The Cardinal Pump and Chase 5K benefits the Mentor High School track team which my son, Rick, is a member or. The race begins and ends on the high school track and following the local bike/exercise path. Runners get a chance to get time taken off their race time by bench pressing weights. I ran the race for the first time last year and went back and forth whether to run it again but it's one of the very few races Rick and I can do together so I decided to give a go. I am not very strong so I don't get a WHOLE lot of time off but at least I get something. I am not sure why but this race sucked the life out of me. I usually don’t have any problems after a race but I honestly did nothing but lay around all day afterward.
This was the first time running on where it wasn't completely flat in several months so I wasn't sure what to expect. My hamstring wasn’t happy with the “rolling hills”, it was freezing cold and snowing the morning of the race, I ran into the wind for about half the race, and my upper strength has not improved in a year so five minutes was all I could get for a time credit (max was 10 so I am not complaining). Two minutes slower this year but also two minutes faster than my time for a race on the same course in July. 26:44 actual run time but 21:44 with the time credit. I never looked at my watch even once and thought for sure I was practically walking by the end but my splits weren’t too shabby.
As I have mentioned, I decided earlier this year that 2018 would probably not be the year for PRs but focusing on just being happy God is still allowing me to run and this morning before I left for the race, I texted my friend whose brother is battling brain cancer and told her today’s race was for her and her brother so much unexpected second place in my AG was a super surprise and I dedicated it to them. Rick got second in his AG as well so that was cool. Very few of the XC boys can bench press enough to qualify for any time off so the majority of them do not. Nothing like getting passed by every single one of them even when you have a five minute head start. Lol.
Fun race despite the cold. Not running outside and being used to the cold air in my lungs was definitely part of my lackluster performance but the whole vibe was awesome and there is just something about being in a race where your son and the kids you cheer on during XC and track are doing the same for you whether they are working the course, passing you up, or as you enter the stadium for the finish and they are all there “waiting” for you.
Stats
26:44 (21:44 with five minute time credit)
42/130 OA
13/48 females
3/12 AG 40-49 awarded 2nd
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