Notes
Temp 34 (30) Wind 4 mph.
Walk to the starting line with Andy J. RD's husband is timing race, says they had 160+ before race day sign ups. Plenty of folks a few seconds faster and a few seconds slower, so will have lots of company. Worked up monster sweat during warm-up, stripped down to race gear inside, now freezing my ass off.
Line up on second row. Start up small incline, and fall into 8th place after start. Matt P., Jax XC kid Jack J., The Hall of Famer Jay T., his son, AJ, Joe W., and some fast starter I do not know. Another younger kid in basketball sweat pants passes me and several others before first turn. Top the hill, make the turn and pull up to JW on decline. Passed the "fast starter" somewhere around here. Discuss the lead pack with JW and expect JT's kid and sweatpants to fade.
Due to course elevation profile, full mile splits will be meaningless, so set Garmin to record every half mile. Go 3:02 / 2:58 for 6:00 flat mile one. Hit split side by side with JW in 7th. JT's kid drops back immediately and we move up one spot. Into Arena Park and they route us through differently than previous years. Maybe due to ice/snow piles?
Watch as MP and JJ head to footbridge leaving park just short of second mile split. JJ decides to pet the tiger and puts on a surge. MP lets him get over the bridge and into the tennis court parking lot, then comes back to bury him like a bone. It was game over first few steps up the hill. Hit the parking lot with JW and he informs me he is shutting it down at two miles.
Mile two = 3:04 / 3:09 for a 6:13 split. Weak, especially getting through the flat park. Two miles in and still feel chilly, not getting loose, and hip flexors are tight and not firing right. Not coming together today. Hard work ahead with 150 foot climb over 0.60 miles on Gordonville Hill, so will have to figure something out.
JW has pulled ahead by the time we get to the Armory. We both finally pass sweatpants about 100 meters south of Independence. Get back up to JW around water tower, then run together again until roundabout. Back to a downhill, so switch gears and let gravity work. JW does not go with me. Have moved into 5th and not catching anyone ahead of me. 3:25 / 2:54 for 6:19 third mile split. Considering Gordonville Hill, not great, but not all shabby.
Finish out in 0:25 (5:34). Course Garmined out to 3.08 (same as AJ). Plots on map to 3.15. Steep hills will effect Garmin reading, so course is probably pretty much spot on. Clock / Garmin read 18:57 as I cross. 5th OA. 1st 50-54 AG. Was expecting 18:30ish or better today, but just not there. MP, JT and AJ all ran quite a bit slower than I expected, so maybe it wasn't all me? Time is 0:19 slower than my course PR; however, the different route through the park added 0:15 seconds to the old course, so pretty much a wash. Was perfect conditions for the 18:38 also.
Will look back and put together my annual race summary to post tomorrow. Do know today's 5th OA finish sealed a top 5 finish in all road races in 2013.