No Sandbagging the Handicap race.

Last night i ran the Scarb'AC handicap race. As a newbie to the club the race doesn't count, its merely to find out how fast you run to evaluate you for your handicap next time.  They set me off first with a 5 minute handicap along side another fellow, who looks about 75, i thin he is about 75 too.  No one caught me and i have the joy of crossing the line first 'winning' without winning.  I'm sure, the only time i will cross that line first.

It was a bugger of a course, after a 2 minute warm up down hill the first mile was all up hill.  Then continued to be undulating the whole course.  I considered not putting in my full effort so get a more advantageous handicap but it seems my legs didn't want to sandbag, i couldn't stop myself from going full throttle.  4.47m in 40:38 avg pace 9:05!!  Really surprised and chuffed with that pace.

I was just looking back at DM and saw a post 6 months ago which read:
3 mi 00:29   09:46 pace

well i felt bloody uncomfortable actually. I was running with Brady in Chicago - who runs a 7-8 min mile normally, so he made me run faster. It was really good having someone pushing me. Wish i could hire him! My legs could have gone way further, but my lungs were shot!

Look how far i have come in 6 months.  I remember that run was really tough for me.  I'm not sure how much more my legs could have done, but i was done by that last sprint at the end.  Now i can run 4.5 miles at a 9:05 pace and wasn't hurting anywhere near as much.  I probably could have gone faster, but i wasn't aiming for pain, I'd say my effort was 9/10 which was plenty.

Don't know whether to do a recovery 3 miles today, i feel a bit stiff and Monday really felt good. yes, i think i will, then ride tomorrow and long run on Sunday.