Mohican 5k

W and I have had a very busy Fall and I've fallen behind on the blog again.  I found this smaller 5k down in nearby Loudonville and decided to try it instead of a half.  My training has been so-so, but it had been a while since I last ran a race.  I was surprised to see the course looked flat, which is not what you are expecting near Mohican State Park.

I did my usual "I don't feel like doing this today" thing that morning.  W is used to it and told me to have fun.  She really knows how to handle my quirks when it comes to running.  I headed to Loudonville and got there in plenty of time for a mile warm-up.  The weather has been surprisingly warm and it felt humid out, too.  We're not used to October humidity in Ohio!  It looked like around 100 runners at the start line and I head toward the front.

We took off on road from a small village park and headed southeast toward Route 3.  This portion was maybe 3/4 mile long and I felt good from the start.  I tucked in to fourth place for this first section and just tried to hold on for an age group win.  The three runners in front of me looked like they were in high school, so I just tried to keep up with them.  We turned onto a bike path running parallel to Route 3 and headed south to the turnaround.  My first mile came in at a solid 6:27, though I was aiming for just shy of 7:00.  I somehow passed two runners at about 1.5 miles in and found myself in second place.  The first runner had taken off strong and I just worked on maintaining a good pace.  We hit the turnaround I was just over a 20:00 pace.  The first runner was still ahead but I noticed I had gained some ground.

I knew I had the age group thing in the bag and decided to see what I had left in the tank.  I could also tell the leader was losing some steam and I still felt great.  My second mile clocked in at a good 6:45 pace so I hadn't slowed down too much.  The leader was really losing steam and I caught up to him just after the two mile mark.  We ran together for a short time and I made my move with 3/4 mile to go.  The bike path took a short downhill and I flew down that to create a bit of separation.  The last 1/4 mile was tough, but somehow, someway, I was able to cruise in for a surprising first place finish!  My final mile was a shocking 6:18 and my overall time was 20:25.  Not bad at all for a last minute 5k!

I might run another 5k in December but now it's time to refocus on my favorite distance.

Next race: Inland Trail Half Marathon- Elyria, OH