Pacing for a 10k

I'm doing a 10k on Sunday as an interim race before my first HM in April, it's not the first 10k I have ever done but probably the first one where I have trained properly.

My question is how to pace myself to achieve a good time? the course if supposed to be fast and flat, I have done 10k in 56 mins in training and that didn't feel too hard, I normally run around 30-40 miles per week and run an average 10 min mile pace, although my LSR's average 10.30 and my tempo runs around 9.10. (I can cover around 7-8 miles at this pace)

I want to know what speed I should be setting per mile to improve this time?, I want to try to run it fast, but not so fast I burn out before the end of the race?, likewise I don't just want to plod along at 10 min miles either and it be too easy?

Anyone any ideas?

How accurately will you be able to judge your pace, eg do you have a garmin?

Clearly you want a pace faster than 10K in 56 mins.  I'd perhaps try and run the first 2 or 3 miles 15 to 30 secs a mile quicker than that, and if I'm still feeling good, speed up for the rest. 

I'm no expert, especially with 10K's, but I think this is the sort of approach I would take,

A lot of folk use a Garmin in races to pace themselves, but I find it a distraction and spend more time watching the screen than those around me or the event's own distance markers (which are the ones that matter).

So my advice would be to leave the Garmin at home and just use your watch. Put simply: warm up very well in advance, start a bit further up the field than you would normally, run the first couple of miles a bit harder than you would normally, take stock and see if you want to hold that pace, ease off a bit to catch your breath or step it up a bit, and then try to kick a mile or two from the end. If you want to do the race for a new pb give it your all in the final half mile or so, otherwise run hard but within your boundaries to the end.

It's not rocket science, really: start fast, try to hold the pace or pick it up midway, and finish a bit faster. If at any point you're out of breath or panting, you're going a bit too fast.

Good luck!

I ran a half mara recently which although not my fastest ever, was my most enjoyable - because I used my Garmin to keep a check on my pace.

I knew I wasn't in shape for a PB, so used the pace on the Garmin to make sure I didn't go off too fast.  It made the run go quicker, strangely, as I wasn't watching the miles tick down.

I'll be using it again in a couple of weeks to run the next one a bit faster, and maybe get the PB