Time flies when you're living! Over the last couple weeks since I last posted I've built up to about 60 running miles per week, then took a cut-back week and ran a 5k race. I also signed up for my first ultra - though it is the shortest 'ultra' distance, a 50k. It is however in the Siskiyou mountains at 6500' elevation, so that will add to the challenge. I have until July to prepare for that.
Finaghty's 5k:
Cherie, Jesse, Brendan, Shawn, and I went to Snoqualmie Ridge for the St. Patty's Day 5k on Saturday. The course is on streets, trails, and occasionally sidewalks and is a bit hilly with lots of tight turns, so it's not what I'd call a PR course. It was overcast with occasional sun breaks and rain breaks with the temperature around 40*.
Shawn, Brendan, and I ran the course as a warm up, and I had time for a couple accelerations. Then we watched the start of the kid's 1k race. It always cracks me up how the little guys and gals go out at a full blown sprint!
This early in the season my goal for the 5k was mostly to see where I was at with training and as a good fast tempo run. At the start as usual there was a small crowd of 7 to 10 year old kids at the very front. They typically go out at a full sprint then slow dramatically after a hundred yards or so and become moving obstacles.
I ran the first mile at around 5:45 pace and the second more uphill mile at around 6:10 pace. At about the two mile mark a guy with male pattern baldness passed me. Figuring he was likely in my age group I hung close though. The last half mile before the finish featured a pretty good climb followed by a short downhill to the finish. I passed the guy who'd passed me on the uphill section and powered up the hill to beat him by several seconds. This got me a 3rd place in my age group. Cherie got a 2nd place in her age group!
Good Grief!!!!
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