MLK 5k

I had started to post about this race this weekend but I got distracted and lost it. This was a fairly small race (122 entries), which was rescheduled from March when it conflicted with the Cooper River Bridge Run. However, it is on both the Tour de Columbia race series as well as the larger, South Carolina wide Palmetto Grand Prix. Thus, there was some serious competition showing out for race points. Race temps were hovering around 80, pretty humid but there was a bit of a breeze. This course starts off with a brutal hill about a quarter mile long, does a relatively flat loop and then plunges back down the same hill. I did a 2 mile warm up, which left me drenched in sweat even at 9:30 pace. This was my first race in 3 weeks, which is a rare dry stretch for me. The races get more spaced out here in the summer given the oven like heat of the Columbia summer. Our tourism slogan: “Famously Hot”  – I’m not kidding!

I started out at what I thought was a strong pace, probably low 6’s, but the hill just sapped my strength immediately. I’ve been doing mostly treadmill training, and I’ve been slack about using the incline, so this was a rude awakening. My garmin showed me slowing to around 7 min pace near the top and just after. I was able to pick it up a little as the course flattened a little, though there were some definite inclines before hitting the true flat section. Right away a huge gap developed between the top 9 runners and the rest of the field. Behind the “elites” was me and one other guy, a good ways back. We exchanged positions several times in the first mile, which I beleive was 6:36. I was pretty dissapointed in this, as I thought I was going faster. Unfortunately, I didnt think I could push the pace much, as I was already wilting in the heat and breathing hard. The second mile was pretty even for me, just kept at the same pace, definitely starting to hurt. The lack of big hills certainly helped. I was bummed again at my 2nd split of 6:34. At this point I knew I was going to have to really push it to have any hope of keeping my sub 20 streak alive. I picked up the pace a little, and was able to drop the other guy. It became really hard to gauge pace at this point as I was completely alone. I could see the elite pack way ahead, and I couldnt hear anyone else behind me as I approached the last half mile. I was really dying there towards the end, just sucking wind like it was going out of style. There was an incline right before the big downhill, whcih unfortunately neutralized my plan to really burn it on the decline. I just couldnt catch my breath adequately to push it. I saw the clock in the final tenth, painfully watching 19:40’s give way to 20 minutes, just no way I could get there in time. Actually took a look back to make sure other guy wasnt sneaking up on me but there was no one. Kicked what I could and finished in 20:09.  I was very happy to take first in age group and 10th overall (8th male), but couldnt help being a little dissapointed. I shouldnt expect great times in the heat and hills, but I had hoped to continue the sub 20 streak.

Good to see Mr and Mrs Sig out there!

http://www.strictlyrunning.com/results/10mlk.txt

See Spot Run 5k

This is a first year event with a good turnout, about 250 runners, though it was sponsored by the humane society and running with your dog was encouraged. About 80 degrees and humid at race time, just unpleasant even to walk around. Did 2 miles of warmup at 10 minute pace and was already drenched in sweat. Course is a nice one, with 2 bridge crossings. There were definitely some rough inclines, particularly one right around the 2 mile mark, where you run to the top of a nasty hill, turnaround and come back down. I knew the course from a different race last year, which was helpful. I did that race when I was still trying to break 22 minutes and in a much cooler time of year (April). I felt really fresh for this race, because I took 2 days off to try to give it my best effort. Were about to hit the legendary Columbia SC summer, and the races are few and far between for the next 2-3 months.

