Yesterday, in Arlington, Texas, I did my eighth footrace of the fall: the Toys for Tots 5K. Previous editions of this race contained steep hills. Yesterday's race had a couple of hills as well, but they weren't nearly as bad as the others. We also ran on dirt for half a football field or so, which made it interesting. The weather was perfect for running. It was about 50º Fahrenheit, partly sunny, and dry. The grass allergens are gone for the year, which makes for easier breathing. The wind was brisk, but it helped us about as much as it hurt us.
The race was unremarkable. There were 15 people ahead of me at the turnaround point, but I passed one of them in the second half. I finished 15th of 206 overall, 12th of 90 males, and first of eight in my age group (men 50-54). My mile pace was 7:07.06. (Elapsed time = 22:06.9.) According to my Garmin GPS device, I ran 3.16 miles rather than 3.107. If that's correct, then my mile pace was 6:59.62. My fastest 5K ever is 6:08.75. I'm trying desperately to stay in the sixes, but time is not on my side. Speed is inversely proportional to age. My average heart rate during the race was 145. My maximum was 156. I burned 392 calories, which allowed me to eat a little more during the day. Ha! I hope you're having a great weekend.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 