Pie. Motivation.

Ran 19:10 Saturday morning at the Son Run 5K in Wrightsville Beach. Not my best race but certainly not my worst.  Won top Masters, for which I got a pie and a bag of gifts that included a thermos and a pair of socks. 

Smaller field, only 115 or so runners. Saw a guy I know Steve from Jacksonville whom I correctly assumed would be my primary over 40 competition. Perhaps inspired (foolishly) by another Steve (Prefontaine) I made a tactical decision between a quarter and half mile in to front run on him and force him to try and go after me or chase me down. I figured also it wasn't the type of day...a bit breezy...that's conducive to running someone down. (preface: reading the sections of the book Bowerman and the Men of Oregon about Pre's years at the school. He was famous for his style of front running in races, and considered it some type of racing sin not to).

The net result of which was going out too fast in a 5:55 mile. The course though had to be altered that morning due to a water main break, and included a turn around.  Plus most of the last mile was back into the wind. Any kind of sustained wind makes it difficult for most runners I know to run faster, shorter races. Part of it I'm sure is psychological... but also its just physically harder to run faster into an impediment.

Anyhow it broke a streak of some pretty good races for me. Again wasn't a poor race by any means. But I didn't have that extra gear, nor the countenance to summon my very best. Nonetheless its healthy to not always race at ones peak. For one, its hard to sustain peak fitness levels. It can lead to burnout and/or injury. Second, it fuels me personally to kind of hit the drawing boards... realize again I don't have all the answers so to speak. And it motivates me to train harder to get back closer to those peak fitness and racing levels. Plus it makes me appreciate more when all the cosmic cylinders do click in to place during a race. (to paraphrase from the movie Field of Dreams.)

But for now I'll enjoy my pie. As I enjoyed the company on a nice fall morning with several friends and members of the Wilmington running community.

There are more runs and workouts on the horizon. And races.