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Joe Bator writes:Last week a friend suggested we head down to a half marathon on Sunday.This is the same friend that I would be attending a late night charityball with the night before.  I convinced him that a better idea would be a local St Paddy's day race.  He agreed and Sunday morning I foundmyself registering for the 10K option (verse the 5K option).  Because Ican't help myself I had looked at prior year results and figured I hada chance at a high finish.  The fact that I am woefully out of shape wasof little concern.Before the race I was talking to my friend.  I told him you can tellwho is for real by their shoes.  He saw my bright green flats (it wasa St Paddy's race) and knew what I meant.  Just before the start wewere told that the 5K would take a right about 1K up the road and the10K went straight.  A few short minutes later I found myself runningbehind 5 guys (4 of which looked like the local high school trackteam) and one legit guy.  We approach the split and the lead bike isjust waiting for someone to go straight.  The 5 in front of me allturn and at that moment I am leading the 10K.  Wait.a.miunte. Readthat again.Yup I am the first person to go straight.  I ask the biker if anyonecame with me?  He says yup one kid (he lied, but I am getting ahead ofmyself).  A few seconds later I am running side by side with a 17 yearold.  He is wearing tear away long pants and slapping his feet.  Ifigure there is no way I am losing to him.  We run together throughthe mile mark in 5:58.  He goes 6, I say yup.  During the next halfmile we are running side by side and I feel like we are starting toslow down.  I can't imagine leading for 5 miles but I have no desireto run with him for long.  I decide to throw in a surge and see whathappens.  He immediately falls back.  I push on and am now runningalone in first.  This is not normal for me.  It is me, the lead bikeand 4 motorcycle cops who are buzzing around.  If not for them itwould be completely silent.  At one point we hit a turn and I glanceback and see someone maybe 15 yards back. I figure it is the 17 yearold.  I hit mile two in 6:32 and I affirm my suspicion that we hadslowed and I pick up the pace a little.I am running scared. I don't know who is behind me or if I am going toblow up.  Fortunately, (I guess) I get to find out quickly.  Duringthe third mile I am almost startled as a guy comes right up on myshoulder.  A quick glance confirms he is not the high school kid andhe is legit.  We run side by side for about ¾ of mile. He surges andgaps me by 10 yards.  I fight back and go right by him opening my own10 yard gap.  I am in a race.  This is fun.  He comes back and we runside by side again for another ½ mile or so and he surges ahead.  5yards becomes 10 becomes 15.  We are past 4 miles.  I start thinking;hey second place is not bad right?  I notice he glances back.  Couldhe be tiring?I snap out of my funk.  I am not giving up.  I pick up the pace.  I amfighting to find my tough.   My focus narrows and all I see if theflashing motorcycle light and my target.  My stomach is burning and Ican taste the effort.  I am closing the gap.  I pass mile 5 one mileto go. 20 yards becomes 15, 10.  I am gaining.  It is only a matter oftime.  I am a few steps behind.  I decide I have to go by and mean it.  I surge I am on his shoulder and by it. I have a step but herecovers and we run side by side.  I am giving everything I have.   Hesurges hard and I can't match it.  He gets 5 yards and then 10.  I amgiving it everything and so is he.  We round one last turn and I knowI won't catch him.  I finish second 12 seconds behind officially in39:11.The splits were:5:586:346:236:196:176:131:22So what were the lessons?Based on the way my legs feel today I gave it everything I had.You can fake a 10K.  Based on my training I should not have been ableto run that fast.What is one pound? They say 2-3 seconds a mile.  I lost by 2 seconds a mile.I would have finished 2 in the 5K as well.Third place was 2 minutes back (and wasn't even my sub 6 first mile friend).I think I just set the bar pretty high for this year.-- Joe B