W and I did our first race together last weekend. We have ran the Kingwood Center 5k together the past few years as this amazing place holds a lot of meaning for us. We had our first date there in 2014 and were married there this past September. It's certainly W's favorite place in Mansfield as the gardens there are spectacular!
W's training has been inconsistent at best this year. She was very nervous going into this one. She did have two things going for her: the heat wasn't nearly as bad as last year and there were no cicadas! If you look at last year's race, the cicadas were dive-bombing us during the whole thing. It was no fun at all.
This year's race was in much better temps, though still warm, and it was just an overall nice day. W had the goal of getting the race in under the one hour mark. I had a feeling she could beat her time from last year of 55:48. We started near the back of the pack, but W wanted to start off with some jogging. That surprised me and she did a good job of starting strong. We did the usual weird loop in the high school parking lot and made our way toward the B&O Bike Trail. W was keeping up a strong pace and finished the first mile in just over 17:00.
We continued walking at a brisk pace. I was walking at a pace just faster than what W was comfortable at, which I'm pretty sure she noticed. We continued on the bike path as the winners were circling back past us. North Lake Park offers a change of pace in this race as we head off the path for a quick lap around the lake. W was still going strong and was doing much better than last year. The geese weren't out like they usually are at the park. We finished our loop and hit the second mile marker soon after getting back on the bike path. W had a slightly slower second mile but was still on pace.
The third mile is primarily on the path. We were both feeling the heat as the sun had come out from behind the clouds. W was trying to slow down a bit but I kept her on pace. She let me know she wasn't pleased with that! We finally made our way off the path to the Kingwood Center for a loop around the east side of the grounds to the downhill finish. W finished hard and came in with a final time of 54:17. She took a minute and a half off her time from last year! With no training!
Needless to say, I am very proud of W for gutting it out. She has earned a break and will walk at the upcoming Liberty 5k in Ontario. I have one 5k between now and then.
Next race: Moving Hearts and Soles 5k- Galion, OH
Monday, June 19, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
1LT Michael L Runyan 5k
Shocker of shockers, I am behind on the blog again. W and I just did a 5k this weekend, but I still have to get to my report of the Michael L Runyan 5k in nearby Ashland.
This race was very well done in memoriam of Michael Runyan, who died serving the country in Afghanistan. His family has organized this race at Ashland University for the past seven years. The words before the race were moving and served well to remind everyone of what Memorial Day means. I can't think of a better tribute.
The race itself was challenging and surprising. The temperature was higher than the recent Heartland 5k. I felt great going in and knew I could run a decent time.
We started out with a half lap at the Ashland U track prior to hitting a long straightaway through a residential area. I started with the lead pack of five or so runners. This quickly spread out as the top two runners took off and the third place runner kept a good pace in front of me. There was one small hill near the beginning but not many the rest of the way. That's surprising in Ashland. We headed north at the one mile mark for the lollipop portion of the course. My first mile came in at about 6:15 (I don't have the exact splits). Very fast and I was feeling more beat than the Heartland 5k. We continued around another residential area and headed back toward the start. I kept gaining on the third place runner only for him to speed up any time I got next to him. He eventually sped up leaving me in fourth place. The fifth place runner was still far behind me. The second mile clocked in at 6:40. I was thinking that I *might* be able to come in under 20:00.
The final mile was rough as the sun came out from behind some clouds. This warmed things up quite a bit. I just tried to hang on and hit the last hill prior to turning off toward the university. A quick lap around the track and I had somehow managed another sub-20:00 5k. My final time was 19:42, good enough for 4/119 overall and 1/5 in my age group.
I only had two sub-20:00 5ks EVER prior to this year. Now I have them in back-to-back races. More importantly, I've been enjoying running some 5ks this year. Next up is a race with W.
Next race: Kingwood Center 5k- Mansfield, OH
This race was very well done in memoriam of Michael Runyan, who died serving the country in Afghanistan. His family has organized this race at Ashland University for the past seven years. The words before the race were moving and served well to remind everyone of what Memorial Day means. I can't think of a better tribute.
The race itself was challenging and surprising. The temperature was higher than the recent Heartland 5k. I felt great going in and knew I could run a decent time.
