Sunday was a beautiful day. The sun was out and the temperatures were warm. It was 73 degrees in Memphis on Sunday. It was also a perfect day for the final race of the Winter Cross Country Series, which happened to be a 10K race through Shelby Farms! It was nice to run in shorts and a tri top once again!
The race started out like any other race. I had a goal time and I had no idea where I was going. The map they allowed us to download was very confusing. Look at this: Anyways, I really felt good for about the first two miles of the race, I was maintaining a solid 8:15 pace and I was feeling good about it. I got to about mile marker 4 on the map above before the terrain really started getting to me. It was up and down the entire way, very few flat surfaces for us to run. As I was passing that marker, I could see the leaders coming back my way and I thought, Wow, I am not that far behind them, but what I did not know was that here was a turn which took us around the amphitheater. So imagine my disappointment when I realized, "Yeah, they are far ahead of me!" The second loop got us running into a headwind that was strong. Before I left the house, I saw a wind advisory flash up telling us to secure any loose outdoor equipment you may have outside, so Yeah, it was windy. I was disappointed that I walked through the aid stations, but I tried to keep them short and sweet. See that last little off-shoot to the finish line? When I came down that shoot, some old lady had just passed me, and I said No way Granny! (I didn't really say it) and I could see the clock ticking ahead. I saw that it was around 56:45 when I was entering the finishing chute and I emptied the tank. I had a goal of 54 minutes, but I wasn't going to make it, so I decided I was going to beat 57 minutes. So I went hard, and actually finished it in a sprint. My Garmin had me at a 5:27 pace that last stretch and my watch had me at 56:58. They recorded my time at 57 minutes, but as you can see, I have proof!
Not the easiest thing to figure out is it? Since I was unsure of the route, I decided to let some of the other guys take the lead and I would just follow them! J 
I finish 15th in my AG and 120th overall out of a field of 345 people. It was good, and I was happy. I think running this series has definitely helped my running and I look forward to the road series this summer.
Nice race dude! You'll be well ahead of the game once your HIM training begins.
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