My plan was to go out in 6:15 and see how I felt. The first mile felt pretty good – there was actually a slight breeze and some shade. I had an age grouper (Eric) breathing down my neck the first mile – I think he was drafting and I could hear every breath. We crossed the 1st bridge right before the frist mile mark, and out into the brutal sun. The heat got rough pretty quick and the breeze seemed to die off. It was nice and flat on the bridge though, so that helped me stay on pace. Hit the first mile right on schedule, 6:13. I was able to lose Eric on the bridge, or at least I didnt feel like he was over my shoulder. The heat and no shade continued throughout the 2nd mile, and I was fighting the urge to slow down, especially with the hill-turnaround ahead. When I hit the hill I was in real fear of completely bonking. Going up a steep incline 2 miles into a 5k with full sun and 80+ temps is pretty much torture. The plus side was that I could see exactly my place in the field with the short out and back section. The first group was way ahead so I didnt pay attention to them, but it was nice to see a fairly big gap on the rest of the pack coming down the hill. I didnt look at my Garmin purposely at this point, but my split was 6:36. As I started the 2nd bridge crossing at 2.15 miles, I saw 2 people, the lead woman and a guy about 50 meters ahead. I could tell the guy was really laboring, and I was gaining on him, so I decided to put the hammer down on the flat bridge. He surged as I passed him, but he couldnt keep up the pace and dropped back. I was also gaining on the top female, but between her early kick and my bursting lungs, I just couldnt close the gap. Hit one last incline before the 3rd mile mark, which absolutely killed me. Rounded the last turn and saw 19:30, which was enough for me to give one last adrenaline push and crossed in 19:48.  I was the most winded I’ve been in a while at the finish, just pukish and sucking air so fast my lungs could hardly keep up. After about 5 minutes I joined some friends for an exceptionally slow “cooldown” by doing the course again, probably 10 minute pace. Got back just in time for awards and was totally surprised I finished 3rd overall male. I had lost track of the first “pack” which ended up being only 2 people. Very happy with the time and finish, especially considering the conditions. Won a 10 dollar gift certificate to fleet feet running store and free registration for next years race. Pretty cool!

http://www.strictlyrunning.com/RESULTS/10SPOT.TXT

Jailbreak 5k

This race has gotten pretty big, and usually attracts some of the top runners because of the prize money. About 350 runners. Race time was 8:30 and it was already getting hot, only mid 70’s temp wise but pretty humid. I wasnt feeling great this am – we had a party at my house which resulted in me getting to bed late and eating too much, and somehow 3 beers was enough to leave me a little dehydrated. I only ran a mile for warmup and was fearful of a total disaster of a race. I decided to lay off the first mile a little because I was hurting big time last 5k when I went out in 6:06. Lined up a couple of rows back to try to make me stick to this plan. I left my Garmin at home unintentionally, so I would be flying blind in this one.

I was not feeling it in the first mile – my usual urge to want to just stop was stronger and my legs felt pretty heavy. Luckily the first mile was almost completely flat, and it was nice there was a clock – crossed right at 6:15. A group of 3 friends that I usually beat by about 15-30 seconds seemed pretty strong at this point, and they actually all passed me in the first part of mile 2. I guess I was slowing down – the heat was getting to me and my breathing was harder than I like at this point. Csab also passed me at this point, and I could see a whole group of 20:xx runners ahead of me that were starting to build a gap. I tried not to panic, but I was fighting some pretty negative self talk at this point, and wondered if I should just pack it in. The second mile clock was around 12:50, so I definitely hemorraged some time there. On the upside my breathing had calmed down some and my legs hurt less. The rolling hills that started in the second mile continued on to the 3rd. There was a particularly nasty incline right around the 2 mile mark which actually gave me some hope, because I felt myself nearing the pack in front of me. Because I ran the race last year, I knew when the last of the major hills were done after this. As we turned on to the straightaway I decided to just redline it the rest of the way. The pack was definitely starting to fall away at this point too. Passed Csab and my 3 other friends with about a half mile to go. I saw a known 35-39er about 50 meters ahead and figured I had to get to himto have any chance of getting some hardware. He must of been hurting bad, because I gained on him quickly and passed him with less than a quarter mile to go and the finish line in clear view. Saw the clock roll over to 19:30 and was able to bust it to the finish at 19:52. I was really spent with the finishing kick but it felt great to come from behind like that. Finished in 16th place, and got 3rd in AG, so it was really fortunate I was able to catch the age grouper (Eric).  Awesome hardware – large, heavy medal. Finally some cold water at the finish and a nice spread of fruit, bagels and cookies.  Did 2 cooldown loops of the course with some friends to finish with 10 miles for the day.

http://www.strictlyrunning.com/results/10Jail.txt

Get in the Pink 5k

This is the 2nd year of an event that’s a fund raiser for breast cancer, with the 10k being the “marquee” event. I’m coming off the 23 miles of relay last weekend so I decided to go for the shorter race. A surprising amount of people for this race, though I think most were not in it for the competition (definitely true by the finish times). Gun time was 8:15, 15 min after the 10k start. Heat was rough already, probably close to 80 degrees (high of 90 I think today). I warmed up about 2 miles, and was sweating already. I needed some water at the start but none to be found (car was too far away). Lined up first row – there were a few people in singlets that I know (including the dude that beat me to win the Healthy Capital 5k last month). These guys were 18:xx, but in their early 40’s,  so my goals were to sub 20 it and win my age group. A 49 yo woman (Sarah)  that I know and  used to be a top national masters runner was also there, trying to come back from injury.

