Notes
Temp 63 Wind 12 mph. Gusts to 15 mph.
Big turnout. 242 finishers. Still damp from warming up in the rain. Entire local HS baseball team running and they are all crowded in front on the starting line. I've squeezed out a corner on the front row next to a cone. BKelp front and center. Cody G. (21), Alex M. (17), and an older guy also in the mix.
Off, and I break to a spot as kids go by me left and right. We are all out fast, so I get past the first "S" curve and onto Warde Road before starting to get under control. Move up from about 10th or 12th to 5th place just past 400 meters. Have the next kid (and last baseball player) lined up and run him down at 0.55 as we turn west onto Cypress.
Will have a 1.20 mile cross headwind now. Don't notice it too much. Not gusting. BKelp is gone. AM looks to be in pursuit. CG is not getting away from me. Have not looked at Garmin, but there is a clock at one mile mark. Go past at 5:56. Feeling like a 5K effort, and even though stride has stretched out a little early, think I can stay with this today. Tugging on CG all the way up Cypress and get within 2-3 seconds of him before we turn onto Main.
Rain has started peppering down again and eating the wind on Main as it is direct into our faces now. Relax, focus on holding effort, and holding on to CG and AM. Hit the two mile marker at 12:03 for a 6:07 split. CG has caught AM, but misses turn. Water is over the road at the tangent and over half way across the street. Think about going through it, but cannot see if there are any potholes at the bottom. I slow, hop on the curb, and jump the "lake". Refind stride, look up and CG is shoulder to shoulder with AM. He says something to him, then moves on. AM is fading fast and I surge to pass him and put him away. No resistance. Stops raining again.
Back south on Virigina. Finally start to feel the lactic acid at about 2.40. Training success, have moved the deflection point nearly half a mile. Last turn back onto Commercial. Put one more surge on to see if I can close any more on CG. He's too young. Feeling the LA in my shoulders now, but curious to see if I can push hard to the three mile mark and still kick. Third mile split is 5:58. Finish in 0:35 for a 5:31 pace. Yeah, there were a couple fumes in the tank.
Official Chip Time: 18:36 (5:56/6:07/5:58/0:35). Certified course and Garmin had 3.11. 3rd OA. 1st in 50-54 AG. Improved my course time from last year by 0:04 seconds. Getting older, but still by golly getting faster. Will take it.
BK wins for third time in last four years (16:53). Get him for 1st OA age-graded 79.29% to 77.65%. CG 2nd with 18:22. AM 4th 18:59. Another old warrior Schmiz in 5th with a sub-20 (19:55).
Chaffee looking more and more like a fluke. Appear to be back on track. Still a long, long way to go and the seconds are getting harder to chip away. On well, ain't got nothing better to do.