Positive Running

Ran an easy 7.5 miles with Steve along Pinnacle Valley Road on a cool late June moring.  We started slow, but ran the last 3.5 miles at an 8:10/mile pace.  Steve hasn't run much lately, but he is going to step-up his running miles now that a major project at work has completed.

Ran 10 miles on the TM in 73:45.  Ran the first 5-miles as a warm-up in 39:05, and the second 5-miles in 34:40 (6:56/mile).  Was a little stiff from the 30 mile run/walk last Saturday, but feel ready for a good 10K in Lenexa, KS this Saturday.  Finished with a 0.2 mile cool-down.

Ran the Lenexas Freedom Run 10K for the first time.  Wasn't feeling real good due to indigestion issues, but still ran pretty good.  It was a cool morning with temperatures in the low-60s.  The course consists of mild rolling hills, and is not particularly fast.  There is a 5k and a 10k, and the 10k course requires a double-loop that causes runners to pass by the slow 5k participants at three different stages of the 10k course.  There were approximately 900 5k participants and 330 10k runners.

Finished second in may age group, only 11 seconds behind the first place runner at 43:10.  My Garmin showed that I ran 6.3 miles at 6:51/mile.  I should have kicked it in more at the end.  But I spoke with the guy who placed first, who was gracious and nice, and who does not run much farther than half-marathons.  So I felt good about competing with someone who almost exclusively runs for speed instead of distance. 

So it was a fun way to end a light running week.  I'll spend the next month focusing on ultra training runs.