A twilight race is a little tricky because you are not sure about what to eat during the day. At about 3:00 p.m. I was starving so I had some three cheese tortellini without really thinking about it. By 8:30 p.m. I could tell that the digestion did not go as planned.... As I warmed up in the rainy evening I was excited because my legs felt great. We started the race in the dark and I ended up putting out a 5:12 first mile and felt pretty amazing. The course was pretty hilly...up and down, up and down. Went through the two mile marker in 10:3X something and that's when I got a side stitch and stomach issues...I tried my best to deal with it but it lingered for two miles. Although I pushed through it the best I could, I feel that I could have gone 26:50 without this issue, or at least sub 27:00. But I know that this will come, along with the tempo runs, the speedwork, etc. for the fall. Sorta pissed me off though but next time I'll be ready. As you can tell from my lackluster 45th place showing, this race is a summer's who's-who of the local racing scene, with Ethiopians and one really fast white guy taking the the cash awards. Needless to say, their pace was about 4:50/mile. On a bright note, my fall goal was to break 16:30 in the 5K...I honestly think I should aim to break 16:20! That is, if I get a chance to race a 5K amid the various 8 and 10s in the area. Great race, lunch mistake, but it could have been worse. Alright with it. Results |