Papa John's 10 Miler Official Results

This morning's Papa John's 10 Miler went really good. I would say great; however, I did not feel at my best throughout the entire race. I knew the morning was going to be cold and I prepared for it in my UK blue. Sleep was hard to come by Friday night due to the Cats playing Ohio State late in a battle. They ended up getting a big win and the energy created in me made sleeping a little tough. I arrived at PJ Stadium around 7:20 am and felt ready. I changed my training up a little and hit the treadmill for 5 easy miles on Friday, which may have contributed to a little struggle in the last half of the race. I met up with Thomas and we made our way to the start. Here is a breakdown of how the race went for me:

Miles 1-3: This is the stretch from the start to the entrance to Iroquois Park - flat and fast. In the approach to the beastly hills of Iroquois, runners must monitor their pace and save some for the way to the finish. We were running at a great pace but holding back for just that reason. I wanted to save some for the overpass on the approach to the stadium. I was feeling good, but breathing heavy and I knew were were running fast.

Miles 4-6: The hilly part. This 3 mile chunk is Iroquois park - legendary for causing runners to walk in the PJ 10 Miler and the KDF Mini because they hit the hills too fast. With Thomas running the park daily and myself at least once a week, we were well-prepared. The park went great with the help of a little G2 from the fuel belt. The pace, as expected, slowed a little in the park. We came out of the park flying at a 6:39/mi pace!

Miles 7-9: Back to the straight and flat. The pace was fast and I started to feel it. I started to tell Thomas to go all out - it looked like he was really in a great groove - but I thought to myself "you've worked hard, you can do this!" So, we continued down Southern Parkway looking for the gazebo at Woodlawn and then for the overpass at I-264. From experience, I knew we had only two miles to go from there. The pace was intense and we were focused.

Mile 10: This was a right hand turn to the overpass and into some brutal wind in the face. The last mile is up the hill, down the hill, into the stadium and across the finish line. I always feel that 8/10 of a mile trying to get in the stadium is the longest stretch of the race. We arrived on the field and sprinted for the finish, the ultimate goal on race day.

Here are my results from the 2011 Papa John's 10-Miler:

Chip Time 1:09:37 (PR)
Overall Place 207 out of 7013
Gender Place 182 out of 3206
Division Place 42 out of 474 (30-34)

I was definitely satisfied with the pace and our finish time. With 39 degree temperatures and overcast skies, the weather was nearly prime for a good run.
The PJ 10 miler was well organized and well supported. To me, it looked like Southern Parkway committed their support to this race since the KDF mini was taken away from them. The support, organizers and volunteers did great work!


TIP: My tip in this post goes to the organizers - do away with the plastic cups at the water stops and bring back the paper cups. Paper is much more runner friendly - they bend were we can get a drink without spilling it all or cutting a lip!

Next up for me in the Indiana University Alumni Half Marathon in Bloomington, IN, Saturday, April 2, 2011. This should be a beautiful but hilly run. The best part will be the presence and support of my wife's family. I will be running in her hometown and hope to post a good result.

HAPPY RUNNING!!!!!
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