Monthly Handicap

Today:
Distance: Race, 10km plus 5.4km warm up and cool down
Time: Race, 42'04"
Rate: Race, 4' 12.4" per km
Finished: 53rd
Weather: cool, temp 14-16 degrees,cloudy,stiff west wind, humidity 60%
Week: 15.4km
April: 432.25km
Year: 1559.7km

Surprises come in all forms and running is no different. A midday start yesterday and a late afternoon finish with a few minutes only in the cool river water meant I still had a few sore and weary muscles with not much recovery before today's race. This event over our longest distance of 10 km is not the most difficult course we run, not hilly with a few undulating parts. A very good race course with a little bit of everything. A cloudy day with a light drizzle on the way to the event had visions of a wet race. In my 130 handicap race over more than 13 years, there have been only 5 a most wet run days on the last Sunday in the month. But the rain stayed away, yesterday's rain having softened up the track surface nicely.
Somehow, after a short warm up, away I went in the 3rd last handicap group giving the "go" runners 44 minutes start. The short version of the run was I felt fairly good all run, passed only by a couple later starters and finished 53rd, mid pack. Not too bad after yesterday. The surprise is all the aches and pains of long slow running have gone, back tomorrow I suppose.
As well, not much sleep, finished work at midnight, turned on the TV for the cricket, raining in Barbados as well, got 2 hours sleep, woke up again just in time for delayed start, saw a couple of hours of the Aussie batting,nodded off for while on the couch and finally got ready for the today's run. Should be ready for bed tonight straight after BB. Start work Monday morning at 5:50AM so may need a snooze at lunch break on the back seat. That is the weekend that was. Only 3 weeks to GH80 and looking forward to it.