Fool's Five

I did some speed work today, or speedier work anyway.

The Fool's Five is an 8K road race in Lewiston, MN. It's been around 31 years and is a pretty big race especially for a small town. Its purpose is to raise money for cancer research. Guest speakers in past years have included world-class runners Alberto Salazar, Frank Shorter, and Dick Beardsley, as well as cancer research specialists, motivational speakers, and cancer survivors.

I'm kinda scared of these shorter races these days, but also realize they are good for me and my running. I felt pretty good the whole way and feel like I had a pretty good day. It's always hard when I'm pushing it now to know if I'm in over my head or if I'll be able to hold on. Today I held up well and actually finished strong.

I've done this race quite a few times over the years, usually with my friend Andy (who finished in 38:00 today). In the last mile I was thinking about how I used to try and finish in 35 minutes (I never did), and now I try to finish in 45 minutes. Last year I couldn't do it, this year I did... woohoooo. Unofficial garmin time 42:34. Avg heart rate 153, highest heart rate 170.

Hmmm, I've done 3 official races so far this year. And for all of them I did the same race last year, and so far I'm 3-for-3 on beating last year's time. I wonder how long I can keep this streak going? Doh... I just realized my next race is Trail Mix, and last year's time will be tough to beat as we didn't have to run the ski hill. Should I pray for snow and ice so we don't have to run the ski hill this year?? Ha, no way!! Clear trails rule, ice and snow drool.