Notes
Age percentage, according to results page, 59.1. Not bad!
RR: Traditionally, this race in Las Cruces, NM was on Super Bowl Sunday. This year they moved it up a week because there are other races going on next weekend and they didn't want to compete. As always, it offered a 5-mile and 5k race for grownups and kids if they want to but the kids 1-mile race is free. This was my 4th time to do the 5-mile race and one year I did the 5k, with bronchitis!
My best time on the 5-mile course, which is hilly, was the first time in '15 with a 44:16. Back then, the turnaround was one of the few flat spots and then last year, they changed the start/finish area so they added a big hill at the turnaround to correct the mileage. The hill is dirt and gravel so it's almost like a combination of a trail and road race. Back in mid-December, I was recovering from Covid and planning ahead for this race. I put in my Coach's log: "I don't have any recent 5 mile races, but I went back to '15 and have four results. I averaged them (although in Feb. of this year it was a new, tougher course at the turnaround) and came up with 44:48. I really wish I had more recent results! That's about 2 minutes faster than this year's result, 46:39. 46:28 is achievable using online race calculators and my Great Pumpkin Chase 10k results." She held me to that.
We had a nice trip down there from Albuquerque and visited friends. It was great to see the running group again! The race was going well, except that I had conveniently forgot about the stench at the top of the hill where the turnaround was because it's got a water tank and apparently also collects wastewater. I was on track to meet my goal of sub-46:30 and then Pam came along. She's a very good runner and I chased her.
Like I told her at breakfast afterwards, it helped tremendously! I finished in 44:18, a clock start and chip finish, which is weird but how they do races there. So in 8 years, I only slowed down 2 seconds and on the new, tougher course!