The author and his wife, Alison, woke up late and were running behind schedule. They usually rely on one of their children to wake them up early, but on this occasion, Logan slept in until 7am. As a result, they had to rush and the possibility of getting coffee seemed unlikely. However, when they arrived in Cambridge, they decided to prioritize getting a coffee over a proper warm-up. They both arrived at the start line a bit flustered but energized from the caffeine. Unbeknownst to them, the race was designated as an Inter-Counties match, meaning there were several fast runners present. The author found himself standing near a fast runner and soon realized that he may have positioned himself too far forward. As the race started, he was quickly overtaken by faster runners.
The author wanted to give the race his best effort while also being cautious not to exhaust himself too early. He used his watch to maintain a pace of around 3:50 minutes per kilometer for the first kilometer and then decided not to check his watch for the rest of the race. Despite not having a proper warm-up, the author eventually settled into a rhythm and started to feel good after the first few kilometers. The course was fast, and he found himself running alongside faster runners, including his wife, Alison. This encouraged him to pick up his pace, and by the halfway mark, his legs felt strong. As the runners reached an out-and-back towpath, the author decided to maintain his pace before increasing it when they turned back towards the finish line at the 8K mark.
The author expected his pace to catch up with him but was pleasantly surprised when it never did. He saw Alison on the route and her words of encouragement motivated him to push even harder. He tackled a challenging hill, knowing he could catch his breath at the top before sprinting towards the finish line. Suddenly, he found himself passing other runners and finishing strongly. When he looked at his watch, he couldn’t believe his time of 38:01 (chip time 38:00). Alison also had a challenging day but managed to achieve a personal best of 38:38. They celebrated their achievements with a coffee. The author is uncertain how long his good performance streak will last, but he is enjoying the results of his consistent training throughout the summer. He knows that rest will be necessary eventually, but for now, he is enjoying the ride.