The start was good and I ran in the first group for the first half mile, then tried to focus on hitting low 6 splits. The heat was already getting to me inthe first mile, so this did not bode well. Sarah was with me stride for stride, though I could tell she was laboring too. The 1 mile marker was way off – at about 0.8 miles – so that was disheartening. Hit the real first mile in 6:06, so pretty good pace. Crowd started to thin at this point. A group of 3 were about 50 meters ahead, and then me and another guy I wasnt familiar with. Sarah dropped back at this point and it was just me and the other guy the whole 2nd mile. At the end of the mile I started to pull ahead of him, – he told me “its going to be hard to break 19 today” . I’m not sure if this was to get in my head, but we were close to this pace at the time. Hit mile 2 at 6:16 pace. Around this time the lead runner from the 10k (begun 15 minutes earlier) caught up (he’s a running legend in SC and does about 32 minutes, so I knew thi swould happen ahead of time). Still, I was afraid it was someone in my race when I heard him. I was really, really hurting at this point. The course turned and made a slight incline into a very long straightaway, where I could see the finish way off in the distance. My breathing was getting so fast that I had to slow down slightly to make sure I didnt have to stop. Luckily the dude behind me was feeling it too, because I couldnt hear him behind me. I knew he was close though with the cheering from the few spectators. The last half mile or so was pure torture, and it was a supreme mental effort to keep going. Finished mile 3 in 6:36 and was able to muster a feeble kick to the line. Crossed in 19:44, 4th place overall and 1st in AG. The guy behind me finished 6 seconds later and is 39, so I was very glad I was able to fend him off, especially because this race had hardware only for 1st. Happy with the time, especially considering the heat. A little disappointed though because my pace was for a PR until that last mile, which is usually my strength. I may need to adjust my pacing with this heat becoming such a factor.

http://www.strictlyrunning.com/RESULTS/10PINK.TXT

Thanks to Mr Sig for the support and organizing a cool relay event. I know we were a team that was kind of random and most of us met just before the race – I had no expectations of being competitive but it was thrilling how the team really came together and almost placed overall.

I had three legs to the relay: 8.8 miles, 6.6 miles and 7.5 miles each about 8 hours apart. I was runner #3 on the team and you can see the legs on the website. My goal was to try and maintain close to the calculated relay pace, which was 7:27 for me. This is also almost right at the pace I would need to qualify for Boston, so it would be interesting to see how I responded.

Right off the bat, though, I knew this was going to be tough. The high on both days was scheduled for high 80’s. I had my first leg at around noon, and it was already broiling. I was roaring to go on the first leg (8.8 mi) and did a ridiculous 1st mile for the conditions, around 6:45. Not a good idea. Not only was my leg full of hills but completely exposed with little or no shade. I basically hemmorhaged seconds each split as the heat really took its toll. Fell all the way to about 8 minutes/mile by mile 8, but was able to go sub 8 pace again in the last 0.8 with the van and exchange zone in sight. Just brutal conditions. To make matters worse, the runner on the team we were closest to blew by me halfway into the leg, pulling about 5ish pace (later found out he was a 2:30 marathoner). I was really spent after that leg and started to worry about how it would effect the other legs.

2nd leg (6.6 miles)was thankfully at night, just after 8:30 or so. I knew our team was doing well, just a few minutes behind our projected pace despite the terrible heat. Temps had cooled to the 60’s and I was feeling better, though still not 100 percent. Had to run in a crazy get up – reflective vest, headlamp and 2 blinking red lights, in a completely dark rural area with little but a straight road, which thankfully was nearly flat. I decided to go all out and reclaim some of that lost time from my first leg. Felt really good after I got going – just started knocking off 6:50ish and 7:0X splits. Passed a few people, but 2:30 marathon guy caught me again in the 3rd mile. At 6.6 miles by Garmin I still couldnt see a finish and I was close to panicking that I had missed a turn. Finally saw the exchange zone and Garmin read 6.96 miles at 7:08 pace. I was happy with that, but started worrying immediately about that last leg. I was pretty cashed at that point, having done almost 16 miles of hard race effort.