We started out with a half lap at the Ashland U track prior to hitting a long straightaway through a residential area. I started with the lead pack of five or so runners. This quickly spread out as the top two runners took off and the third place runner kept a good pace in front of me. There was one small hill near the beginning but not many the rest of the way. That's surprising in Ashland. We headed north at the one mile mark for the lollipop portion of the course. My first mile came in at about 6:15 (I don't have the exact splits). Very fast and I was feeling more beat than the Heartland 5k. We continued around another residential area and headed back toward the start. I kept gaining on the third place runner only for him to speed up any time I got next to him. He eventually sped up leaving me in fourth place. The fifth place runner was still far behind me. The second mile clocked in at 6:40. I was thinking that I *might* be able to come in under 20:00.
The final mile was rough as the sun came out from behind some clouds. This warmed things up quite a bit. I just tried to hang on and hit the last hill prior to turning off toward the university. A quick lap around the track and I had somehow managed another sub-20:00 5k. My final time was 19:42, good enough for 4/119 overall and 1/5 in my age group.
I only had two sub-20:00 5ks EVER prior to this year. Now I have them in back-to-back races. More importantly, I've been enjoying running some 5ks this year. Next up is a race with W.
Next race: Kingwood Center 5k- Mansfield, OH
Friday, May 26, 2017
Heartland 5k
I'm a bit behind (I know, shocker) and need to catch up prior to this week's 5k. The Heartland 5k took place in nearby Lexington and utilized the bike path and some village streets. I felt really good going into this one and was looking for around 20:00 or the usually elusive sub-20:00.
The temperature was very good at race time at about 50 degrees. It got much warmer as the day went on, but it stayed very nice during the race. I took a pre-race jog around Heartland Church, the race venue, which is something I normally don't do prior to a 5k. The thought process is that I normally don't do an actual warm-up and then wind up going out too fast. This strategy worked as you'll soon see.
I lined up near the front of the meager start line. Two high school age runners were up there, so I lined up with them and hoped for the best. The gun went off and we headed around the church on a grassy path and then to the bike path soon after. I felt very good and kept up with the other two runners, settling into third place. We headed out on a long straightaway on the bike path and I just put it on auto-pilot. There was plenty of shade and I was able to keep nice and cool during the early part of the race. We turned off the path and headed toward a residential area at the one mile mark. The first mile clocked in at a fast 6:08.
This was an extremely fast mile. I let off the gas a bit as we made our way through the town on several small village streets. The only hill of any significance was roughly at the halfway mark but it wasn't very steep. The other two runners were ahead of me a bit and the next one behind me was maybe 50 meters or so behind. We made a loop around and headed back toward the path. The second mile clocked in at another fast 6:32. I usually crap out on the second mile but a 12:40 after two miles is very fast for me. We made our way back to the bike path for the final mile. I knew I didn't have much left, but I wanted to give it a go for a sub-20:00 race. I focused on maintaining rather than changing my speed at all. The second place runner was barely ahead of me. I didn't think I had a chance to catch him and kept working at maintaining pace. The third mile came in at 6:27. We finally wound up back at the church and headed back to the grassy path for the finish. I crossed in third place with a surprising PR of 19:39!
How this happened is beyond me. I am focusing on shorter races more this year, however, I haven't really been doing speedwork. The mileage is still there but the speed is not. I'm obviously thrilled with the result as I had not PR'd in the 5k since 2013.
I'm hoping to keep up this nice streak of solid 5k races. I have finished the last three 5k races in fourth, second, and third places. The next one is coming up in just a few days, though the course looks more challenging.
Next race: 1LT Michael L Runyan 5k- Ashland, OH
The temperature was very good at race time at about 50 degrees. It got much warmer as the day went on, but it stayed very nice during the race. I took a pre-race jog around Heartland Church, the race venue, which is something I normally don't do prior to a 5k. The thought process is that I normally don't do an actual warm-up and then wind up going out too fast. This strategy worked as you'll soon see.
I lined up near the front of the meager start line. Two high school age runners were up there, so I lined up with them and hoped for the best. The gun went off and we headed around the church on a grassy path and then to the bike path soon after. I felt very good and kept up with the other two runners, settling into third place. We headed out on a long straightaway on the bike path and I just put it on auto-pilot. There was plenty of shade and I was able to keep nice and cool during the early part of the race. We turned off the path and headed toward a residential area at the one mile mark. The first mile clocked in at a fast 6:08.
