I'm actually keeping to my promise of racing less in 2016. I had completed two 5ks and two half marathons by this time last year and this is only my second race this year. Granted, I've had the itch to see how my training is going. This past weekend was also very warm for Ohio. We hit the low 60s on Sunday but with strong winds. It looked like a perfect weekend to race considering my next half marathon is in another three weeks.
FW and I arrived in nearby Lexington in plenty of time for me to warm up. I tried talking FW into doing this race but her training has been inconsistent this winter. So, unfortunately, I got all nervous as I always do in 5ks. The course was set up well. We started at Western Elementary and made a counter-clockwise loop around Bicentennial Park. This made tangents practically nonexistent and allowed me to simply run. My goal coming in was to stick around 7:00/mile and get in under 22 minutes. That was a guess more than anything.
We started out and I felt great for the first half. There's a quick turn toward the park and then one long straightaway that bends westward. The hills were minimal, but I did get some nice downhills that made the first mile way too fast. The wind wasn't bad here either, blowing at an angle. I tried sticking with the first group, but this is one of the few local races that attracts FAST runners. I tucked in to the second group with the hopes of taking first or second in my age group. I did pass a few people right before the second mile started. The first mile clocked in at 6:10. I knew this was way too fast and attempted to dial it back. But I had no choice but to dial it back because the wind was in my face halfway through the second mile. I'm talking full-force wind. It slowed me down to what seemed like a crawl, though I was still running a good time. We turned back toward town near Clearfork Reservoir. My fast first mile came back to bite me as I was feeling like crap. A few people passed me here as I slowed to a 6:50 mile. Still not bad but disappointing.
We finally turned back onto State Route 97 for the finish and, more importantly, no more wind in our faces. I passed a few of the people who had passed me and wound up right back where I was at the end of the first mile. I really tried to give it what I had for the finish but that's not saying much. The last mile was close to 7 minutes and I finished in 21:12. This was good enough for 11/226 overall and first in my age group. The awards were very cool and fit the Mardi Gras theme. The post-race spread was also very good for a local 5k.
I am disappointed that I didn't finish with a sub-21:00. This is still a very good first 5k for 2016. My next race is a half marathon as FW and I vacation in Texas.
Next race: Alamo 13.1- San Antonio, TX
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