More PRs!

Stop the presses, 2 posts in 4 days!

I've had a hiatus in blogging and racing lately. I finally got out for a race, the Hennepin Lakes Classic 10K. Oddly, I've never raced that distance before. That meant I was guaranteed a PR! 10K is an weird distance for me. So short that you need to push harder than is really comfortable, but too long so that you really can't just will yourself through it like a 5K.

The race was basically 2 laps of Lake Calhoun. The first I went out a little too slowly perhaps, but that let me hammer it in for the last lap for a nice negative split. I ended up finishing in 36:37, which is in the range of what I was shooting for based on race calculators and my other PRs from shorter and longer distances.

The race also featured a 5K, with a "doubleheader" option of running both the 10K and 5K. The true MDRA superstars were the flying married duo of Kirk and Anne. Both took 2nd in their age groups. Great job guys! They also have the annoying distinction of being the two most photogenic people WHILE racing. They always look like they're enjoying running. What gives?

To prove that racing is painful, I submit to you a photo of me at the halfway point of the race, running side by side with local running great Dan Morse (editor's note, he ran the doubleheader and I only ran one race, which is the only way I could keep up with him). He's demonstrating to me proper form. However, I'm apparently not paying any attention! I am generally an exhibit on how not to run!

Nathan, don't punch yourself in the face! Get those arms down.

Since I last posted, I also PRed in the 5K at Brian Kraft. So that makes PRs in the 1 mile, 5K, 8K, 10K and half marathon, all in 2008. The one that eludes me is the marathon! Here's to a PR at Twin Cities in October! It's been a great running year thus far, and hopefully that continues!