The last 10k I raced was in
Missoula last summer on trails. My favorite distance is probably either 10k or 1/2 marathon - it seems to be enough time to get my legs into a groove.
The race is a straight-shot out and back along the coast. The way out has several slight downhills, so I tried to stay relaxed and not go out too hard, while mostly looking forward to the uphills.
The race is named after a statue on the course called the Cardiff Kook. It's a surfer that many people think doesn't look like a good surfer and he is constantly getting dressed up with bras, football jerseys, etc. At the Cardiff Kook 10k, people also dress up. I was boring and did not wear a fancy outfit.
I got an awesome side stitch from miles 2-4 and shuffled along at what felt like marathon effort and watched many
many people pass me. By the time I finally hit the turn around and started up the incline I felt a bit better and started running at early season 10k pace (which feels
VERY slow). These crayon women were a nice distraction at one point on my return.
The last mile was actually my favorite, since I felt I'd finally reached a good effort. I ended up running 39-something, nothing spectacular for me, but I was happy with the day.