This was an extremely fast mile. I let off the gas a bit as we made our way through the town on several small village streets. The only hill of any significance was roughly at the halfway mark but it wasn't very steep. The other two runners were ahead of me a bit and the next one behind me was maybe 50 meters or so behind. We made a loop around and headed back toward the path. The second mile clocked in at another fast 6:32. I usually crap out on the second mile but a 12:40 after two miles is very fast for me. We made our way back to the bike path for the final mile. I knew I didn't have much left, but I wanted to give it a go for a sub-20:00 race. I focused on maintaining rather than changing my speed at all. The second place runner was barely ahead of me. I didn't think I had a chance to catch him and kept working at maintaining pace. The third mile came in at 6:27. We finally wound up back at the church and headed back to the grassy path for the finish. I crossed in third place with a surprising PR of 19:39!
How this happened is beyond me. I am focusing on shorter races more this year, however, I haven't really been doing speedwork. The mileage is still there but the speed is not. I'm obviously thrilled with the result as I had not PR'd in the 5k since 2013.
I'm hoping to keep up this nice streak of solid 5k races. I have finished the last three 5k races in fourth, second, and third places. The next one is coming up in just a few days, though the course looks more challenging.
Next race: 1LT Michael L Runyan 5k- Ashland, OH
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Capital City Half Marathon
W and I made our way to Columbus for one of my favorite races. We have gone to the Flying Pig in Cincinnati the past few years, but my work schedule didn't fit it this year. I know the Cap City course as well as I know the ORRRC Half Marathon as I ran it in 2012, 13, and 14. I was looking forward to a solid race and a nice time in Columbus.
The weather did not cooperate from the get-go. We first had to make our way to the "expotique" in the Brewery District. This was my first clue that something was "off" for this year's race. It was cool, rainy and miserable for the drive down. Add to the fact that the upscale "expotique" was in a difficult place to get to didn't help at all. Then it rained while we were walking from our hotel to dinner. Not a great start.
Race morning was overcast with temps in the high 50s. That's not too bad. But radar showed severe storms in Indiana that looked to be heading straight toward Columbus. We would just have to wait and see. W and I made our way to the race start on Front Street and I climbed (almost literally) into Corral A for the start.
We started by going north on Front Street, crossing the river, and then heading north on Olentangy River Road. I felt great right out of the gate and quickly settled into a good pace. The sky was still overcast and I was hoping we could get the race in. This part of the race isn't the most scenic until you get to about mile 4. We then cross over the Lane Avenue Bridge and hit a bit of OSU campus. Here are the splits for the first five: 7:07, 7:03, 7:10, 7:05, and 7:22.
This is a quicker part of the course as it's a net downhill down High Street. There weren't nearly as many spectators as in previous years, as the clouds were beginning to roll in. I kept a solid pace but didn't overdue it. I flew down this section in 2014 and paid for it during the last few miles. One complaint I do have is that the quarter marathon participants merge with the half right before we turn to head east. This becomes a cluster and it's difficult to hit the tangents. I did the best I could and was still happy with my pace. We then turn south and head into German Village. The splits for the second five: 7:15, 7:18, 7:10, 7:20, and 7:41.
I love the section in German Village as we go right through the middle of town and then around Schiller Park. If you're not familiar with the part, it's gorgeous. It was around this point, however, when I heard some rumbling just south of town. At that point I was concerned that the storm was coming in. I kicked it in a bit as we headed back north on High Street, then west toward COSI. The clouds were starting to darken. We went around COSI and then back to High Street for the finish. Here are the splits for the last few: 6:56, 7:15, and 7:10. I finished at 1:36:25, good enough for my second fastest half marathon! It's bittersweet, though, as I had the course measured at 13.3. That might have been enough for a PR but it would have been close. Still, this was my second straight solid half marathon.
The real story of the race began right after I finished. The runners have to walk around several buildings prior to heading into the post-race area in Columbus Commons. During my walk the sky opened up and it started raining hard. Worse still, there was lightning. Pandemonium. I ran to the reunion area and W (nor anyone else) was not there. I ran around as the race organizers first announced they were cutting the course short. They then called the race about ten minutes later. I looked for W at our hotel (right next to the Commons) and then came back to the post-race area. There were still some people trying to finish and others looking to get post-race pizza and beer, but the organizers were telling people to leave. W and I finally found each other and she told me what happened.
