Notes
Temp 70 Winds 20-22 mph.
Turnout best of the three years I've come here. Big warm-up today and winds are about 5 mph higher than forecasted 24 hours ago. A very fast top-end of the field with not too many 19:00 - 20:00 folks in the mix. Take a spot on row two next to Barry L. as we chat it up.
Off and make a point to work my way around the slower folks -- who insist on starting on the front row -- before the road goes down to one lane at the finish chute. Success. Very crowded and I'm dodging too much traffic to get a peak at the Garmin. Clearly see we are all too close to the leaders. Come out of the "S" curve onto Warde Road about a quarter mile into the race. Glance down and we're at 5:28. Glance up and there are at least a dozen folks right there with me of all genders, ages, and races. Work to get myself under control as they start to fall left and right. South onto Gilmore and first taste of the wind. I'm in 9th place OA until just before the turn back west on Cypress. Some little short kid comes blasting by me. Pick off the taller HS kid coming out of the second "S" curve. Running 9th again as we approach the first mile split. Short kid falls next, then finally Tripp L. Go through the split at 5:53, which would otherwise be fine had I not done the 5:3X / 6:1X 800s. Probably have screwed the pooch already, but carry on...
Cypress Street is about a 1.25 mile dual with the wind today. I'm running 7th overall now. April 2011 Ultra Runner "Cover Boy" Brian K. is out front and in control. Next five (Bruce N., Hammer, Tayvee, D'bert, and Jerry C.) are running in a "V" formation about 15-20 seconds ahead of me. Feel the gusts hit pretty hard, but focus on relaxing and just getting to Main Street.
Make it to Main and try to relax, recover, and reset the effort. Check the Garmin across the street from Focus Bank at 1.80 miles in and I'm running a 6:11 second mile split. Rest time over, I gotta go. Pick it up and close out mile two with a 6:07 split.
Make the turn back east on East Byrd and see Jerry C. has hit the wall. Move on up and by him without any fight around the 2.20 mile point. D'bert is next, but he still has at least 15 seconds on me. Brace myself for the 400 meters face into the wind on Virginia. Fight through it, but it takes the last of my gas. Last turn is a left back onto East Commercial. Have cross-tailwind now for last half a mile. My cardio is toast and I'm thinking "time for my annual death march down the longest half mile in SEMO racing." Reconize however that my legs do still have some pop. No oxygen, but the muscles can grind it out. Call on the millions and millions of drills and striders to get the form locked in and just go. Actually closing on D'bert, but easy to see I'll run out of course before I catch him. Through the third mile split at 6:06.
A 5:25 pace kick gets me across the line at 18:40 for 6th OA. Brian K takes it in 17:04. Bruce N. 2nd at 17:21 winning the $1,000 showdown / throwdown bet with D'bert who was 5th just ahead of me at 18:29. (Give the guy props, ran the race with a protruding hernia when he should have been in the hospital.) Tayvee 3rd and Hammer 4th at 18:07. 45-49 AG: Hammer, me, and A-Wad third (8th OA with an 18:59). Old guys from CBEM Team 4th and 6th OA. Both us expecting better, but whatever. Missouri Running claims 5 of top 6 spots with top four Masters.
I'm in better shape than 18:40; however, still my 6th best 5K time ever. Have not trained all year in anything near 70 degrees. Wind a factor. Add to all that the dumb 5:30 pacing for the first half mile and you get what you get. Positives were coming out of the wind at 6:11 and getting back under control and holding low 6:00 though back-end of race. Kicked at 5:25 and got multiple comments on "looking strong coming in". (Saw the picture...yeah, I did : ). 6th OA is highest I've ever finished at this race. Improvement of 40 seconds over 2010 time!!! Age Graded at 78.38% (16:28). Age Graded Results = 2nd OA.
Its in the books...heading for 5/7/11 and an attempt at the 49-year-old male state 12K record.