Valentine Run

The Valentine Run 4-miler is always an exciting event because it marks the official start of the running season. The schedule here is “Spring-loaded,” so to speak. Between March and June you can find a race to run almost every weekend. The Valentine Run gives you a good indication of how much work you still have to do.

The weather was threatening, but the wind and rain stayed away for the duration of the race. I had an encouraging training week, which was fortunate because the previous week had been lousy.

One of the great features of any short race organized by Capital Road Race Management is the presence of a half-mile marker. It’s essential for those of us without a Garmin. I don’t know how many times I’ve reached the one-mile marker in a race only to discover my pace is all wrong, but it’s too late to do anything about it.

I hit the half-mile mark at 3:49, which pleased me, but I knew I wouldn’t maintain it for the whole race. I started dialing it back, and completed the first mile at 7:49, which meant I ran the second half-mile right on my target pace.

Miles 2 and 3 were identical 8:03 paces, and I was running comfortably, so I started to pick it up again. I was thrilled to have a really strong sprint at the end, completing the final mile in 7:46.

Finish: 31:41
216th out of 764
15th out of 30 in age group

I’ve whined about my age group before, but it still bears mentioning that the top 9 guys in the 50-54 age group all averaged sub-6:45 splits.

All in all, better than I expected, but with a way to go before I’m happy. I felt even better on Sunday, running a 1:26 ten-miler, even through the wind, rain and, at one point, hail.

Four weeks until my next race, the Shamrock’n Half Marathon on March 15.