We had a hotel room to crash for a little bit after the last runner in our van did his leg at 11:00 pm or so. No one was really sleeping though so we headed for the next exchange zone to try and sleep while the other van ran their legs. Got maybe 2 hours of very interrupted sleep in our van. Woke up feeling completely wrecked – sore and exhausted.  Our other van (with Mr Sig) had kept up the good pace, and I was determined to try and continue that. My last leg was 7.5 miles, again flat and straight, at about 5:30 in the morning. My toes were killing me from doing the first 2 legs in my racing flats, and my quads were already really sore. I switched to my trainers for the last leg, which was probably a mistake. I again took off in the first mile, doing 7:15, but I knew I was in trouble pretty fast. Just felt terrible physically and the lack of sleep made the mental effort even tougher. Was able to hold it together through the first 4 miles at OK pace mid to high 7’s, but the wheels came off at about mile 5. I started seeing spots and the headlamp light was disorienting me a bit. After being unable to shake it, I just stopped and walked for about 10-15 seconds, and was able to recover enough to keep going. The last miles were brutal – I was more concerned about actually completing the leg and not being a medical issue more than maintaining any kind of pace. Somehow I was able to keep an 8:30ish pace, probably because I was so intent to finish. Passed a guy that looked as bad as I felt, but was walking, tried to offer some encouragement. Actually was able to get a second wind and do 7:50 in the last half mile, and man was I glad to get that leg over.

After my finish I felt much better and coffee and a sausage biscuit totally reenergized me. I was sorer than I’ve ever been, but it was great to follow the remaining 9 runners all the way to Folly Beach, including a group finish with Mr Sig for the last 100 meters.

In all, a unique and cool experience. I had a really nice and supportive team, so that made the painful parts much more bearable. Was so excited that a team of newbies like ourselves could have placed so well.

Healthy Capital 5k

Local 5k, competing with a trail 10k on the same morning. Got there super early to do my warmup 2 miles. I like running the last mile of the course backwards then forwards to get a good feel for the finish. Registered on site because I had missed the early discounted rate 2 weeks ago. I ran this race last year, and it was fun because there are a lot of high school students there and the band plays, so the energy is good. I ran another half mile when a friend showed up. We looked around at the start and saw a few familiar faces but no one we knew that was faster than us. This was kind of initimidating, because all of a sudden an overall win became a reality. One singlet guy next to me was a wild card. My Garmin crapped out on me before the race – thought it was charged up but one of my kids must of knocked it off.
The course was pretty simple – one loop, with a shared quarter mile hill at the start and finish. Unfortunately the start was the downhill.

With the gun there was a mass stampede effect going down the hill. A large group of students sprinted down only to drop off after a quarter mile. Hard to gauge pace. I kept up near the front and started inching upward at about the half mile mark. Passed 2 guys and now was running 2nd, with the leader (singlet guy) fairly far ahead but definitely in sight. Passed by the mile marker and my friend (who was running in a small pack in 3rd -6th) shouted out a 5:50ish pace. This made me panic somewhat, because I was already breathing pretty hard.  Somehow I was able to settle into a manageable pace after about a mile and a half. After a while the pack behind me was no longer audible and I tried to set my sights on the leader. I was definitely making up ground but just not quick enough. I didnt have any splits other than the first, and no one was around me, so I just tried to red line it the best I could. I was really closing in on leader guy toward the end of the third mile, but then the quarter mile hill hit. This pretty much neutralized any chance  I had at kicking it past this guy. He was able to hold his position so I just gave it all I could up this brutal hill. There was a turn and a steeper hill for the last .10  – I took a quick look back and there was no one in sight. I saw the clock turn over to 19 minutes and struggled across the line in 19:20. Very excited about the time and the overall finish. My friend was able to kick it on the hill and finished 3rd. Had to wait forever for the awards. Turned out they only did first overall awards and the rest age group. Took home first in age group obviously, but was crushed when I heard 1st got 50 bucks! Oh well – still an awesome race for me. Time to adjust my 2010 goals again!

http://www.strictlyrunning.com/RESULTS/10CAP.TXT

Palmetto Half Marathon

Inaugural race, run right through my neighborhood. Capped out at 1200 runners per the website, though there was a 5k too, and I dont know if this number included that race. Absolutely perfect race weather – clear, light wind, high 40’s at 7:00 am race start. I lined up front and center with this one because of the number of people. I had tapered the last 2 weeks (28 miles last week and only 16 this week before the race). Took the last 72 hours off. I had a group that we had planned to do 1:35. Felt this to be aggressive, but I have very little as a point of reference given I’ve only run one half (a 1:45 in Nov 2009). I knew I could cut a large chunk off that, but how much was anyone’s guess. Out and back course with rolling hills.

