Update--Nationals Track 10k

Just a quick follow-up post to last week's entry about my participation in the nationals track 10k. As it happens, I abandoned this one at 5400m, due to the heat and consequent impossibility of meeting my time goal. I managed to stay on 31:00 pace for 2 miles before falling off sharply in mile 3. I reached 5k in 15:50, after which I tried one more lap in order to get an real time pace measurement. A split of 79secs told me that anything under 32mins would be impossible under the conditions. Having no other goals besides the national age group record (31:43), and wanting to preserve my body for some big upcoming races (I get much more beaten-up from racing-- at any pace-- now than ever before) I had no problem with letting this one go.

Meanwhile, group members Dylan Wykes, Rejean Chiasson and Matt Pieterson held up somewhat better, although all sacrificed time due to the heat and humidity. Perhaps next year, when the event will be held in Toronto again, the event will be scheduled a little later in evening, so that the racers can not only compete but challenge their personal best in one of the few serious domestic opportunities to do so.

Look for a longer entry on another topic later this week.