I can tell you taste like the sky cause you look like rain

Another wet June weekend, and I have no (bike) racing planned. Each "off" weekend this season has been a soaker, preventing me from getting out for any long mileage. Well, not preventing me, as I guess I could go, but if I'm not going to enjoy it, I'd rather miss the training.

With this already being a down week, I was really counting on getting something decent in today. Waking up late to steady rain, I put plan B into action. There was a small time 5K two towns over in Walpole. It was slated to start at 9, and I didn't get up until 7:15, leaving the house at 8:15. The rain picked up on the drive over, but I made every single light, and took this as a sign. I found the race, registered, and lined up with no stretching or warmup. There were only about 90 runners, mostly locals and some high school kids. I had no idea what the course was.

At the siren, I just buried myself, and figured a PR was supposed to hurt. The first mile passed in 5:53, and I was in the top ten, duking it out with a 15 year old. The second mile wound around a residential side street, and the 2 mile split was 12:03, so I lost a bit. At the start I heard mention of a hill, and there was a small rise at the 2 mark, but in the last mile was what they were really talking about. It was just a short rise, only something like 15 meters elevation, but I felt it, so now I know what Bolder was talking about in the Boulder 10K. I guess even 6 feet of elevation gain would slow you down if it were in the form of a retaining wall. I pegged my HR at 180 at this point, which I think is the highest I've seen all year.

The last 3/4 mile was all downhill. Sounds easy, but my lack of warmup/stretching caught up to me and the front of both quads started cramping. Two guys passed me and I could tell that one of them was probably over 40. I totally faded at the end and lost my chance at breaking 19, limping into the finish at 19:11, 9th overall and 3rd in my age group. My first running trophy. Well, I think there were about 30 trophies for the 90 runners, but hey, I never thought I'd see the day when I broke 7:30 miles, never mind run 6:11s. I don't think the distance certified, but I will count this as a PR, considering the rain, puddles, and hill and the fact that if anything, it seemed like the course might be long.

The sky is brighter now, so I am still hoping to salvage the weekend. Hope those of you in parts elsewhere are having a great one. It has to turn here soon. Not sure about Philly. Thanks for reading.