Shamrock Run 8K

I ran it. It felt good. Things are good...whew....

I was feeling a bit skeptical on whether or not to run this race today. I hadn't run since Sunday and I've been worried about my hip. I woke up this morning and it felt pretty good, so I headed out.

I was thinking about trying to run a 7:45 pace, nothing too intense, just trying to get my legs under me. The start was a bit interesting. I was standing there, just like always, except I was only two rows or so from the start line. Without warning the gun went off, and we were off. Mile 1 rolled off almost too easy, 7:31. Mile 2, the same 7:33. I tried to slow down, but it felt really good, so I just went with it. Then the turn onto Seneca St, Mile 3. There was a fairly strong headwind that did nothing for my pace, 7:46. Mile 4 started to hurt and still mostly heading into the wind or sometimes a cross wind, 7:56. I started too fast!!! I was able to pick it up at the end for a 7:27.

I'm disappointed about going against my plan, starting out too fast and not being able to hold it throughout. However, I am very pleased with how I finished and even happier that my hip issues were more than manageable. As far as pain, it never was above a 3 out of 10. I am hoping that the next 24 hours will not reveal any new pain and I'm staying optimistic.

Mileage: 4.97
Time: 38:00/7:39
Avg HR: 168

Age Group: 46 out of 221
Overall: 427 out of 3541

As far as the Shamrock Run all together, it is a pretty cool event. It reminded me of a Bills tailgate party, minus the Bills. With an estimated 5,000 runners, it is truly an event. Next year, we will be tailgating!