Two Down,Twenty Four To Go.......

Second race of the season in the books,{blog} medal # 176 for the career and another Age Group Award to the collection.....just another race day for the Pale Kenyan......

Hard on the heals of my Love Run Half Marathon two weeks ago it was back to the Ben Franklin Parkway and W.River Dr for the Allstate Hot Chocolate 15k,a race in it's 5th year now but new to me as this time two years ago I was still running round in circles on the track and this time last year still on a running hiatus.
15K is a seldom ran distance,between 01-05 when I was  a road racer I had a handful of 15K's out in Downingtown on July 4th and my last 15K was a XC in NYC at Van Cortlandt Park back in 14 but I was excited at the chance to continue to lower my mile pace,having set out to run 7 mins miles at the afore mentioned Love Run I managed 6.42 pace so getting down to 6.30 from 6.42 felt easier than the 7.00 I was at in pre season shape.....however thinking it and doing it..........#horse/differentcolour

I arrived at Eakins Oval by 6.45am for an 8am gun time,while a tad mild at 46 degrees it was positively balmy to the below freezing 32 degs from two weeks ago,I do look forward to next months Indy Half and Broad St Run race weekend and not require base layer of 3/4 length running tights and long sleeved running shirt.....he typed hopefully.....
Stripped down to race gear as the 5K runners went off at 7.15am I duly took my place in the corral,not sure how my predicted race time of 60.00 got me into the 4th corral and not the 1st but I eased my way up through said corrals to the lead corral and waited for the starting siren to go off
After a little zig zagging I found my way out to the right hand side of the Ben Franklin Parkway and into clear space a la the Love Run two weeks ago,by the time I hit Logan Circle and made my way back up the Parkway the field ahead of me had thinned out as I clocked 5.47 for my opening mile

Briefly there was a small cluster of four of us running together the lead two females and one other runner who were all younger than me and they soon pulled away as I clocked a 6.21 second mile followed by a 6.19 third mile my 5K time was 19.25.
By now I was in "no mans land" but also "in the zone" so I kept my focus on the runner ahead of me and made sure my arms were pumping and my knee lift and leg turnover was  correct.
6.33 for mile 4 b4 a 6.25 at mile 5
The turnaround was between the Conrail bridge and Falls Bridge and by now the leaders were heading back south on W.River Dr towards the Art Museum steps finish line,I counted off each runner ahead of me as I made the turn in 13th.
I wasn't surprised to be relegated to 15th as I'd seen two runners working together after I made the turn, a 6.43 mile at mile 6 and  40.00 at 10K,60.00 was there for the taking.

6.52 at mile 7 my slowest mile.....anytime I can run sub 7 and have 6.52 as my slowest mile I'll take it!!!
Remembering the Jen Rhimes quote about giving it everything I had over the final 2 miles I dropped a 6.38 mile at mile 8,clearly the three weeks of 8 mile tempo runs around the Art Museum Loop are paying off!
Passed again but for the final time inside the last mile I then threw in a 6.35 mile as I made my way towards the finish line
60.39 a shade over the 60.00 I had hoped for but off of 6.28 mile pace I had to be tickled pink by that.

16th across the finish line but 18th on the official race results which leads me to believe runners from the corral behind me ran faster......no harm no foul 18th in a field of 5032 is not to be sniffed at,nor is 2nd in the 50-54 age group my second age group award in two races......

I have a month now b4 an ambitious race weekend on May5th/6th Indy Half on the 5th BSR on the 6th
Hopefully w/ warmer weather on tap I can get close to the 5day/60mpw routine I want and w/ the 8 mile tempo run continuing and a return to the track for interval work who knows maybe I can continue to lower my mile pace????