09 Vulcan 10K RR

Training:
Not a good training cycle overall. I faced a series of annoying medical issues, none of which left me out of commission for more than 4 days but left me undertrained and frustrated at times. Two weeks ago, I really felt like a turned the corner and put in an intense 10 days before a 2 day rest before race day.
Race morning:
Woke up with just a trace of soreness in my legs but felt good and calm overall. Weather was perfect (low 50s, clear skies, light winds). I felt good warming up and was ready to roll. I came in expecting a PR (42:30) but the real goal was a sub-42.
Course:
5 out of 10 in difficulty. Miles 1-2 were relatively flat then we hit almost a mile of steady uphill. Mile 4 was rolling then we went back downhill in Mile 5 with a relatively flat finish. There was an easier 10K today in Mobile but I had already been there this year and didn't want to miss my home race.
Race:
I was shooting for around 6:40 for the first mile, which would have been right on target to finish just under 42. As usual, I went out a bit too fast but was aided by a downhill stretch early. I was at 3:05 at the half mile but ran a smart race after that. I lost a few positions in the 2nd mile but ran the uphill portion very well and passed several. By the halfway point, I was well ahead of PR pace but felt a bit more tired than last year. Mile 4 was a bit of struggle but when we hit the downhill, I let it loose and passed at least 3. By the end of Mile 5, I was pretty much spent but I knew that a PR was as good as mine and if I could simply maintain my average pace over the last mile, I would come in under 42. By the end of the 6th mile, I knew that I had it and would not need a kick. I only passed 1 in the last .25 and it wasn't one of my faster kicks but nobody was within my reach during the final sprint. Finished with a chip time of 41:43, a PR by 47 seconds and exactly 60 seconds faster than last year. This was an "A" performance.
-2 mile cool down with Jason, who was finishing his long run.
Splits:
6:25 (6:25)- too fast but on target for last 3/4
13:08 (6:43)- on target
20:10 (7:02)- very good on the uphill.
27:02 (6:52)- rolling, not as fast as I wanted.
33:28 (6:26)- downhill, pleased with that.
40:07 (6:39)- hung on quite well
41:43 (1:36)- 6:10 pace for .26
This projects to a 1:32 half and a 3:15 full. If I had run a pancake flat course, I think I would have been around 41:15. Lifetime goal is 40:00 and I think that I can do it if I can stay healthy enough to train consistently. 40:42 projects a BQ but I'll need to be faster than that since I am naturally suited for shorter distances.