Training Log Archive: franmea

Rick and I each ran The Macklind Mile sponsored by Big River Running Company of which Ben Rosario is a co-owner. It was raining hard last night and through the morning here. But there was a good showing at the race anyway. There was a men's start and then 15 minutes later a women's start and then the elite start (17 runners).

We had disposable chip timing. My chip time was 9:48.3. I am very pleased to have broken 10 minutes. In the women's group, I was 204th out of about 247. I was second in my age group (out of 4) with a 60-year-old whom I don't know beating me by 3 seconds. So I didn't win a Mizuno waterproof jacket. Bummer.

It was a fun event. I ran near a sweet 7-year-old Isobel. Also saw my friends Dottie Gray (age 84 and running), Sue Turner, Donna Springer (race walking), Ana Schnizer, Carol Peluso (in the age category above me and much faster), and others.

I ran for about 25 minutes to warm up before the start, so I got my heart going OK and didn't get the sick feeling during the Mile Run. I shed my cycling jacket (which I had been wearing to keep warm before the race) at about a quarter mile. I memorized the house address where I left it on the lawn so I could pick it up after the race. After a half mile, since I was feeling Ok and it was all downhill from there, I tried to use the downhill and keep my breathing steady and push it. At the last quarter, I urged Isobel to push it (I figured she had plenty left in the tank) and she came with me and finished 2 tenths of a second ahead of me.

They were hoping that the winner of the elites would break 4 minutes, but with the rain the winning time was 4:09.2. Ben Rosario and Adam MacDowell were 4th at 4:14.6. The first woman was at 4:54.1. Ben's younger brother, Jon Carl, ran in the regular men's group and got 5th place overall at 4:30.2. When Zan was in high school running cross country, we used to cheer for Jon Carl when he ran in the boy's division. He is two years younger than Zan and Angela.

Bicycled to and then back home from 5:30 p.m. Mass at St. Stanislaus Kostka Polish Roman Catholic Church. Weekday evening Mass is in the "catacombs," the chapel in the basement of the rectory. A beautiful day, sunny and warm (but not awfully hot), and low humidity for St. Louis in July.