Notes
Temp 65-70 Wind 3 mph. Humidity 88% Dew Point 60°.
Seneca strikes a second time in twenty-two days. Participation down this year. Don't recognize anyone that I know who I can ride along with, but when RD asked, "who's in relay?", several hands go up. Expecting someone to chase.
Line up on front row with eventual OA Female Carol W. (who also happens to be 56 years old). We're off and feel no one go with me up first hill towards court house. Am I out too fast? Wait until crest until peeking at watch. 7:15 average pace up the hill...and no one around. Are you kidding me??? Solo 9-miler. Mentally tell myself: "Sunday Long Run".
Check watch again after going up and down second hill. Things should be evening out now. At an overall 7:09 average. First water stop at 2-miles. Have EFS and Gatorade in hand-held. Skip water and take a shot. Sun is already heating things up, and sugary mix hits my gut like a brick. Will switch off to water for a while.
Check watch again just before going under Interstate. Averaging 7:04 now. Little pissed. Out in front, 1/3 in, hot day, and know I had to have pushed that segment at 6:5X. Relax. Make right on Veterans Parkway and ask lead cyclist if anyone behind me. Said next runner just came out from under Interstate overpass. That's about 400 meters back and that's over 90 seconds at this pace. Don't screw this up.
Pull into 4-mile water stop still at 7:04 average. Two cups of water on me, and a little more in me. Take the big hill on Veterans, then wait to 5-mile split to re-check watch. Average still at 7:04. Been focusing on strict form and not worrying about "feel" of the effort or pace. Starting to overheat, but not slowing down. Looking for any shade available as I move along CR 620. Tactically, nothing broke, nothing to fix right now.
Water stop just past 6-mile. Check watch going in (7:04). Complete stop, do take another shot of EFS mix, and also two more cups of water on me and one in me. Check coming out and only slipped to 7:05 overall average. This is working. Catch me if you can.
Another water stop at 7-mile. Two more on. Couple of quick back-to-back stops and have slipped to 7:06, but was right back at 7:04 when approaching last water stop just past 8-mile split. Segment included extreme caution with last hill in Walden. Last chance to cool core. Three on, one in. Time to finish.
Shorten stride, lock in, and seal the deal. Have poured so much water on me, my shoes are sloshing. Make the turn off primary trail to head to Osage Center and able to get a good peek behind me. No one. Clock time 1:04:35.
Unexpected OA win. More unexpected...beat all nine relay teams?? CBEM rolls on with another 2018 OA win. Two most recent, Dogwood and C2C, are pretty big deals. 2018 off to an wild start. At age 56, have a sub-20 5K, OA HM win, and an OA C2C win. Next on the itinerary is attempt at age-division state record 2-mile the first week of July.