Monday, August 2, 2010

Gring's Mill 10k

Sunday was the umpteenth annual Gring's Mill 10k in beautiful Reading, PA. An out and back course on a crushed gravel trail. The Gring's Mill is advertised as 'the prettiest race in PA' and also about 1/3 of a mile from where I grew up.

Every time I come back there I notice the little things I used to do as a kid on the trail. I used to pop a wheelie on this rock. Sledding hill over there, and the tree I cracked my head open on while sledding. Smoked my first cigarette behind that tree. Good times!

So anyway, this was the first time I actually drove to the park. I arrived around 8am, picked up my number, shirt, and a sweet bag. I met up with my dad who also ran the race along with a former high school friend and another friend from Harrisburg.

The starting temp was around 70 with lots of humidity! The first mile I went out pretty strong around 6:30, and the second mile I hit around 13 minutes. Because this was on a trail and 100% shaded, I didn't even bother wearing my GPS because I know it would be beeping at me the entire time trying to find a signal. They did have mile markers but I hit the 3rd mile at 18:18. No way that was correct. We hit the turn around (which wasn't even the 1/2 way point) and maybe thought the 3 mile marker would be more appropriate this time... not so much. I hit the 3rd mile marker again in 22 and change. There were 303 entries in the 10k and I was only passed by two people the entire race. I'm not a big fan of starting near the front because I hate to go out too strong, unlike some races in the past. Plus, I like to pass people.

I started to hurt around mile 4 or so and it was getting pretty spread out by that point so I just figured I would put it on cruise control and not try and push it. Of course some dude had to come up behind me and try and pass me. I hung with him for about 1/2 a mile and decided to let him go. My finishing time was 43:05, 33/303which is about 1:10 faster than last year. I'm still trying to break 40 minutes but Marathon training requires a lot of long slow(er) miles. My dad finished in 1:05.47 273/303 but he's old and injured!

I PASSED ALL THESE LITTLE KIDS!

(this was the 1mile fun run, I'm not that mean)

1 comment:

  1. Look at that, you are doing slower miles and I am trying to go faster.... hehe. (Yes I know with two completely different goals in mind!)

    Maybe next year I can make it back up here and do this race again and see you break 40 (and claim an award)!

    Thanks for inviting me to do this race, it was a blast!

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