Saturday, August 14, 2021

Angels 5K

Race # 6 of the Capital Area Race Series took us to Penacook, NH which is about 10 minutes north of Concord. I was late for the strict 7:05 warm up with Dave Dunham and the gang so went off and ensured that I ran the last mile of the course so that I knew how the end of the 5K would finish. I ran into them as they were finishing the course. I got into my New Balance racing flats 10 minutes before the start. After a prayer and national anthem, the race took off. I settled into a pace that felt right and let the fast folk zip away. The 2nd half of mile dropped nicely letting me into a 6:36 mile. Rumors of the mile into mile two were true. Everyone baked on the hot pavement on the long climb that offered some shade at the top. I was cooked. 

John Tuttle got a step on me at the top and recovered well enough to gap me by 10 seconds from there to the finish. I managed a back and forth with one other runner but in the end lost that battle in the flat ending back to the Merrimack Middle School. 27th overall, 2nd age group, 22:26 chip time, 22:28 gun time. There were about 150 finishers on this warm and humid day. The last three days have been 90+ and humid and today was not as hot but certainly just as nasty with the high dew point. No excuses though. 

Crew setting up the finish line before the race started

Splits: 6:35, 7:35, 7:22, 6:24 for last .14

Angels 5K Road Race 2021 results 

While cooling down with Tim Cox, Lucas Fisher and Darin Brown, we witnessed a Black Bear crossing our path, It was just 50 yards ahead on the residential neighborhood. It was tagged and had zero interest in us as we ran toward it crossing from one yard to the next. It was pretty cool to see and my first bear sighting while running. We slowed down to ensure no cubs were trailing and that the coast was clear and it was. The 2 mile cool down gave me about 7 miles for the day. After taking down a few more waters and a banana, I hit the road back home.

Up next is a leg of the Lynn Woods Relay followed by the NHTI Delta Dental 5K. 


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