Sunday June 26th marked the inaugural Boston Athletic Association 10K.

The race started on Charles Street, between the Gardens and the Boston Common.

I arrived 15 minutes before the start and the 3 corrals were filling up.  I started out in the back of the 3rd corral, but knew that I planned to run faster than a 10 minute pace.  With Jared in tow, I pushed my way to the front of the 3rd corral.

A 9 minute pace seemed like more of my style.  Plus, there was a rope separating the 2nd and 3rd corrals so I couldn’t move up any further.

Here I am, ready to run my 1st 10K race.  I’d completed 5Ks, 5 milers, and Half Marathons but this would be the first time I’d be racing for 6.2 miles.

My view of the starting line, behind the elite runners and corrals 1 and 2.

After the other corrals started, Corral 3 was allowed to walk forward for our official start.

Even though my gun time was going to be a bit behind, it was nice to be able to start so close to the front of the pack.  I knew that it meant I’d have more room to run at my own pace and not have to worry about dodging between other runners.

Mile 1

The 10K was more or less an out and back course.  After starting, we quickly turned off of Charles Street and made our way to Comm Ave.  Before the race, I had convinced Jared that he could complete the course in one hour.  I carried a piece of paper with our splits so I could keep him on track.  When we hit Mile 1, I was proud to tell him that he was cruising, running nearly a minute faster than what I expected.

Mile 2

Two miles in and I was getting sweaty.  The sun was hidden behind the clouds but the air was thick and humid.  I high-fived Jared because he was still running like a rock star and was now 2 minutes ahead of the expected split.

Moving further down Comm Ave, it was very important for runners to stay to the right of the cones so no one would collide with someone running in the opposite direction.  Despite the large numbers of people, I never felt like the course was crowded.  My Garmin was in sync with the BAA’s mile markers because I didn’t add any distance moving side to side to pass people.

Mile 3

It was great to complete Mile 3 because the turnaround was just past the mile marker.  I was enjoying the route down Comm Ave and the easy hills.

Making our way back to the city, the skyline was hidden in the fog.

Mile 4

Jared was still ahead of his goal time but I felt like he was beginning to drag.  I gave him pep talks to help him keep his pace and encouraged him to get a drink of water each time we passed a water stop.  He was complaining about being sweaty and welcomed each and every gust of wind.

I spied the Citgo sign and the Prudential Center in the distance.

As we continued down Comm Ave, we came upon our final hill.  Jared whined and I quickly reminded him that this is the final hill in Boston Marathon.  If people can climb this small hill after running 26 miles, then we could certainly handle it after our 4.5 mile jog.   Plus, according to my Garmin, I predicted we’d hit Mile 5 not far past the top of the hill.  No excuses to stop now!

Mile 5

During Mile 5, Jared began to speed up.  Having run with him for almost 3 years, I knew that he needed to slow down because he would burn out before he hit the finish line.  I was really enjoying running with Jared.  Instead of worrying about my pace and if I was feeling tired, I distracted myself by talking to him and focusing on his running.

Mile 6

As we were about to hit Mile 6, I began to move further ahead of Jared.  I turned to see where he was and he waved his arm to say, “just go!”  There were only 0.2 miles left and I knew he’d be ok on his own.  I picked up speed and ran my heart out towards the finish line.  I finished in just over 56 minutes and Jared wasn’t far behind me.

Post race, the Common was filled with hot and sweaty people.  The BAA always does a great job taking care of the runners and this race was no exception.  We grabbed bagels and snacks along with ice cold water and Gatorade.  I was so thirsty!

Runners were encouraged to pick up their race t-shirts after finishing so Jared and I snagged our shirts.  We also spent some time listening to a local band that was performing near the Finish Line and browsing a tent filled with adidas merchandise.

The inaugural BAA 10K was a great race.  I enjoyed running 6.2 miles down and back on Comm Ave.  I don’t have any complaints and I’m definitely planning on signing up for next year’s event.