The Long Run

6.15 mi, 54:43, 8:53 avg

Ran on Starkey bike trail with the Striders.  Arrived a couple minutes late so mostly ran by myself but did enjoy a few minutes of social hour at the end.  Mostly easy pace running with a short pickup at the end.

5.12 mi, 47:43, 9:18 avg

Ran in the neighborhood solo.   I was originally going to meet Jamie to run but she texted saying she wasn't going to make it but at least I was already up.  Easier to roll out of bed on time when meeting someone.  Cool weather is staying scarce but it is at least coolish.

Ran with Jamie and the Striders on Stakey Blvd.  I stopped my watch at the turn around and forgot to start it again but since it was out and back, pretty easy to figure out the total distance!

Pace was about 9:15 average.

6.16 mi, 58:39, 9:30 avg

Ran with Joe and Jamie this morning in the neighborhood.  Joe turned back after a couple of miles (his first run back since Sunday's Space Coast Marathon).  Continued on with Jamie.  Was at a 10:00 average pace at the water stop and then went a little bit faster on the way back.  Saw Andy just as he was leaving to go to Busch Gardens (it's "Physics Day" event through his school).

This was my third year running the Little-Markou 5K in honor of Mike's daugher who tragically passed away way too young in a tragic car wreck with funds going towards scholarship money in her honor.

My legs have been feeling sore/dead the past several weeks and I was really just looking to show up today and support a good cause.  However, my legs and rest of me had some life in them, more than I expected.  The course was new this year, running through the Longleaf neighborhood in one big loop with 27 turns compared to the past two years where the course was on SR 54 and Trinity Blvd with only 3 turns.

Warmed up beforehand with a total of 1.31 miles mostly easy running and 4 30 seconds strides.

Plan was to just go out and see what I could do.  Swept up in the starting group and did the first mile in 6:19, with the last quarter of that mile passing 5 or 6 runners.  At about 1.5 miles caught up with Jean who looked like he was going to run with me but then dropped back and said he just didn't have it today.  Now I was pretty far back from the next set of runners and might have slowed a little, finishing mile 2 in 6:33.  During mile 3 I caught up to another couple of runners and wasn't too far back from Stan.  I think physically I might have been able to dig in and pass him up but I wasn't there mentally.  Mile 3 finished in 6:31, and finishing up the last 0.17 maybe a little faster.  (Ok, maybe not really 0.17, officially it would be 0.107, but with 27 turns that's not too far off).

So, Stan was number 2 in AG at 20:30, and the next fastest 45-49 guy was 20:24, so the three of us were grouped pretty close.  Ryan had an awesome run with 18:51 taking 1st Masters which I won last year but he won two years ago when outkicking me and beating me by 0.1 seconds.   Jolene was about 20:12 good for first place female master but was about one minute behind her 14 year old daughter.

Race was really well put together, attendance was pretty good but I hope they can get even more next year.