<p>Yes, another race. I think we’re at more than one per week since the beginning of June? I love it.</p>
<p>This is yet another on the C&amp;O Canal and from Fletcher’s Boathouse, but unlike the other similar races run this summer, it’s on the Capital Crescent Trail… paved (=fast)!</p>
<p>It was likely some of the nicest weather we’ve ever had for a summer race on the canal since… ever. I don’t know the exact temps or humidity, but it wasn’t 100% swamplike, which it is 100% of the time… Heavy rains the night before had brought in drier air? Does not compute, but I’ll take it.</p>
<p>As always, I haven’t been running much at all (July usually is FAR in favor of cycling due to the Tour de France), but I did have the fact that my legs didn’t hurt at all after my last race going for me. I figured holding a 6:30 pace would be possible so why not go out there and give it a shot? Note: I had no idea why 6:30 seemed like a good idea since last month all I managed was a 6:45… it’s some weird connection I’m getting with my body.</p>
<p>The race began, I got a pretty good start, and continued to feel strong. Miraculously, my legs fell into a 6:30 pace naturally, my guess paced proved perfect. Through Mile 1, a decent uphill, turnaround, and back downhill in 6:30 exactly. I continued to feel incredibly strong through the entire race, putting in a 6:32 2nd mile, 6:32 3rd, and pushing to the finish/picking people off with a 6:18 for a total time of 25:54… A minute faster than the four mile race last month and only 30 seconds off my best time at this distance ever (less than 10s/mile). <u><strong>CROSS TRAINING CAN MAKE YOU A DECENT RUNNER</strong></u> (coaching certification and everyone I know who has taken it say otherwise… they’re wrong and I’m the proof).</p>
<p>Results will show my time as 26:21, but as usual… the course was long. We were again running between two mile markers spread two miles apart (they’re actually measured correctly on the Capital Crescent), but the turnaround person couldn’t find the mark and had the leaders and myself (not far behind them) run extra. The leaders went as far as .25 miles far, but I only faced an extra .1.</p>
<p>I am in a bit more pain today than after the last race, but it’s probably a 1.5/10 as opposed to the 6/10 I’ve been used to. I’ll attribute it to a fast pace and hard surface… I’m certainly not worried about it.</p>
<p>Next up is a rescheduled mountain bike race on Wednesday, a 1-mile track race the Wednesday after that, and then… ALASKA AND SEATTLE! Maybe I’ll find a 5k to run in Seattle?</p>
<p>[<a href=”http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99201402″>GPS</a>]</p>