The 2022 Lindsay Milk Run 10km road race in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. The first running event I’ve entered and completed in over a decade. And, it went well…
Officially, I ended up with a time of 55:18. My number one goal was, as always, to finish the run injury-free. I did that, along with a 4km cool down run directly following the finish. My time goal was to break 60 minutes with my secondary goal of getting as close to 50 minutes as possible. I came almost exactly right between those two numbers.
I also had a secret goal at the back of my head to finish in the top three for my age group (50-59). I did not. I came in sixth out of just 12 finishers. It turns out, one of the ‘old guys’, Allan Pribaz, runs like he’s in his 20’s. Pribaz finished first in the age group with a time of 39:46 and was seventh overall in the run.
Overall, I came in 66th out of 161 finishers in the 10km. Not bad for a 53 year old that not two years ago thought his running days were over…
Could I Have Done Better?
Everyone’s answer to that question is almost always going to be a ‘Yes’. I believe I could have certainly done better. After all these years, I find it amazing how we can run so much faster in these events while surrounded by other people that we could even when pushing it on a training run. I felt I wasn’t really pushing the envelope and was just starting to get into a groove where I was catching other runners when the gap between myself and the next runners became a canyon.
Just past the 5km mark, there was no one left to pass. Those that were ahead of me were ahead by enough that I couldn’t see them. The thrill of the pursuit was suddenly gone and I felt I was just trying to maintain. Maybe, in a bigger event, I would have had the encouragement of bodies in my sights to keep me moving a bit faster. Maybe, but I won’t know until I try again.
What’s Next?
There are a few events I’m looking at but the only one confirmed is the Phoenix Trail Races in London, Ontario on October 15, 2022. This is a 50km trail race at Fanshawe Conservation Area. The run consists of two mostly flat trail loops around Fanshawe Lake. It’s a course I’m familiar with as I ran the 25km a number of years back when it was dubbed the Vulture Bait Trail Races. I also spent a summer working trail maintenance at the park.
As for personal, unofficial events, I’m looking to do some long distance runs close to home and around where our summer trailer is in Bobcaygeon. I’m setting my sights on runs of 25km up to 60km and beyond.