[Official Results: 10K Split: 37:38 Finish: 1:20:38] Official race results from this morning's Soaring Wings Half-Marathon in Conway, Arkansas have not posted, but unofficially, I ran a 1:20:30 (6:09 pace) (PR). It was a sold out field of 1,700 runners and walkers, and I finished 8th overall and 1st in my age group (25-29). Great day for racing, 40 degrees and still at the start, running West toward a warm sun. Decided early on to run with a couple of seasoned runners, behind a lead group of four or five runners, and we were cruising between 6:05 and 6:10 for the first 7 Miles. One of the guys in our group dropped at this point, and then I got dropped around Mile 9, so no more drafting...just grinding. Still holding a 6:10 pace, running alone, I got a second wind when the GU that I took at Mile 7 kicked in. Finished strong on this rolling hill course, with the last Mile predominantly downhill, then flat to the finish. Looped back onto the course through a backroad to Mile 11.5, spotted my Dad running strong, but alone, so I jumped on the course to give him a push, which he didn't need. He had ditched the 1:45:00 (8:00) pace group back at Mile 9, and we pushed up the hill at Mile 12. I cruised down Mile 13 with him, peeled off, and watched him finish strong with a PR nearly six minutes faster than his previous best last year. Unofficially, he ran a 1:40:30, probably good enough to place in his age group (55-59). No waiting around for the rewards ceremony today. We booked it out of Dodge and made it to the end of my son's soccer game back in Little Rock. After his game, we picked up BBQ and headed back to he house for an early Hogs' kickoff against Vandy. It's not looking great right now, Hogs down 28-17, but driving. Reason for hope, though, because throughout the season, we've been a second half team. Keepin' the faith. Wesley
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