Race Strategy for Bib #CB396

I've started developing a race strategy for my Memorial Day 10k. While I won't finish my planning until we see the weather, I thought I'd outline what I have in mind. Any advice is welcomed.

Start
This is a gun time race based on waves. My wave is the ninth and will start at 7:08:45. It is made up of runners who have qualification times equivalent to a 49:21 to 50:05 10k. Hopefully I will get up close to the start line as I have as much right to the front as anyone in this wave. In general this year, I have been running hard at the start and holding on for dear life at the end. For this race, I think I will try to start more conservatively but still at a pace that will hit under 49 minutes if sustained. There are some hills and the altitude effect is uncertain.

Mile 1 target pace 7:50
The first mile is a straight shot on slightly downhill slope for 1k to the lowest point on the course (5284') followed by a right hand turn into a slightly uphill . Last year my coach strongly advised taking it easy on the downhill and don't get sucked into all those that take off too fast. That is the plan. Mile 1 includes the following four bands:

Swingin' Seven Dixieland Band (Swing & Jazz)
Orginized Confussion (Contemporary Rock)
Blues Brothers (R&B)
Yo, Flaco! (Hip Hop)

Mile 2 target pace 7:50
The second mile is generally uphill with one minor peak. There is about a 50' elevation gain from the 1k point to the 2 mile mark. Mile 2 includes the following entertainment:

Rose Productions (Disc Jockey)
Pandaemonium (Big Band)
Boulder Tribe (Belly Dancing)
Elvis (R&B)

Mile 3 target pace 8:00
The third mile gets tougher as it is steeper, has 6 turns, and is narrower road (so more crowded) all in the first two thirds of the mile. It peaks there at about 5380' elevation and starts dropping along a straight roadway. One thing to remember is to run through the top of those peaks and don't lose seconds transitioning to a downhill. Less organized entertainment available as the tighter turns really go through a neighborhood. Mile 3 does include:

Pairadeux (Acoustic Duo)
Beledi Dance Caravan (Belly Dancing)
Ms Tu-Tu (Enthusiastic Dancing)

At this point, if I have not succumbed to the belly dancers, I will have reached the 5k mark in 24:30 and feeling strong on the downhill. I'll cover the second half of the race on my next blog.

As for training, I ran a very easy three miler in Memorial Park on Sunday before the club meeting (30:38, 131HR). On Monday, a brisker 5k was booked with some On the Run folks (29:00, 145HR). Tuesday is off and Wednesday will be a little speed to lock in race pace.

Congratulations to Chris Bittinger, store manager of On the Run, for finishing the Congress Avenue Mile in 4:43 over the weekend, good for 22nd place overall, 2nd in his age group and a handshake from Gov. Perry.