Training Log Archive: PG

Down to Northampton for the Tuesday evening 5K XC race, weekly from April to September, now in its 28th year. All directed by the same family. Remarkable.

Warm-up was a full tour of the course, about right, though I should have added in a few faster bits too. Got done about 10 minutes before the start. Legs seemed OK. Plan for the race was "comfortably hard," predicted time was 23:55.

Better than I expected overall, though not so much in the first mile, already felt winded after the first downhill, and more so the first uphill although I was trying to take it easy. 7:33. Second mile, much more down than up, definitely felt better, decent pace but not hard. 7:19. And then last mile uphill, decided I should have a go at the age-69 record of 23:28, and that meant doing mile 3 in 7:50 or better, so I put out as real good effort, passed several folks. 7:44. And then the last tenth, 40, moving as quick as I could at the end to hold someone off.

So very satisfying. And sucking wind afterwards for long enough to know I had put out an honest effort. A faster time would require more effort in the first two miles. But this was more than good enough for now.

And won three coupons for a race entry, so if anyone is in town and wants one, just speak up.

And then a long break for socializing, and again busting my diet, this time with a couple of tasty chocolate chip cookies, then off for a final jog as it was getting dark. Ran into Phil, so had company for most of it.

Tomorrow he's putting on the first of several Wednesday beginner's events at Cemetery Hill, see if we can recruit a little new blood. Good for him. Gail and I will go over to help out, also Amy and Steve R.