I wasn't going to write a race report about this race, but I decided that I can't only write RR's about PR races and pretend like every race I ever run is a amazing.  That being said, I'll keep it short and sweet.

My goal coming in to 2014 is to try to win my AG.  I realize that with my race times, I have to look for races where I can be competitive.  It's sort of like high school when you coach sends a JV team and a varsity team.  I realize that my race times aren't going to blow anybody's mind, but I love competition and not just against a clock.  I can do that at home on a treadmill.

So, the Resolution Run was on my radar.  There were about 130 runners, and we knew the conditions were going to be sloppy.  It was snowing, and it was very cold.  Add the extra weight of the holidays, and I knew that a PR was a real long shot, but I was going for a win.  So, my time wasn't the major concern here.  Of the 130 people registered, 7 were in the 30-39 AG.  I had a decent idea who might be in my AG, but I wasn't sure.

What I did know was that the start was a tight chute, and I didn't want to get caught in a crowd.  I accepted the fact that I would have to go out fast if I wanted to line up in the front, but I surely didn't want to line up behind too many people.  Getting stuck behind someone would not be the only concern.  The roads were not closed to traffic.  It's a small town, and this would not be a problem if the roads were in better shape.  We had to watch for the occasional car or horse drawn Amish buggy.  Also, footing was an issue.  There was a definite diminishing marginal return on effort.  The harder you ran, the more your feet would slip.  I tried a shorter and faster stride, and it felt awkward.  I had to settle in with a stride that was somewhat abbreviated though for the pace.  Otherwise, the slick footing felt a bit sketchy.

Very early in the race, I hit a pace of 6:30 according to my Garmin.  I knew that was not sustainable for me, but I stuck with it until we had spread a bit.  My pace varied the rest of the race depending on the depth of snow, footing, incline or decline and just what I was able to muster.  I knew there was only a handful of runners in front of me, and I had traded places with a guy I suspected was in my age group several times.

I spent the last half mile just trying to keep pace with the leader for my age group.  I was closing and thought I might pass him at the final turn.  Fortunately / Unfortunately, I saw him slip as he turned the corner and realized that I was going to slip too.  I needed to focus on keeping my balance or risk getting hurt.  If I was going to pass him, I should have done a few blocks back and there's no guarantee that I would have been able to hold him off.

My official time was 24:36

2nd of 7 in 30-39 M

12th of 130 overall

The overall winner was a student with a decorated letter jacket for CC, and he ran 22:05.  I think that says a bit about the conditions.  I'm sure he runs much faster when the conditions are better.  As for the guy that I tried to pass, he wasn't even in my AG...lol  He couldn't have been, because the guy who won my age group finished 29 seconds ahead of me.

So, I have still have some work to do.  February 8th, I'll give it another shot.

Congrats, Awood!   2nd in your AG ain't too shabby at all, especially in those conditions!!    I'm sure that you'll get that 1st place here soon - you are so dedicated to your training and all that work is bound to pay off!

Awood great job on the 2nd in your AG.  Men's 30-39 is such a competitive slot.  Even overall you placed quite decently.  I can't imagine running in those conditions.  You snow runners amaze me.

Superb ranking and congrats on the 2nd AG! You did a great job!

Nice medal, congrats on the AG place!

Congrats on a great race in tough conditions, and thanks for posting about it even though you didn't PR.  I enjoy the competitiveness of racing, too, and some of my best races have been against somebody who wasn't even the same gender, but if they are going to try to hold me off, I'll do anything I can to finish ahead of them.

I had a fun time racing you in our virtual 5K.  Hopefully later this year or next I'll have caught back up to you and we can race again!