Where did I go? ! Update Time

Well- I obviously am not very good at blogging. I love to read them and comment but when it comes to actually updating my own, I'm terrible.

I think I left off in April so here goes a quick synopsis of some runs since then.

Palace Saloon 5k - 2010

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/29792875

What a great event. This event would mark 1 year since my first ever road race. I was determined to break 20 minutes for the first time. I started off quick and past mile 1 in about 6:09. Much too fast for me. I slow my pace to a more manageable 6:25. I felt pretty good until I reached the hill and could tell my pace was slowing. I pushed on and crested the hill. By this point I could pretty much see the finish line and blasted my way to a 19:47 PR. An excellent race although my friend had a seizure during the race. He would turn out to be just fine.

Tails & Trails 10k - May 1st, 2010

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/31861282

I had only completed one previous 10k race. This was a humid day on May 1st and would turn out to be a tough off-road race. A lot of the first mile was paved and I ran a 6:38. I died in the root-filled second mine and posted a 7:58! I tried to get things back on track and for the third mile ran a 6:50. Miles 4 and 5 were around 7:35 and my final mile was 6:48. I'm not sure why I struggled so much in this race. I think it was my lack of creating a plan. I was still able to place first in my age group despite a 43:35 finish. I was satisfied with my result given the difficulty of the course. It featured a lot of turns, mud, and lots of roots which kept my head on a swivel.

Marzuq Shriner's Mother's Day 5k - May 8th, 2010

I ran this just for fun. Okay the truth is I wanted to win a cake. That didn't happen. I got beat by a fellow age group competitor by 1 second. Oh well. It was a fun battle. Here is how it went. I started out in the front and ran 6:27 for mile 1. I had been battling either allergies or a head cold and that pace knocked me down. I slowed into the woods and posted 7:06 for mile 2. I still was in reach for the age group win as I battled Keith Gates (20:30) to the line. I finished just behind him in 20:31. I had nothing left so I was happy with my effort and placed 5th overall.

Wakulla Springs 5k May 15th, 2010

This was a challenging off road course that featured soft quicksand like terrain the first 1 mile or so. I wasn't feeling very fast on this day and posted a 21:09 finish time for 24th/355. Pretty terrible but they'll be days like this...

Gate-to-Gate 4.4 Miler - May 31, 2010

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/35298110

This race my friend, Brian Davis, traveled to. A lot of Gulf Winds members made the trek to Niceville, FL to compete as a team in this annual event. The race takes place entirely on the Eglin Air Force Base. At the time this was one of my better races. Although it was very hot I ran, 6:26, 6:36, 6:46, 6:55, & 2:46. I got slower but was able to keep it all under seven minutes, my goal. GWTC when on to beat the multiple teams entered by NWFTC. A great party ensued by both clubs.