Even though it's only been two weeks since the Moon Pie race, I feel like I am much more fit. I feel stronger in my progression runs and my body is adapting to the mileage. My main goal for this race was to win. I'm still in base training mode and I have two races in late July, so I would prefer not to run this all-out. However, if I have to race to win, I'd like to run close to 16:30.
The course takes place down the White House Greenway with the first half being mainly downhill, then after an 180 degree turn, right back the way you came. I felt really sluggish on the warm-up and was just feeling a little bit lazy in general.
When the gun went off, some kid who just graduated high school and will be running for Bethel College shot out. Another kid, who runs for a college in Kentucky followed him, so I just hung behind the young-ans. We probably covered the first 1/4 mile under 5:00 pace and hit the mile together in 5:13. The effort felt tougher than I would have liked and for a brief moment, I got scared I would lose to one of those guys. Shortly after the mile, the guy who took it out hard started falling back. I then ran side-by-side with the other guy until the turnaround. After the turnaround, you only have about 100 meters before starting the hill that stole my soul in 2008.
I was a little nervous but maintained the effort and dropped the guy while running up it. After hitting the two mile, I was pretty sure I had the win, so I relaxed the last mile and won by over 30 seconds in 16:55.
I'm pretty happy with the effort because the course was pretty tough and I wasn't running all out. I'm pretty certain I'm in sub 16:30 shape right now, so I'll take that as a good sign.
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