Uptown Turkey Trot 10K - 11/27/08
I headed out into the soup yesterday morning for the TXU Uptown Turkey Trot 10K. I was looking forward to another chance to test my fitness level and gauge where I am in my comeback from the summer injury. The McMillan calculator predicted a 39:51 based on the 5K I did a week and a half ago but I thought I might be a bit better than that and targeted a 6:20 pace (39:16).
I certainly would have liked things to be a bit cooler than low 70s and sky-high humidity but not much you can do about the weather. So when we started I was cautious not to go too fast, knowing that the conditions weren't favoring a fast day. I hit the first mile in 6:11, a little fast but felt okay. I hit mile two in 6:14 - not too much drift. Mile three was a 6:17 and still not too terribly much drift and about the best I could expect given the warm humid conditions. Mile four was where it started to get challenging and painful but I still managed a 6:22. Mile five was very uncomfortable but only a tiny bit more drift - 6:25. Mile six didn't feel any better but I clocked a 6:21, trying to hold off anyone who might come up from behind me, like either one of the Schroeder brothers! Once again I didn't look back on the course - better to worry about my race and what was in front of me. As we ran down Post Oak Blvd. I would pick off a landmark up ahead and focus on getting to that point. This helped get me through the worst patch and I was soon at the end of six miles. Time to see if I had anything left for the final .2 mile kick. The tank was pretty empty and I went 1:10 for the final stretch.
Finishing time was a better than expected sub thirty-nine - 38:56 (6:16 pace). That was good enough for 2nd place in the 45-49 age group.
Even though I dislike muggy weather as much as the next person I seem to do well against the field when things are that way. Guess I'm just more willing to suffer than the next guy, or more prepared to suffer. Probably just used to it I guess from the hard training runs I do. I'm not stranger to the pain.
I certainly would have liked things to be a bit cooler than low 70s and sky-high humidity but not much you can do about the weather. So when we started I was cautious not to go too fast, knowing that the conditions weren't favoring a fast day. I hit the first mile in 6:11, a little fast but felt okay. I hit mile two in 6:14 - not too much drift. Mile three was a 6:17 and still not too terribly much drift and about the best I could expect given the warm humid conditions. Mile four was where it started to get challenging and painful but I still managed a 6:22. Mile five was very uncomfortable but only a tiny bit more drift - 6:25. Mile six didn't feel any better but I clocked a 6:21, trying to hold off anyone who might come up from behind me, like either one of the Schroeder brothers! Once again I didn't look back on the course - better to worry about my race and what was in front of me. As we ran down Post Oak Blvd. I would pick off a landmark up ahead and focus on getting to that point. This helped get me through the worst patch and I was soon at the end of six miles. Time to see if I had anything left for the final .2 mile kick. The tank was pretty empty and I went 1:10 for the final stretch.
Finishing time was a better than expected sub thirty-nine - 38:56 (6:16 pace). That was good enough for 2nd place in the 45-49 age group.
Even though I dislike muggy weather as much as the next person I seem to do well against the field when things are that way. Guess I'm just more willing to suffer than the next guy, or more prepared to suffer. Probably just used to it I guess from the hard training runs I do. I'm not stranger to the pain.
posted by Lance Collins at 9:02 AM
2 Comments:
nice job on the run, and way to finish strong. i saw you at the start line, but didn't get to say HEY.
Keep up the good work!
I'm just glad that I am not racing against you these days!! Nice run!
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