This will be a shorter post today since this was only a 5k. I headed up to the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek for this 5k at 7:30 this morning. Got there a little before 8:00 for easy packet pick up and to loosen up some before the 9:00 start. The past week was beautiful for Ohio in March. We had some nice days in the 50's and 60's which is ideal for me. But, since it's Ohio, I knew it was too good to last. And it did not last. It was a brisk 26 degrees this morning with a decent wind added to the mix. I don't say this often, but I really didn't want to get out of bed for this one. Runners are a dedicated breed so I naturally ran anyway.
I went for a brief jog around the mall about a half hour before the start and could tell that this was going to be a rough one. Let's just get it over with. The start went better than I thought it would. I started at a nice pace (not sure of my splits as there were no mile markers/clocks) and quickly realized that everyone was starting at a conservative pace. I figured I was in about 20th place or so after the first mile. The second mile was through a little neighborhood behind the mall. This was where my lungs started to feel the cold air. Plus there wasn't much to block the wind. Not fun, but I think I kept a good time for the second mile. The third mile looped back around where we came from. I was little irritated by the huge mass of walkers who did cheer us on but also did not move out of the way. I had to steer wide to miss them. Oh well.
The finish was much stronger than I thought it would be and I passed three people before crossing the timing mat. My time was much, much better than I thought it would be considering the weather conditions. A solid 21:36 which is faster than my past four 5ks. To add to the surprises, I placed 3rd in my age group and received a nice plaque! Overall, I'm seeing that the recent speedwork has helped. I have four tough weeks ahead with the ORRRC Half Marathon, Glass City Half Marathon and another 5k on the horizon.
Next race: Ohio River Road Runners Half Marathon- Xenia, OH
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