After a last drink and some explanations about when I would pass where I found myself a place between the front runners and shortly after the wheel- and handchair athletes we sprinted away for two rounds of 5k. The start this time was very smooth, the pack stretched out immediately and the first kilometer went by surprisingly fast in 3m30! The second kilometer I held back a little and I passed in 7m20 which was still fast but already a better pace.
After passing the start and finish area and giving my family a thumbs up while they made pictures there was an uphill up to the 3rd kilometer mark where I slowed down to pick up pace right afterwards. The 4th kilometer passed smoothly and soon we were back where we started to pass 5k in 18m30, still very very fast. I grabbed a water bottle and emptied it over my head to cool down and gulped down some water. It was getting warm and I slowed down and the climb up to the 8th kilometer mark was tough, but then only 2k where left and since I passed in 30m08 if I maintained pace I could maybe finish close to 38 minutes. The 9th kilometer mark I felt good and passing in 34m06 made finishing under 38 minutes very possible so the last kilometer I pushed hard without really sprinting and zigzagged in between the slower runners still on their first round to finish in a surprising new Personal Best of 37m48! The heavy mountain training of the last weeks somehow does not really influence my 10k running speed.
