This new AG thing agrees with me (Race Report)

Hipster Doofus

Pearl City (IL) Homecoming 5K

For such a small race, it never hurts to have your own cheering section. I was fortunately enough to have not only JU, but also JUJR and kidlets present. (Pearl City is 7 miles from the megalopolis of Lenna).

Friday's forecast said sunny and 82; they got the sunny part right - the temp at race time was 87 - JU said they'd moved the starting time from 6 PM in the previous years to 6:15 to maybe cool things down. No. Such. Luck. Simple course - out-and-back heading from PC's center (it's only 700 people or so) up Illinois 73 for a half-mile or so. Hang a louie, and go for a mile. A very deceptive mile - straight line, and the rise looks gradual. Thrown together with the heat though, it's challenging. Turn around and come back, though you turn into PC a block from the start and go around a block.

The bad -
I had some breakfast about six in the morning, but nothing until after the race. I also made a mistake of going with prescription clip-on sunglasses, which added on my regular glasses, gave me bad depth perception - how far stuff was away. All that and the heat, and I was beat when I crossed the line. JU said so, and JUJR showed me a pic crossing the finish, and I am looking over my glasses. Mr. Green

The good -
If the splits given by the race people are to be accepted (and there is some question about them), I got nice negative splits. The time was, I think, my second fastest for 5K. Best of all... HARDWARE. The specs:

Time - :25:13.00. (watch time :25:12.81, so pretty darn on target).
Splits - 8:21, 8:09, (3rd mile pace) 7:55.
Placing - Overall 17 of 45. Males 15 (don't know how many there were, but I think there were enough that I finished in the top half). AG 2 of 4. When I called LC to tell her about this (she had to work), I had to convince her there weren't just two running in the AG. I think she believes me. fubby

After the award ceremony (I had to go up on a honkin' stage Razz

), JU, JUJR, another runner and I went to a local eating place - new, nice and open, great food and great price.

Thank you JUJR for coming to this - it was really much fun to see you again. And of course thank you to my coach - it was real nice to have a good outcome with you watching instead of all the stuff you usually do.

Very Happy

And on a serious note: My best friend here has not been able to run since about the time I started. Couple different surgeries, that sort of thing. He told us today that they've made a preliminary diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. This is so new a development he's going in this week to figure what sort of meds he can start out with.

Dennis, this one's for you. thumbs up