Hit the first mile in 6:58 with all the adrenaline. Felt very good with all the recent downtime. I had already unintentionally ditched my group. At this point I decided to revise my plan and just go for it, and try to keep the pace around 7 minutes as long as I could. First 10k was super fast for me, as they had a race clock at mile 6 and I hit it right at 42 minutes, very close to my 10k PR pace. Splits in the early going were 6:58, 7:11, 6:51, 7:00, 7:05 and 6:52. My Garmin was a few seconds ahead of the actual markers though. Hit a hilly section on miles 6 and 7 but came back to a flat stretch for miles 8-10. My wife and kids were at the front of our cul-de-sac cheering me on at mile 8, whcih was awesome. Mile 8 (which included a large hill) was 7:26, so I picked up the pace again on the flat stretch and did brought it down to 7:08 the next mile. At mile 10 I knew there was only a 5k to go, and the official clock was at about 1:10:20. Decided to run it hard as I could all the way from there – 6:50, 6:58, 6:56 on miles 10-13. Was really laboring that last mile but the finish line was a huge motivator. Saw 1:31’s as I approached the finish and sprinted to the end, finished in 1:31:55. Extremely excited about the time. A PR by 13 and a half minutes! Finished 22nd overall and got 2nd in my AG. So happy all this training is paying off.

http://www.strictlyrunning.com/results/10PHM.txt

Resurrection 5k

Csab – nice to meet you at this race and congrats on the huge PR!

Csab already reported on this race above. Basically a pretty small 5k (67 finishers) on a reasonably fast course, though definitely rolling. The first mile is mostly downhill and the rest is up and down. I felt pretty bad this am before the race – stomach wasnt happy with the pizza and beer combo the night before. I was a little queasy driving to the race and wondered if I would actually race it. I got to the race site and did 2 10 minute pace miles, and felt better. Though this race is small, it actually attracted a fair number of good runners from the area.

I started this race pretty slow – I think part of it was being unsure about how my stomach was going to react, plus I hadnt done any speedwork this week (mostly recovery from a ridiculous nearly 17 mile run I got pushed into on Sunday done at 7:58 pace), so the sudden shift to sub 7 pace was a shock to the system. As csab noted, he blew past me in the first quarter mile and had a pretty good gap on me by the end of the first mile. First mile was in 6:36, so I knew I was going to have to kick it up a notch to have a shot at a third sub 20. I noticed that my breathing was actually unusually calm, it was just leg fatigue that was causing me trouble. Mile 2 found me starting to get into a good groove, and I started making major headway on the pack. Passed csab on a hill. He was confusing to me because he said he was hoping for sub 21, when I knew his pace was way under that. I hit the second mile at 6:22, and felt I had a lot more in the tank than I usually do at that point. Passed what I thought was the last 35er right at 2 miles and suddenly found myself completely alone. The elite pack was no longer in sight so I was running purely on feel and self motivation. Since I obsess about races all week and always wish I had pushed myself a little more, I tried to really pour it on. Once I hit the midpoint of the third mile I knew it was all flat and downhill, and I was able to push the pace to slightly sub 6.  Hit mile 3 at 6:10 and burned it on the downhill last tenth. Was able to cruise in at 19:40, and felt really strong at the end.

I ran the course again as a cool down, and thought I had 1st in AG all sewn up. Unfortunately, 2 guys completely unknown to me finished ahead of me in the 18’s. Oh well, still got a 3rd place and finished 8th overall.  Very happy with the time after the way things started. This is the most negatively split race I’ve ever run.

http://www.runningtime.info/040310R.htm

Will be shooting for 1:35-1:40 at the Palmetto Half next weekend!

Get to the Green 5k

This is the 5k associated with the 5 points St Pats day festival in COlumbia, and has turned into a huge event. 1600+ runners. Weather was awesome, almost too warm, probably mid 60’s at race time, and sunny. Course has an incline for much of the first mile, but is mostly flat thereafter. I PR’d here last year at 22:25 and its definitely a PR friendly course.  I lined up 2nd row behind the singlet wearing dudes and the pace was super fast from the gun. There was a bottleneck around the festival gate about a quarter mile from the start, so went out in crazy speed to avoid the stampede. Made it through unscathed. I was the unofficial pacer for a couple of guys looking to go sub 20, though of course I’ve only done it once, and with only 2 seconds to spare.