An officer told everyone in the reunion area to seek cover in a parking garage across the street. W told him that I just finished and would be there in less than a minute. He still made her go across the street even though there were people milling about everywhere. You can read more of the stories of people getting caught out on the course, or their gear check bags being sent ACROSS town at the Cap City Facebook page. I think they took a huge PR hit with how they handled the situation. I love the course but I'm now not sure I'm coming back. Regardless, I'm happy getting my second fastest half marathon!
I'm extremely late in posting this and have already ran my next one. It's a good one.
Next race: Heartland 5k- Lexington, OH
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon
My favorite race of the year. W and I weren't sure we would make it to Xenia this year, but we were able to move some things around and come for the race and our annual trip to nearby Yellow Springs. I'll keep it short since you've seen five other reviews for this race. As I always say, it's well organized, inexpensive ($35), and just a lot of fun. The weather cooperated this year, as we had temps in the mid to high 40s and sunny skies. Perfect running weather.
Let's get to my report:
Miles 1-5: I started out slower than the '15 and '16 races. We headed out from the YMCA through some nearby neighborhoods for a quick mile and a half loop. I felt good and was simply thrilled to be running this one again. I sped up as we got a half mile in or so as I wanted to see what I could do. As I usually say, I had no designs of running a PR. This time I stuck with that strategy and just enjoyed the race. We headed back past the Y for our first look at the bike path. After maybe a half mile on there, we turn back south to run a semi-circle on some country roads. I felt great on the few hills and was knocking out sub-8:00 miles easily. We hit the final downhill as we finished with roads and then headed northeast on the bike path. Here are the splits: 7:29, 7:15, 7:23, 7:15, 7:22. You'll see throughout my review that I ran very consistent times.
Miles 6-10: Not everyone will enjoy this section of the race as it's just bike path, trees, and not much crowd support. I actually enjoy it as it's a great place to just zone out and run. I also feel like the cap size (1,500, I believe) is perfect for this race. I was still feeling good and knocking out consistent splits here. I wasn't passing as many people as last year but I was still passing a lot. We made our way to the turnaround portion near Central State University for about .75 mile before turning around and heading back. This is a great point in the race to see where you are in relation to other runners. I knew I was in a good position as I didn't see many people heading back as I was still heading out. We finally turned back to the original portion of the path for our trip back to Xenia. Here are the splits: 7:33, 7:12, 7:15, 7:17, 7:25.
I actually remember more from this portion than the past two years. I was really straining to get a PR in both '15 and '16 and was half dead when I hit the finish. This year I was running hard but not overexerting myself. The crowd had thinned out and I just enjoyed the run. I might have passed four or five runners during the final 5k. We hit the end of the path and ran back up a city street to the Y for the finish. This last portion is difficult for several reasons. The first is that this street has quite a few potholes. The second is that it's all uphill. It's a difficult stretch. I saw W near the finish and gave her a high five! Then I hit the finish line for a very solid 1:36:57. This was good enough for 60/732 overall. Here are the final splits: 7:25, 7:25, 7:20.
This race never disappoints. W and I had a great time and I hope we can go again next year. I haven't decided on my next race. I'm signed up for the Capital City Half Marathon on the 29th, but I might run a local 5k a week before. My training has been very solid the last few weeks, as Spring is in full bloom.
Let's get to my report:
Miles 1-5: I started out slower than the '15 and '16 races. We headed out from the YMCA through some nearby neighborhoods for a quick mile and a half loop. I felt good and was simply thrilled to be running this one again. I sped up as we got a half mile in or so as I wanted to see what I could do. As I usually say, I had no designs of running a PR. This time I stuck with that strategy and just enjoyed the race. We headed back past the Y for our first look at the bike path. After maybe a half mile on there, we turn back south to run a semi-circle on some country roads. I felt great on the few hills and was knocking out sub-8:00 miles easily. We hit the final downhill as we finished with roads and then headed northeast on the bike path. Here are the splits: 7:29, 7:15, 7:23, 7:15, 7:22. You'll see throughout my review that I ran very consistent times.
