15K PR

WRRC I Baroque Something
 

Ran the 2nd annual Beethoven 15K in Leland on Sunday. Clocked it at 58:22 which broke my PR in the distance by over two minutes. Though my garmin had the course at 9.15... but my PR time was also measured short as well.  Still even if short its a sub sixty minute 15K which was a far reaching goal of mine.  Helped the team I was on come in second place, and also placed as top Master's runner.

Apprehensive going into the race as I've been feeling the affects of higher blood pressure of late. By-product of the work environment I had been in the past several years, plus a lot of self created stress. But if God wants me to keel over during a race or while out for a run who am I to argue with his master plan... plus I'll go out doing something that I love.

Though that's not quite the attitude and outlook I took once I got to the starting line on a crisp, but sunny winter morning. Plan was to run the fist mile a little under seven minutes and try to gradually bring down the pace from there. Initially as I checked my garmin I started at a pace in the 6:30s...so I backed it down a notch or two, yet still went through the first mile in 6:45.  Which was a little faster than I would have liked to... but I felt good so I didn't let it concern me too much. By the third mile I was down close to a 6:30 pace...which was ahead of schedule.  But again I felt pretty good so I just tried to keep it rolling.

Which I did. It was one of those races that I got the sense early on that I was going to have a good race. How exactly that would translate time wise I wasn't sure. But it's just that intuitive feeling we as runners sometimes experience in the earlier stages of an event. And boy its a beautiful feeling as well, for it can be elusive and for reasons somewhat unknown, does not always occur even after good periods of training and good short term race preparations.

Or as I've written before, some days the running Gods smile on us.

So then the middle and latter stages of the race become an exercise in sustaining the good works already laid forth. Telling myself over and over just keep it together... just maintain. Hold the pace. Steady. Smooth. Run through it. Count off the miles. Count off the tenths of a mile. Keep repeating your prayers. God grant me the ...

Some of the best races I've ever had, similar to yesterday, is when I know I'm going to have a good time (and/ or overall place) if I can just keep it together and maintain through the finish line. 

Seeing that clock up ahead with forty, fifty meters to go at 58:xx............................

Giving thanks afterward.