Run 2 Remember

Today, for the second year in a row, I took part in South Hadley's Run 2 Remember.  This race is held to benefit the city's veterans programs as well as the USO.

With most of my concentration having been on long "slow" distance runs, I was unsure how I was going to do in a 5K.  I wanted to push myself, and see how fit I am, as this is the beginning of the summer racing season.  The course is neither flat, nor hilly, it's somewhere in between.  Two down hills, and two uphills, none of which are steep, but the hill in the last mile is about a third of a mile.

I started out with what felt comfortable, and picked up the pace.  I wanted to run hard, but not burn out.  I passed mile one with a 7:27.  Better than I had expected.  Mile two, and another 7:27.  Now the uphill, and a flat finish.  Official finish time 22:39, but was it actually a 5K?  I looked at my watch and saw 2.98 miles, a friend of mine had registered 2.97.  OK, so it wasn't quite 3.1 miles... not quite a 5K.  On the bright side, I did run a 22:39, and that worked out to a 7:36... My fastest pace since the "Flat Fast Westfield 5K" that I ran in March 2013.  It was also a minute and a half faster than the same course last year.

Maybe all this distance running will pay off in the long run.


Today's totals  -  2.98 miles  /  450.31 total for the year