Bookin' it 5K Race Report

 It was just a wonderful morning! Fresh, moist, cloudy, windless, warm, I was wanting to race! I arrived with plenty of time to get my bib and chip, then warmed up with some easy jogging, visited with a real good runner, Ted, he is 60 yrs old and got second overall today!  The course was a new route but we are still running out of the square so it means hills!
  The race was well organized and the Director is a runner, so that makes a difference. He actually finished ahead of me....
  Of course I scoped out the field....only one guy I was sure of in my age group and he always beats me, by very little I might add, some others looked my age, grey, balding, wrinkled.....:)
  So we get instructions, line up, and we're off....
    My plan was to bust this first mile because it is down hill baby!!! Problem? We had to run a side walk over a bridge and some kids were running 3 wide blocking a group of us...but not a real issue...I felt real good and posted a 7:28 first mile. From here we had a rolling hills next mile, I was passed here by two fellows, later saw they were 1&2 in 30-40 age group.
  The field began to spread out here as we climbed a switch-back that brought us to the main drag in Ozark, I could see Ted up ahead.......I wasn't doing too bad! I was beginning to feel the hill though!
Another down hill and checked the watch....2 miles, 8:19...obviously I'd dropped it! I knew at this time my hope of breaking 24 was over because the last mile would be the toughest....it's uphill!
  No one passed me, or was really near me....ahead was a strung out field....a kid was hurting bad...he was holding his side, the dreaded stitch, he began to walk the hill, I did pass him but encouraged him, I saw the one guy I knew in my age group, I was closing!? 1/2 mile to go a big rise then the finish...the kid took the big rise and passed me:) The home stretch and I've a quandary....I felt like I had a kick in me...here's this kid gutting it out...he's being encouraged by the crowd...I'm telling him to not stop but finish! I could not pass him or else I'm going to be the jerk that beat a kid (in my mind).
  So I coasted in and finished with a 25:14. No where near a sub 24, but a 41 sec improvement over my last race. Btw...I got second in my age group, the Over-all winner ran a 22 minute race? So it was a tough course after all and I really liked it, I will run it again.
  I made some new friends, the Woman's winner in 30-39 was standing next to me, we chatted, I met her family and her husband and I exchanged contact info! Her name is Jill and she ran a 23:40 something?
   What did I learn? I could of suffered a little more, my speed work is paying off! My hill training also has improved my ability to stay strong on the hills. Now what? Stay on the current program, perhaps looking for a flat course to test myself again. Hope you are enjoying your weekend!! Oh, I also received a medal for second place! I thought that was cool. Peace!