Sometimes it's good when the weather forecast is wrong. For the past couple days, forecasters had been calling for thunderstorms during the Great Race. The most we actually got was a drizzle and some stiff wind. The downside of that was intense humidity, which tends to suck the life out of me. Dropping the towel I'd brought to wipe my sweat at the very beginning of the race was a little frustrating given the humidity.
Despite the less than ideal weather, I have nothing to be disappointed about. I finished in 54:02.28 (8:43 pace) according to my watch (54:01, officially) - 1885/4128 finishers, 181/267 men 25-29. My mile splits were as follows.
- 8:56.16 (slow start, starts uphill, ends downhill)
- 8:18.63 (mostly downhill)
- 8:49.13 (mostly uphill)
- 9:07.95 (mostly downhill)
- 9:11.52 (uphill)
- 7:53.32 (downhill)
- 1:45.57 (downhill)
The section I need to work hardest on next year is mile 4. There's no good reason for me to be running that slow downhill. My goal for next year is average 8:30/mile or better.
BTW, a funny thing happened on the way to the starting line. A van pulled up next to the sidewalk I was on and honked. The driver wanted to know if I could guide his son to the starting line. I agreed. As we walked I asked him a little about how far he runs, how fast, etc. He's a 16-year-old cross-country runner who'd never raced farther than 5K. He said his 5K times are typically around 19-20 minutes. I knew then he'd be kicking my butt in this race. 
And boy oh boy did he. He finished in 44:04 Congratulations, kid. 
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Funky Dung
Comments 4
You might have published this before, but do you have any tips for beginning runners? I want to start running more often, but don’t know how to start — I’m a healthy weight, but pretty out of shape…
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Posted 25 Sep 2006 at 6:02 pm ¶100 Beginner Running Tips @ Complete Running Network
Not all of the advice will apply to you at first, nor do I agree with every single piece of advice, but it’s something to start with. Do you have specific questions about getting started?
Have I missed anything important, Rob?
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Posted 25 Sep 2006 at 8:57 pm ¶Disclaimer: I’m not a runner. But in the interests of furthering the view while running, I’m tagging you with the geography meme!
http://www.americanphoenix.net/americanphoenix/2006/09/geography_meme.html
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Posted 27 Sep 2006 at 4:17 am ¶Another one for you, Laudemus:
Running for Beginners @ lifehack.org
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Posted 27 Sep 2006 at 11:14 am ¶Trackbacks & Pingbacks 2
1. A Place You’ve Visited and Your Favorite Thing there. Padua. Giotto’s frescoes at the Capella degli Scrovegni. They are magnificent and a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance! 2. A Country You’d Like to Visit and Why…
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