I ended up being a bad pacer, as I was way fast on the first split after the hill, 6:16 by my Garmin. Felt OK, though I was definitely breathing hard. One of the guys was right on my shoulder, the other somewhere behind me probably cursing me for taking on a crazy pace. I was definitely pushing it pretty hard after the first mile, and luckily I finally settled into a nice cadence that wasnt killing me. They had an official clock at the 2 mile mark and saw around 12:40, so I knew I was definitely in range for the sub 20. Felt pretty rough at this point, but I was bouyed by the fact that the last mile is completely flat with a little decline right at the end. I lost the other guy I was pacing behind me. My breathing was definitely getting ragged at this point, and to say I was hurting is putting it mildly. You could see the finish from about .50 – .75 miles out, but it felt like torture because it was taking so long to get closer to it. I had one guy pass me right at the 2 mile mark, but I was mostly alone for much of the last mile. As I approached the clock, I saw it turn to 19 minutes. I tried to muster a kick, but there was little left in the tank. One of my friends ended up passing me in the last tenth, but I was surprised to be anywhere near him at the finish (he’s a 55 year old perennial age group winner). Saw 19:20’s as I approached the finish, and gave it all I could, finished in 19:31.

Totally thrilled with the time. No way I would have predicted anywhere near that fast – I was hoping just to shave a few seconds off my 19:58. Missed an age group award (3rd was 18:30ish) , though frustratingly if I was 2 weeks younger would have gotten 3rd in the 30-34. Still 34th overall in a 1600 person race feels amazing.

http://www.strictlyrunning.com/results/10GTG.txt

March for Meals 5k

This is a cool race that is run in and around Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. Unfortunately it doesnt go by the animal exhibits but does go up into the botanical gardens. The botanical gardens have a single track trail which winds up a 300 ft mini mountain. This part of the course really slows you down, though theoretically you could take some of it back on the crazy steep downslope. I ran it last year in a PR  23:30 and won my age group on a fluke, but that was enough to spiral me into an obsession which continues today. I had a chance to meet Mr (and Mrs) Sig before the race – great to meet you guys! This was my first race as a 35-39er. Race temps were low 30’s – I did 2 miles to warm up in the zoo parking lot (its a huge lot), and felt pretty good after that. My goal was to run the first mile in about 6:30 pace and try to hang on from there. The main issue with this race is being in a good position once you hit the single track and the mountain, because its hard to pass during that stretch.

I lined up second row behind 2 people I knew would go sub 20. Bolted out and tried to maintain a strong pace to get into a good position. I was in pretty good shape at the bottleneck of the start of the trail, but I was a little boxed in by a couple of guys I knew I should beat. Hit the first mile in 6:30, right on my race plan. Luckily the trail opened up just a bit right before the mountain and I surged ahead. The mountain was tough, just a ridculous incline, though only about a quarter mile in length. The two in front of me were really laboring and I had to slow down to an almost 10 min pace and was breathing down their neck. I was surprised because one was the overall female winner and the other a local elite grand master 50 something that ran a 19 something at my sub 20 breakthrough. At the top of the hill, I caught my breath than decided to really burn it the rest of the way out.  Second mile was 7:09. Passed the two ahead of me and went careening down the slope at sub 6 pace. The rest of the race was flat. I started laboring pretty bad with about a half mile to go, but I wanted to at least be in 20:xx range and win my age group. I also knew I was fairly close to the front, figuring only about 6-7 people in front of me. I gave it all I had the last half mile, just totally red lining it, and feeling a little pukish to be honest. Long straightaway at the end and saw low 20’s as the clock came into the view. Pushed it and finished in about 20:30.

Won first in my new age group and I was very happy with the time, knowing the difficulty of the course.  My 3rd mile split ended up being 6:09, which explained why I was so cashed at the end. Great feeling though!  Mr Sig got 3rd in AG, I think a PR? He’ll have to chime in on that.  Cooled down by running the course again at a leisurely 9 minute pace. I’ll post the results when they come out.

Results:

http://www.seniorresourcesinc.org/images/MFM%20Photos/MFM%202010%20Overall%20Results.pdf

Not chip timed, so they gave me some extra seconds.