4/29: 3.11 mi; 23'49"; 7'38" avg. pace
5/4: 3.10 mi; 23'16"; 7'29" avg. pace
This year the Komen Race for the Cure in WV signaled the opening of my race season. I've usually knocked out one or two 5k runs by this time of year, but the bum leg put a damper on that. Nevertheless, a late start is better than no start.
I had planned on two training runs leading up to Saturday. The week started off well, with a Monday 5k run slightly under 24 minutes. My right leg still requires me to consciously strike center-left with each step. That counters my natural tendency to run on the outside of the right foot. As unnatural as it has felt, concentrating on my steps has kept a nagging injury from becoming debilitating. Due to social events, I didn't get to run again on Thursday. This was likely for the best, as it allowed me to be fully rested heading into race day.
Saturday morning came bright and beautiful over the state capitol. After reaching the race start 45 minutes early, I made the near ritual port-a-john stop. Then, it was back to the start line to chat with fellow runners and get out those last minute jitters. I was well positioned, probably ten runners back from the start line and avoided any serious traffic. I could tell from the firing of the Mountaineer's musket that this year's pace was going to be somewhat tame. The key was to manage expectations and finish strong. My first mile split was 7'28", right around the average for the whole run. As everyone got more spacing, the paces sorted out into groups. I kind of dragged the right foot along, trying not to put a lot of pressure on the outside of the leg. The second mile slowed down considerably and I took a 7'41" split to conserve some energy. Seeing Jason Pyles fly by you while you're still well back from the turn around makes one awe and try to muster some pace. That is what I did in the final mile. Cheered on by the thousands of walkers and many brave breast cancer survivors, I tried to do everything short of hurting myself to finish strong. I was able to sprint the last 300 to 400 meters into the finish. My last split turned out the best at 7'19". I felt pleased with the 23'16" mark even though that was over two minutes off the 21'12" I ran last year through the rain. Still, now is not the time to achieve past glory; it is time to be thankful for what I have, namely, the ability to walk, to run, to cheer on my friends, and to celebrate life. A life that will continue in hope of the reduction/elimination of evils like breast cancer.
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