Notes
COMMENTS: Ran the Turkey Trot 4-Miler at Shelby Farms in Memphis. Race was scheduled to start at 9 but didn't actually start until 9:15 or 9:20. Also, there were a lot of people there, and it was very crowded at the start.
I lined up in the middle, surrounded by people in various marathon and race t-shirts. But I overestimated their ability, and I ended up stuck behind slow people for the first 1/2 mile. First mile ended up at 8:40, quite a bit off my intended pace. Here are my splits:
1 - 8:40
2 - 8:00
3 - 8:00
4 - 7:45
Great weather, 55 and sunny. Ran in a short sleeve top and shorts w/cap. Was comfy, though probably could have done without the cap.
The course was rather hilly, with a lot of small elevation changes. The paths were narrow in places, making it hard to pass. I would rate it as one of the more difficult courses I've run.
Had been shooting for 32:00, but that crowd at the first mile threw me off my pace. I also think I ran it pretty much like a 5k, which had me going too fast for comfort. I had a nasty stitch in my side for the whole second half of the race, and I really couldn't catch my breath toward the end.
Need to add some tempo runs or speed work if I'm going to run races like this. Gotta get used to running a 7:30-8:00 pace.