This was the first race of the year put on by Cache sun n snow. The name accurately reflects the race- it was COLD. About 10-15 degrees by race start time according to the digital thermometer in my truck. I picked up Joe (predog) and we drove to the start and test ran the course once easy to warm up. We tried to get the big three (to protect their identity I will just refer to them as P, C, and J) to run with us but they all had kind of lame excuses: "it's too cold", "I don't get up that early on Saturdays", "my foot hurts", blah blah blah. Oh well. The course starts at Logan High and loops around Willow park and the golf course, here is a link to the course map. Pretty flat for the most part except one hill near the end. Not a huge crowd but fortunately Keith Anderson was there, we are the same age and have fun racing each other. I was still kind of fumbling around when they hastily started the race, didn't have time to take my cochlear implant off so ran with it on for the first time in a race. Fortunately my head band held it in place. Joe took off fast and gapped everyone easily. A few eager beavers went out ahead of me and then ran out of steam by mile 1. I took off at about a 5:50 pace, hooked up with a high school kid and ran with him until the last 100-200 yards, where he put on a serious kick and left me behind. I finished in third place, maybe 30-45 seconds in front of Keith who finished fourth. Our next race will be the Smithfield shamrock shuffle, I am sure he will be looking to get even so I have my work cut out for me, that is a tough course for a 5K. Wore light gloves and my hands were absolutely frozen at the end. After thawing them out in excrutiating pain Joe and I ran a 7.9 mile run out Planet Walk and around 10th north and back. Got in a total of 14.1, overall a good day and a decent start for the season. Felt good about the time especially with the cold. I don't like racing in the cold I have decided.
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