Miles 6-10: Not everyone will enjoy this section of the race as it's just bike path, trees, and not much crowd support. I actually enjoy it as it's a great place to just zone out and run. I also feel like the cap size (1,500, I believe) is perfect for this race. I was still feeling good and knocking out consistent splits here. I wasn't passing as many people as last year but I was still passing a lot. We made our way to the turnaround portion near Central State University for about .75 mile before turning around and heading back. This is a great point in the race to see where you are in relation to other runners. I knew I was in a good position as I didn't see many people heading back as I was still heading out. We finally turned back to the original portion of the path for our trip back to Xenia. Here are the splits: 7:33, 7:12, 7:15, 7:17, 7:25.
I actually remember more from this portion than the past two years. I was really straining to get a PR in both '15 and '16 and was half dead when I hit the finish. This year I was running hard but not overexerting myself. The crowd had thinned out and I just enjoyed the run. I might have passed four or five runners during the final 5k. We hit the end of the path and ran back up a city street to the Y for the finish. This last portion is difficult for several reasons. The first is that this street has quite a few potholes. The second is that it's all uphill. It's a difficult stretch. I saw W near the finish and gave her a high five! Then I hit the finish line for a very solid 1:36:57. This was good enough for 60/732 overall. Here are the final splits: 7:25, 7:25, 7:20.
This race never disappoints. W and I had a great time and I hope we can go again next year. I haven't decided on my next race. I'm signed up for the Capital City Half Marathon on the 29th, but I might run a local 5k a week before. My training has been very solid the last few weeks, as Spring is in full bloom.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Liwiro la Malawi 5k
I won this local 5k two years ago and decided to give it another go. W had a previous engagement, so what else would I do with a free Saturday morning? The field looked tougher as it was up from 58 in 2015 to 95 in 2017.
The race starts at the square in downtown Mansfield, runs up (I do mean up) Park Avenue, before circling back on a lollipop out and back. The first part of the race is killer but the second part has a nice long downhill. My previous 5k in Savannah went very well and I was looking for a sub-21:00 effort here. On to my brief report:
We started from the square and I felt loose right away. I was with a group of four runners as we made our way up the hill on Park Avenue. This is the toughest section and I took it very easy. At least it felt easy as my first mile clocked in at a surprising 6:47. A younger runner passed me and took the lead. I tried my usual thing where I close in and stay with someone and watch them panic and take over the lead. This happened a few times but I couldn't shake him. We turned off of Park Avenue for another slight uphill before turning back again for the downhill section. I passed him at around the two mile mark, but only held the lead for a quarter mile or so. The second mile clocked in at a surprising 6:57. That's much faster than my normal time in the middle of any 5k.
We continued downhill back to Park Avenue for the finish. I had to kick it in some as the third runner was not far away. The eventual winner was just slightly ahead of me, but it was enough for me to settle for second place. I kicked it in for an amazing 6:13 final mile and finished in 20:48, good enough for second place and another solid 5k time! I missed winning this one by only six seconds but I'm happy with this time. I had a good time at Savanah, but that was on a slightly short and very flat course. This one was much tougher. I also received a great looking trophy for my efforts.
The next race is my favorite one of the year. It will be my sixth time running it and W and I plan on spending a day in Yellow Springs after it's over. The weather looks to be gorgeous with temps in the low-mid 50s.
Next race: Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon- Xenia, OH
The race starts at the square in downtown Mansfield, runs up (I do mean up) Park Avenue, before circling back on a lollipop out and back. The first part of the race is killer but the second part has a nice long downhill. My previous 5k in Savannah went very well and I was looking for a sub-21:00 effort here. On to my brief report:
We started from the square and I felt loose right away. I was with a group of four runners as we made our way up the hill on Park Avenue. This is the toughest section and I took it very easy. At least it felt easy as my first mile clocked in at a surprising 6:47. A younger runner passed me and took the lead. I tried my usual thing where I close in and stay with someone and watch them panic and take over the lead. This happened a few times but I couldn't shake him. We turned off of Park Avenue for another slight uphill before turning back again for the downhill section. I passed him at around the two mile mark, but only held the lead for a quarter mile or so. The second mile clocked in at a surprising 6:57. That's much faster than my normal time in the middle of any 5k.
We continued downhill back to Park Avenue for the finish. I had to kick it in some as the third runner was not far away. The eventual winner was just slightly ahead of me, but it was enough for me to settle for second place. I kicked it in for an amazing 6:13 final mile and finished in 20:48, good enough for second place and another solid 5k time! I missed winning this one by only six seconds but I'm happy with this time. I had a good time at Savanah, but that was on a slightly short and very flat course. This one was much tougher. I also received a great looking trophy for my efforts.
