Turkey Trot 5 miler

This race might quickly become our Thanksgiving tradition. Different year, better results. In 2009, I was very pleased with my race result. My running was coming along and I had just returned from a vacation. This year wasn't quite the same. My training is consistent but my legs were completely beat. In fact, I am assured that I have a few nagging injuries that are burrowing in. I was confident that at the least, I could replicate the previous years result. I wasn't quite sure how much more the legs would give me.

I started out quick but made sure to hold back. I wanted the first mile to be sub-7 but not by much. I knew the course and starting out slow was going to be key. I hit the first mile in stride, feeling good. We did a quick turnaround and I had the opportunity to cheer on Jessica. The wind also began to really kick up. The race was all about being about to tuck in behind others. Mile two...check.

I wanted to make my move here but I recalled the third mile being the toughest as it was primarily on an incline. Yep, my pace took a small hit but I was still catching people. I began counting places at the final turnaround and discovered that I was about 22nd. I had a few more fish to reel in. I wondered what it would take to make top 10.

On the return I pushed it and quickly caught a handful of people. But at this point, the racers were strung out. I picked off who I could trying to push the pace. When I made the final turn I tried to push it up the hill but the hill was pushing back. I really didn't want to go into defcon heaving. I was running stride to stride with an high school cross country runner. And a few paces in front of us was one more person to pass. We weren't reeling him in until a kid from behind made his move and starting hauling.

Oh crap....here we go for the final 100m. I held off the attack, caught the guy but never regained the position from the other runner. And then I heaved.

Total time: 34:20 (6:52 pace).

2010 Splits
Mile 1-6:52
Mile 2-6:55
Mile 3-7:06
Mile 4-6:52
Mile 5-6:31

2nd in Age Group, 14th overall