I finally decided upon my next race and went with this repeat from 2014. The race is a simple out and back at Crestview High School, roughly a half hour from home. I'm understanding the appeal of nearby races more every year.
W came along for this one too. She had to listen to my usual "not sure how I'll do at this one" speech at the start. She countered by reminding me that I say that every time. Well then.
Over 200 runners (this is a very popular race) lined up at the start and were sent down the long straightaway. Like I said earlier, I ran this one in 2014. It was actually my first race when I moved here. I wasn't in the best shape then and knew I could do nbetter this time. I started off a bit too strong and found myself in a pack of high school runners. That's either really good or really bad. I knew I was in the top ten and just wanted to maintain. The few hills were minimal but I still felt iffy around the mile mark. Should I stop and walk for a bit? That actually crossed my mind as I hit one mile in 6:21. Way too fast considering the wind was right in my face.
I did pass one person during the second mile near the turnaround mark. I instantly felt better as the wind was now to my back. The hills didn't feel too bad either. I kept up a nice pace and hit the second mile in 7:08. Not too bad, but I really wanted to speed up some during that last mile. We kept heading south on the same country road. The only change came with a little less than a half mile as we turned into the school complex for the finish. I was very close to the next runner but couldn't quite pass them. I was able to kick it in during this last half mile and it felt great. I hit the third mile in 6:40, which is closer to where I should have been for all three. The finish came (complete with catching W at the finish) in 20:46, good enough for 6/218 overall and first in my age group.
I'm extremely happy with this time and really believe I can hit a sub-20:00 sometime this year. Next up is the same distance in a few weeks.
Next race: Bunny Buster 5k- Ashland, OH
