Read Write Run - 2013

Tried something new today: pushing myself! Normally, that never happens. Happy just FINISHING. If the time is good, the time is good. If the time is bad, the time is bad. Spent the last few days mentally preparing. Not just accepting a random outcome, but pushing through discomfort and hitting a new personal record. And chose 26 minutes as a goal.

Read Write Run 5K in Pass Christian, MS. Beautiful, but cold, morning. 33 when the alarm started shouting. (Below 50 until noon!) Long weather gear. Black beanie. And gloves.

Not many of the usual folks. Mostly Pass Christian locals. And kids. Two dozen of them in the One Mile event.  Then the 5K. A hundred and twenty some folks jogging down Scenic Drive. Started by pacing some fast runners. Kept my goal in mind and stuck to them the first mile. Boom! 7:30 pace. Close to record territory. Could't keep THAT pace up the whole time, but didn't drop to my normal pace. Was able to maintain almost 8:30 the next couple of miles.

On a goal of 26min, I finished 25:35. Personal record. And mission accomplished. Could have shaved another 5 - 10 seconds if I hadn't slowed for water. But still proud of that number. If the age groups weren't so big (40 - 49 instead of 40 - 44.) I would have been in the top three! Oh well, maybe next time!