Run Like the Dickens 5k

I've only entered two 5ks all year, so I decided it would be nice to do two as my final races for 2013.  The Run Like the Dickens 5k was held in Tiffin last Saturday.  The course was the same as last year, with a loop around the Sandusky River.  We had some snow and ice the day before and temps were COLD!  I actually did not feel like running at all when I woke up that morning.  Thankfully, I did.

We headed out with a quick loop through town before making our way up Water St.  The leaders took off at a conservative pace due to some ice still on the road.  I headed out with the top five and planned to try to keep up throughout the race.  But something happened during this one and I wound up in the top four within the first mile, during which I clocked in a 6:57.  That's a very good time for me in such cold conditions.  We continued winding our way through town to the turnaround at a bridge heading back to River Rd. on the other side of the Sandusky.  I passed the female winner and tucked in behind the two top runners.  It finally hit me that I had a legitimate shot at winning this thing!  The second mile came in at 7:04 and I was still right behind the two top runners.  The road was in terrific condition here and I decided to make a move with a half mile left.  On the last hill, I managed to surge ahead and then flew down the opposite side, creating some distance.  The final quarter mile is a complete blur as I just kept going as fast as possible.  Finally, after twelve years of running road races, I was the first one to cross the finish line!  I can't even begin to describe the feeling.  I've been close on numerous occasions (2011 Run for the Rams 5k, 2010 and 2011 DeGraff 5k) and it felt great to finally do it.  My final time for the race was 21:49, which is a pretty solid time for me in the cold conditions.

My final 2013 race was actually last night.  I'll post my thoughts on it as well as my final thoughts on 2013 soon.