Concord Street Light 5k
What was I thinking when I registered on race day for the
Street Light 5k. The thermometer on my car showed a temperature of 102 degrees.
If this does not dissuade me from racing, nothing else will.
Stepping to the starting line, a nice thick layer of perspiration
covered my skin. I wasn’t expecting much based on my recent training and the heat. Thus, I
definitely checked my expectations at the door.
During the first
mile, I moved slowly up to 4th place over all. My only real goal was
to win my age group if possible. Then, the racers ahead of just seemed to slow
down. Shortly, after the mile, I moved in 3rd place. Before the turn
around, I moved up to 2nd place. Then, after the turn around I
passed the leader. Between the heat and his fast first mile, I suspect his legs
felt quite heavy.
Having raced this race before, I knew exactly what to
expect. The 2nd mile is fairly flat but the 3rd mile is truly
grueling. The course climbs and climbs. A set of switch backs come next, and
when it feels like it is over, the course hits the main road and goes up hill again.
For a 5k, this one is absolutely cruelty
on runners.
I looked over the edge of the switch back to see if the
second place runner was in sight. Nothing caught my eye.
Confident the race was going my way. There was nothing left to do but focus on getting to the finish. Rounding
the final two corners, I headed for the finish line. There was nearly a minute
before the next runner arrived.
My effort was solid for me again given the conditions and my training.
I ran 18:18. My first mile was 5:27, 5:48, and 6:36. Best of all, I got a much
unexpected “W”.
Now, my attention turns to the “Beat the Heat” 5k later this
month. I expressly ran this 5k because it very much parallels the start time
and weather conditions for the “Beat the Heat” 5k. Let's hope if gives me an edge.
Best of luck with your training,
The Cool Down Runner
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