Spring came and went, and we were lucky to have a late and long Spring this year. The rail trail (photo above) beckons...
Yes, Spring is that annual time of firsts. I plod along at my first few 5k distances of the year, gently jogging/walking at a 45-50 minute clip in these first weeks. The goal is to figure out which parts of my body will give me problems during this year. So far so good, and I went ahead and registered for three 5k races, and two 10k races! These races will cover the period before training for Philadelphia officially begins for me in mid-July.
The first two 5k races are already in the books!
On a damp and chilly Memorial Day, I attended Katie's 5K in the center of Boylston, a traditional New England town. The runners gathered at the starting line in front of the town common and Historical Society center and Library.
And we were off!
I really liked this race! The loop course started off with a serious downhill (and the temptation to go too fast). However, of course that meant that what goes down must come back up by the finish -- in a series of smaller inclines on the back half of the loop. So it was a great workout and I appreciated that early in the running season. I beat 40 minutes and that's exactly what I was looking to do.
For the full set of photos, check here.
Two weeks later was the second annual Trooper Clardy Memorial 5K in the town of Hudson. I wrote about my experiences last year, and this year's installment continued many of the same traditions.
They changed the course this year and made it into a single loop, very flat and approachable. Quite a difference from the previous race, and I was able to capitalize and jog continuously the whole distance in just under 36 minutes. So I'm ahead of where I was this time last year!
My time was just fast enough to be passed along the course by several runners with strollers, a couple of dogs with handlers, and the attending brigade of Massachusetts State Police cadets! They were really impressive -- they kept up a brisk, consistent pace, chanting the whole time.
Despite being bested by Massachusetts' finest, I was pleased with my performance. Following the race I had my picture taken with the Thin Blue Line.
Two distinct races, two distinct towns, two special fallen persons commemorated. This is why I do it.
