From: Dave Gertler (REMOVEdgertlerTHIS@concentric.net)
Subject: A PR-busting day! (Race report.)
Date: 28 Sep 2002 20:59:24 GMT

One man's happy day ....

My best 5Ks until now have been in the high 22s. Most were run in
the Wilmington (Delaware) riverfront area, which is nice and
flat. I set my PR last month in a race there with 22:49, 6
seconds below my previous mark.

Today was a benefit run for the local Boys' and Girls' Clubs. My
training runs had been going well, so I hoped to shave a bit more
off that 22:49. (Due to both time and physical constraints, my
three weekly workouts are only 1-2 miles each ... not proper
training for a 5K distance, I know.)

This was the first running of this particular race, and the field
was smallish -- about 70-80 runners, I'd guess, and half that
many walkers. I set out at a good steady pace, with my stride
feeling unusually smooth. I maintained that pace for about two
miles (I never saw any mile markers), then started to labor a bit
as the course turned so that we were facing a headwind (more of a
medium-strength headbreeze, actually). Feeling as if the chances
for a PR were slipping away, I upped my cadence a little and
passed a couple of other folks. At last, I turned a corner around
a large building and saw the finish line about 60 yards away. I
summoned a full sprint, whizzing past one fellow and coming up on
another's heels just as he crossed the line.

The good news: 22:21! Nearly half a minute faster than my old PR.

The other good news: there were age-group prizes for the first
three finishers in 10-year intervals, and I came in third in the
40-49 group [and 23rd overall]. My first-ever age-group prize! I
got my picture taken with the other two winners from my age
group, who were much faster [6th and 7th overall].

A funny note: It turned out that the guy who finished a split
second ahead of me was 39 years old. Had he been one year older
(thereby taking third in my age group), I would have kicked
myself for days for not having passed him at the end!

Thanks for reading my tale. I hope it gives all you other
plodders hope that happy surprises could be awaiting you in your
very next race!