So I “ran” another “race” today, which almost put my total mileage for June as my best month since September! One more run and I’ll be there.<br/><br/>Anyway, the race. Going in, I could tell my legs were a bit tired as I really did a lot of working out last week (10 miles running, 70 biked, 1 swam), but I also knew that meant I was in better shape than my last “race,” a 5k I ran in 7:07 pace. I was thinking 29:00 might be possible, but it just wasn’t there; four miles is about the most I’ve run in eight months… I didn’t have the staying power. I finished in 29:30, which is still respectable, but it was tough going. 7:22 pace… Good enough for 3rd place in my age group and a medal.<br/><br/>This race last year, I finished in 25:29… So four minutes faster or a mile per minute. Ungh! That’s saddening, but I know I’ll get back there. On the bright side, it was also the first time I really knew I was hurt; I was pretty much unable to walk after it. A year later and I’m still recovering… Double ungh!<br/><br/>Overall, I find that biking is having a huge positive effect on my hamstring. A day or two after a long ride, I feel marvelous… So I plan to keep that up. I also got a pool membership for the summer ($85) so I’ll be heading there more often. Used it three times in the first week!<br/><br/>My next race will be another 4-miler on July 4. Maybe I’ll be ready for that 29:00 by then?<br/>