The joys of the cold Thanksgiving race. Watched Nate and Ben go off, the race was over in the first 1/4 mile, Nate ahead, no challengers. Had to wait for 30 to start 5k. Good w/u and stretching, it was cold, 20s?, but I thought I wouldn't get too cold.
Saw Matt P at the beginning, thought there were no challengers, talked w/ him a while. Got off to a good start, felt like I was in 30th? Breathing pretty easily, possibly too easily, but was just trying to find someone at my pace as I was passing 6 or so. Made the u-turn in the neighborhood, was starting to thin out. Came down the hill to the JRP and through a water stop, a little before this a 15 yr old girl fr Herriman was cruising consistently and I took her for a mature runner. She was. I got beside her and told her we could catch the next gap of 25 yards. Consistently downhill on the JRP.
At this point coming on the 2nd mile I was increasing the pace and she was keeping stride. We passed at least 4 and then as we were climbing out the trail we had another u-turn and a 25 ft. stretch of water on the path, ran to the right with a litle slipping on very light ice. We had come up to a tall guy I'd talked w at race's beginning. We made the climb up the hill back to the neighborhood, pink girl was 10 yards back and I told her to catch up. As we were in the neighborhood it was downhill but I didn't realize it at the time. I'd been winded on the hills getting off the parkway but opened up and caught a guy. Tall guy stayed with us.
We came up to a highschooler who refused to be passed, he'd go faster when I caught him, this happened twice. I bided my time for the u-turn and back downhill under the overpass. Was at the top of my breathing but looking back seems like I could go more. I knew he'd gap me on the uphill, so did tall guy. But I used them as windscreens, as I'd been doing the whole race w various people, tho not a lot, and passed tall on the straightaway. Caught hs'r again but he made a dash w 110 to go. He had 20 ft but I was catching him towards the end but didn't ever make a full sprint, but I actually passed him right after the finish.
Due to the brilliance of of chip-timing I'm actually listed as beating him. http://utahruntiming.com/thankful-13-2015/ Good stuff.
Feel like it was a good race where with the hills was actually a better effort than my other 5Ks, this was the one I was racing.
Then strapped on blades and went 2.5 back and picked up Nate, yelled for parkway path, then on the neighborhood stayed on sidewalk as the asphalt was rough. Nate had room but I enjoyed yelling to make a path for him. As we hit the underpass I was yelling for the sloggers to move aside, one lady said, "Why don't you go home?" Perhaps she thought I was just rollerblading rather than escorting 1st place half runner.
It's amazing how people didn't really cheer for this guy who has run 13 miles at the pace you've walked 3 miles in. One hs'r in 5th even said that someone yelled at him, "Showoff." 98% of people aren't there to race, they're there for the finisher's medallion. And the 98% support the top, but they should recognize who they are. If someone on the side of a pick-up basketball court acted like good basketball players are just showing off, they'd be laughed off the court.
Came back for Ben in 8th, he was going well. He got top masters as did I. Nate got the goods, we got clumpy but nice medallions, biggest of my arsenal.
Conner Baller won 5K, edging Matt. Good to see him. He's a trooper.
Great thanksgiving. Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift of the freeness of salvation through His Son. We are eternally secure in Christ, no strings attached, better than any turkey any day.
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