2 mile warmup with 0.5 hard. 3.24 miles in 19:16-ish, 5:55/mi, HR 169. 2+ mile cooldown & stretching. Not an auspicious start to the new year. ~45 seconds slower than last year. Conditions were colder this year (~ 18F at the start) but I wasn't fighting a stomach bug. Didn't taper or take the day prior off though and the course seemed a tad longer this year. Garmin recorded 3.24 versus 3.15, so perhaps? Anyway, the first mile felt pretty comfortable (too comfortable), the middle mile was eh, the final hard but manageable and the final .24 on the watch was near a 5/min pace, so a good kick. The results? Good question. No times posted...evidently the cold weather caused a sticking malfunction on their tracking board. The announcers called me as 3rd in my AG from their list, but mid-way through their announcements, another list was posted that had me 2nd AG (8th OA). When I asked about it, I was told theirs was the official list. When I pointed out that the other list was posted after they'd begun handing out awards, I was told their list of official, for now. For now? Really? Whatever. So there it is. Turning 40 really does slow you down. | 