The morning was cold and I wasn't sure about whether to run in warm-ups or shorts but as usual my body warmed up and the shorts came out. I started at about the 5th row, there were 875 runners, much bigger than in past years. I probably should start closer to the front since I passed about 70 people in the first 3/4 miles. I like to get behind the pretenders who start out too fast but ahead of the recreational runners. They should have sectionals, 5:30 pace up front, 6:00 pace here, etc. Not that I want to sound elitist but it's hard to tell sometimes, my novice friend was in the back and disheartened when his group started out walking, you just never know.
The mayor got a head start and we were off. My goal was to run comfortably for the first 1/2 mile and then try to stay at VO2 max. I passed my 20s friend James and then my 40s friend Frank at 1.3 and then stopped passing. Went through the first mile in 6:00 and hooked up with a peer in white. We traded back and forth up and down the hills--you gotta love this course. Then near the 2 mile mark (I never saw it) he asked if we were at 2 miles. My watch read 13:00 and he said, "If I've slowed down this much I'll be mad." The course is slightly different on the way back with a straight tack through a neighborhood street to the final hill and turn. I mentally downshifted and allowed my peer runner (Mike) to get a lead of 30 yards and "break the string" on me. This was unfortunate because I prepared myself for the last hill and final 1/2 mile stretch but I didn't catch him. I had an extended cruise and kick but didn't catch the 20s guy who could hear me coming and beat me by a second.
I felt pretty good and this was the first time in 2 weeks that I felt good about my running. Two years ago I ran 19:01 so I'm in decent shape and maintaining. Now I just need to go to Nick Yengitch and see how my fitness stacks up. The Nick Yengitch 5K is a great race. Run at 11 at Copperton Dec 1, not quite a full 5k but good coffee and hot chocolate and informal awards at the end. A local Presbyterian church has a bake sale and inexpensive chili and hot dog lunch afterwards. Last year the race started with everyone singing the Beatles song, "All you need is love," ready set go. | 