 3 months at the time so whatever. I can only admit to that pathetic time because yesterday I dropped roughly 7 minutes off of it with a 32:47. I am hoping to do even better in the future but that was a huge win for me. I felt really good.
The worst part was that I lined up in the section for people who were going to do between 10 and 11 minute miles and there were shitloads of people who were just walking the race in front of me. Not only that there were often large groups that insisted on walking side by side down the middle of the race. They should have gone back further in the crowd. I was full of hatred.
So I spent the first half mile negotiating the heavy crowding to get past all those people. Lots of side to side, slow downs and speed ups until I got out into the open where I could establish my pace. That first half mile took a lot out of me and I hadn't counted on it in my plans. Next year I'll start up nearer the front and just stay to the side and let the REAL runners go past me.
Probably I would only have shaved 15 seconds or so off my time, if anything, but it's nice to know that even setting my personal best time I could have done better in a more ideal running situation. It's hard to run a race with 2400 participants, many of whom aren't really running it but showing support for the cause. For that alone I forgive all the walkers.
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