Notes
Temp 44 (42) Wind 4 mph.
Perfect morning to race. About ten minutes late getting started as timer was not aware he was also timing a mile race. Looking around the starting line, a couple of young bucks (Blake D. and a D2 collegiate runner from Indiana), and another 50-60 unfamilar faces.
Young bucks are gone from the start and I work my way to third place by 200 meters. Start to hear heavy footsteps and heavy breathing just after first turn. He follows, then passes me just before the first mile split (6:38). Pace pretty much to plan.
Course is three loops. Miles 2, 5, and 7/8 involve cresting a 50 foot incline. Try to settle in and ease up to the guy once, twice, and three times. Each time I pull even, he surges? Or do I slow down? Try again. No, he is surging. Keeps looking at his watch, so pretty sure he is not a "real deal". Sure enough, he stops completely at the water station close to the two mile split (6:51). Weak split.
Will now be all alone for 7.3 miles. Attempt to get myself together. 6:33 / 6:33. Rolling, however, just shy of four mile split, start to encounter strung out pack of 5K walkers and slow runners. Will bob and weave the entire fifth mile, which is also one of the "uphill miles". Lose my momentum and slip back to a 6:47 split. Trying to regroup, hit a 6:35, but legs start to fade shortly into the final loop. Just not trained up to 15K right now.
Finish with a 6:38 / 6:51 / 6:36 / and 2:13 (6:19 for 0.34). Clock time = 1:02:15. New 15K PR...by one second. Third Overall. Learned my lesson from a few years ago. Stopped and confirmed my name, number, and position with the timer before leaving the chute.
3-Mile (Appx 5K) Splits = 20:02 / 19:55 / 20:05 / 2:13 for 0.34 -- (20:47 / 20:41 / 20:47 for 3.14). Late call to jump into the 15K and was not properly trained for the distance. Got it cranking, but faded some instead of surging. Thought I would be about a minute or two better, but actually what I probably should have expected. Ran alone for over seven miles, and basically just held it together. Not a total fail.
Nice, large wooden cutting board turkey for an award. Good looking hoodie for race shirt. CBEM teammate takes second overall in 5K with solid mid-17 performance. Honest day's work by the old guys. To bitch about any of this would just be petty and bitchy.