Beloit YMCA Fall Classic 10K Race Report

Saturday we did the Fall Classic at the Stateline YMCA in Beloit. It was a very small race, with only 43 people finishing the 10K. Michele came along for a ride in the clown car's back seat (teehee!) and she did the 5K with her friend Pam from work. Mike made a big deal of telling me he was going to run with me and let me cross the finish first. I was sure to tell him that to "let" me win was a hollow victory - No thanks, I would rather have my old wrinkled ass cross DFL.
It was pretty brisk in the morning so I was glad I wore long pants and a long tech shirt - it was just the right weight/warmth. We chatted a bit with Kitty from the SWAT Team. We were off before too long. The course was really well marked with big pink arrows painted on the course (I'm sure the neighbors were loving that - not sure it is legal...). We were pretty much shepherding in the back of the pack.
We ran together. Had to stop a couple times to answer the phone for work related business, but other than that, it was pretty uneventful. There was a cop that was circling around herding up the last runners, which was us. As we got to where we crossed back over the busy street back to the Y, we saw a cop waving traffic around the runners. We saw a few people ahead of us get crossed over by the cop in the road. Then they pulled away, leaving Mike and I to fend for ourselves crossing a busy street. In a race. WTH??? Thanks a bunch guys! Way to communicate with one another.....
After crossing the road successfully, We were about 1.5-2 miles from the finish. Mike was starting to drop back. Was he drafting? Was something wrong? Was he setting himself up to let me win? I asked what was wrong, he said "nothing." So I slowed down too. He slowed further when I slowed down. I was thinking he was trying to let me get ahead, so finally I took off ahead in a snit, grumbling the whole way. I don't like to lose, but I also don't want to win through pity or chivalry or whatever. As we got to the last .1 mi, I turned to go uphill towards the Y. A BIG. F'ING. HILL. to the finish. That was just masochistic. I chugged it up the hill. As I crested it, I ran straight into the kids race that was lined up and about to take off. I stopped and stood there, trying to figure out where I was supposed to go to cross the finish. They finally told the kiddos to open a path for me to go through. I saw Michele and I was griping about Mike letting me win. Mike crested the hill not long after and crossed, then doubled over like he was gonna puke. Total bonkage. We got him some food and drink, and he sat down and let it settle and was feeling ok not long after. We talked a few minutes with Kitty and took off for home in the clown car.
No official results posted as yet but Garmin says: 6.29 miles in 1:10. 42/43 overall. Mike was both 3rd in his age group and DFL. Interesting.....
Today we took another longer recovery run. I was feeling sluggish and was holding Mike back, so he took off on his own. I did a lot of lollygagging and slowed to a walk a few times. I decided to just listen to my hinges today. I haven't run much outside this week and was feeling a little sore (unusual for me) so I didn't want to totally punch it. Ended up with a 6.5 mile run - not bad.