Paxton Fest 2 mile run

I must confess I have never heard of this event in the many years I have lived in the Harrisburg area. There will be a festive atmosphere for this event as there will be kids activities , live music, chicken being grilled over open pits, tractor rides and a large walking contingency.

If I had to map out my internal gearing power curve it would drop off considerable after two and a half miles. I am anxious to run this race because I believe I can turn in a decent time.

At my last 5K (3.1 mile) race in Myerstown, I ran the first mile in 7 minutes and 5 seconds followed by a second mile pace of 7 minutes and 57 seconds. At the two mile split I recorded a 15:02 time.

I would like to break 14 minutes and 30 seconds for this race. This means I need to average less than 7 minutes and 15 seconds for each of the two miles. Because I always come out of the gates too quickly, I feel confident I can run the first mile in under 7:15. The issue will be do I have enough in the tank left to complete the second mile in under 7:15.

I often refer to the http://www.mcmillanrunning.com website to get a gauge as to how fast I can run distances I have not run to date. You type in a time of a race length you have run and the website extrapolates times for a multitude of other distances. Based upon my last race, this website predicts a 14:35 time for a two mile race.

I have not seen this course and allegedly about 3/4's of a mile may be run on grass or a dirt trail. I am not sure how level the course will be although I have read the finish is a slight uphill run. There's a definite advantage to being familiar with a course because it helps you to meter you energy during the run.