I was concerned the race route may have been less than five kolimeters (=3.1 miles) but my Garmin GPS watch recorded the race at an exact 3.1 miles. (I have run 5K's where the actual distance ranged from 3.0 to 3.25 miles.)
This was one of the best races I have attended to date. The course was very fair. It was well organized. I believe there were dozens of door prizes handed out. Overall, a great community event.
For the umpteenth consecutive race, I came out of the blocks too fast. I ran the first quarter mile in 1 minute 28 seconds, a sub six minute per mile pace. Once I read my first split from my Garmin, I adjusted my pace accordingly.
My mile splits were 6:37, 7:11, and 7:13. I finished the last tenth of a mile at a 6:46 pace. I wouldn't say I had a strong finish at the end, but I did not crash and burn. This run has served to boost my confidence in my training and henceforth in my running capabilities.
I typically do not wait for the awards to be presented after a race because my times are not medalist material. However, this race awarded medals to the first eight finishers in my 40-49 age group. To my astonishment, my 54th place finish was not good enough to garnish a top eight medal in my age band.
I met a friend from high school at this race. He just began running this year to get back in shape. I was proud to see him out running and living life. I did empathize with him. He had just begun his trek on the comeback trail. In the beginning, your mind wants you to be further along than your body permits. It's easy to get disappointed with yourself. However with both patience and perseverance, he will get to where he wants to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment