I typically don't run summer races, as the heat and I don't get along well, but a colleague from work talked me into running an 8K (4.97 mile) hilly road race yesterday. Although it started at 9 am, temperatures were in the upper 70s and high humidity (at least by northeastern standards). With an initial goal of 7 minutes per mile, I figured I would start conservatively, and see how I felt. The first mile included an uphill, but I clocked a 7:06 (not sure how accurate the measured mile marks were). Since I was already feeling a bit warm, I just ran within myself the remainder of the race, getting warmer and warmer, and claiming a revised goal of not getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke. I finished in 35:33, about 7:09 per mile average. Although slower than I hoped, with the heat and very substantial hills, I was pleased with a 20th place finish out of 108 runners, and 2nd in the 50 to 54 age group. My colleague beat me by 12 seconds, passing me in the final mile, and finishing 3rd in the 40 to 44 age group.
Anyway, I consider all this just preliminary training for the upcoming Gary Truce 5K Autumn Cross Country Classic, only about 3 months away!
Mark
1 comment:
Another impressive performance.
Good job!
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