Cursa de la Mercé - 10k

Exactly one month after starting the UTMB an easy 10k in the city centre of Barcelona. Recovery has been slow but good and I am back to easy training for some weeks already. Ofcourse I had no clue of what pace to run so I decided to try and stay with the 45 minute pacer. Though we started at nine o'clock it was very warm already and apart from that starting with 12000 runners makes for some chaos in the beginning. Up to the kilometer 3 I am somewhat behind the pacer, just because catching up with him through the crowd was not easy. Actually the third kilometer just to not go off pace to much I had to sprint and pass people where I could which ofcourse sent my heart-rate up. The fourth and fifth kilometer I can finally settle and I make it half way just below 22m30s so 45 minutes is still possible. Shortly after we pass through the Arc de Triomf where many runners grab water and slow down a bit, which opens up more space and I am some 100 meters in front of the pacer by then. Kilometer 6 and 7 as always are hard and a matter of holding on and try to stay relaxed. My times are still ok so I know I don't have to sprint in the end to finish under 45 minutes which is great. Happy to be running again without after effects of the UTMB. More 10ks are to follow.

Finished in 44m39s!!