Notes
Despite my sincerest attempts to avoid any, there was a race day snafu as the registration location was moved a half mile away from where it was the previous two years I have done this event.
Apparently it was posted on the website but I never bothered to look, a decision that proved fatal.
After frantically race walking with several other runners trying to find the stupid place, I registered but managed only a .70 mile warmup before heading to the start. Garmin says it was 16 degrees, but it sure as hell felt colder than that!
In fact it felt brutally cold, but I do not think that is what did did me in. I am 100% positive it was the lack of a proper warmup as I usually do 3 easy miles and sometimes 4 before speed work, and 2 to 3 easy miles before a race and those are in warmer temps (warmer being relative).
As such, I just was never able to get comfortable at race pace (6:32), or even tempo pace (6:39) for that matter!
I am really disappointed not only in my time, but my effort. I just could not dial up anything substantial and ultimately I did not care, which is so unlike me.
The race never really was a race and I am unsure that any benefit came of it, something a runner never wants to say.
In the end I could have bagged the race and driven over to my loop at Stoney Creek and done much better than this on my own, and saved 50 fuckin dollars to boot!
As it is I will get back at it next week, and try to purge this pathetic effort from my memory.