Perfect Day for a 10k

Note to self: Remember this feeling. This is what it feels like to set a goal, train appropriately, and exceed your own expectations! It helps that this morning presented us with perfect running weather (50 degrees and mostly cloudy) and a great course (gently rolling hills, but more or less downhill for the second half).

My dad decided to run the Omaha Marathon 10k today, too, and my mom offered to be a spectator extraordinaire and wake up at 5am with us.

I couldn't stop smiling for the last 0.2 miles of the race this morning! I hit mile six, saw that I had a gradual downhill to the finish line, and I started accelerating. I passed the one girl in front of me at the time and strode through the finish line grinning from ear to ear!

My unofficial finish was 6.25 miles in 1 hour 4 minutes and 37 seconds. We'll see what my chip actually says. This race was perfectly distanced- every mile marker was spot on with what my Garmin said (I just stopped the distance and timer a bit after crossing the finish line).

I don't think it's facetious to say that this was the best race of my life! I'm only competing with myself, so to finish below my goal time and feeling great is all I could ask for.

10k: September 26, 2010 done!
1/2 Marathon: November 21, 2010
Marathon: February 27, 2011

Edited to add:

The official results are up and we did great!

My dad wanted to finish in less than an hour and he was SO close... 1 hour and 8 seconds! He came in 6th out of 13 men in his age group. I'm so proud of him!

I was hoping for sub-70-minutes (with a pipe dream of sub-65) and I officially finished in 1 hour 4 minutes and 29 seconds. 40th out of 89 women in my division. Placing in the top half?! Not too shabby for me!

P.S. The first place half-marathoner finished shortly after us in 1 hour 9 minutes. I can't imagine running that fast.