The next race is my favorite one of the year. It will be my sixth time running it and W and I plan on spending a day in Yellow Springs after it's over. The weather looks to be gorgeous with temps in the low-mid 50s.
Next race: Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon- Xenia, OH
Monday, March 27, 2017
Kilt & Kolor Run 5k
W and I made a long weekend trip to Savannah last week. It was a beautiful time and I got some great running in at Forsyth Park. The weather was also perfect with temperatures in the mid-60s to low-70s. I looked for a half marathon and didn't see anything I wanted to drive to. This little 5k on nearby Hutchinson Island fit the bill just fine. It is nice to do something low-key in an unfamiliar city.
I know, I don't do color runs (or similarly gimmicky races). Thankfully this one offered a clean, timed 5k at 8:00am prior to the color (or kolor) run at 9:00am. This worked out well as I was able to just run the race and head back well before the main event started.
W and I were both a bit under the weather prior to this trip. I told her to sit this one out so we could enjoy the rest of the day. I got up on race morning and laid back down, debating whether to run or not. In the end, to no one's surprise, I decided to give it a shot. The venue was only about 15 minutes away from where we were staying and I figured I could gut out a 5k. My expectations were low and I was really just looking for a decent run.
The course was nothing to write home about. I was expecting that going in, but it could have been any 5k back home. We started out with an odd portion on grass for about two hundred yards or so. Then we made our way around the parking area and out to the main road. I started out in the top ten and focused on picking off one runner at a time. The course had a few minor hills and weaved in and out some. My first mile clocked in at 6:57 which was much faster than expected. I picked off several runners and found myself in fourth place where I would stay for the remainder.
Overall, I felt really good up to the turnaround. This was an out and back course so we knew what to expect in the second half. I slowed down some to 7:07 for the second mile, but I was still firmly entrenched into the fourth spot. The runner in front was ahead by 100 meters and the one behind me was about the same. This wasn't the most competitive race as more people were here for the color run. I slowed down briefly during mile three and then sped back up for the final run through the parking lot and the grassy area. I was pretty shocked to find I had run a 20:59 which was good enough for 4/72 overall and 1/3 in my age group. Not a bad effort, though I had the course measuring at 3.04 miles. Still, I'm pretty happy with this time.
My next effort will be back in Mansfield at a race I won two years ago. I'm expecting it to be tougher this time around as my training has been inconsistent over the past few weeks.
Next race: Liwiro la Malawi 5k- Mansfield, OH
I know, I don't do color runs (or similarly gimmicky races). Thankfully this one offered a clean, timed 5k at 8:00am prior to the color (or kolor) run at 9:00am. This worked out well as I was able to just run the race and head back well before the main event started.
W and I were both a bit under the weather prior to this trip. I told her to sit this one out so we could enjoy the rest of the day. I got up on race morning and laid back down, debating whether to run or not. In the end, to no one's surprise, I decided to give it a shot. The venue was only about 15 minutes away from where we were staying and I figured I could gut out a 5k. My expectations were low and I was really just looking for a decent run.
The course was nothing to write home about. I was expecting that going in, but it could have been any 5k back home. We started out with an odd portion on grass for about two hundred yards or so. Then we made our way around the parking area and out to the main road. I started out in the top ten and focused on picking off one runner at a time. The course had a few minor hills and weaved in and out some. My first mile clocked in at 6:57 which was much faster than expected. I picked off several runners and found myself in fourth place where I would stay for the remainder.
Overall, I felt really good up to the turnaround. This was an out and back course so we knew what to expect in the second half. I slowed down some to 7:07 for the second mile, but I was still firmly entrenched into the fourth spot. The runner in front was ahead by 100 meters and the one behind me was about the same. This wasn't the most competitive race as more people were here for the color run. I slowed down briefly during mile three and then sped back up for the final run through the parking lot and the grassy area. I was pretty shocked to find I had run a 20:59 which was good enough for 4/72 overall and 1/3 in my age group. Not a bad effort, though I had the course measuring at 3.04 miles. Still, I'm pretty happy with this time.
My next effort will be back in Mansfield at a race I won two years ago. I'm expecting it to be tougher this time around as my training has been inconsistent over the past few weeks.
Next race: Liwiro la Malawi 5k- Mansfield, OH
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