Ran the 2016 Newnan's Lake 15K Today

When I decided to run in this morning's 9.3-mile Newnan's Lake 15K race, east of Gainesville off Hawthorne Road, I had also decided to deliberately tone down the competitive aspect of the event and just concentrate on going at it with the intent of finding my running "groove".  If you're familiar through personal experience with distance running, you know what I'm talking about: there is a certain pace, unique to each individual, at which runners can push themselves while still able to run indefinitely without the dreaded lactic acid buildup that can ruin a run.  In the previous two races I've participated in, I foolishly went out from the starting line with the notion of speeding up my pace: each attempt left me struggling at the end.  For this run, though, I made a point of deliberately going slower than my normal pace for about half the race...and then increasing my speed to the point where I was comfortable while yet pushing myself.  I stuck to this plan, which resulted in a much slower overall run (1:31:20) and a next-to-last placing in my male/55-59 group. The irony of this is that, long after I had finished the race with my slow run, many participants in other gender/age groups were still on the course.  Apparently, the male/55-59 group is one of the more competitive categories here in Gainesville, where running is very popular...

The temperature at race time (8:30 AM) was about 40 degrees...as the sun rose on this clear day, with no breeze to speak of, the temperature rose into the 50s by race's end...and the air became drier and more pleasant.  The course for this race was more or less flat, with a little sloping in sections that only a flatland-Floridian like me would even notice. Near the start and close of the race, I could look over to the side while running and see pretty Newnan's Lake. Almost all of the race was done on asphalt roads, with a little part about a third of the way through going down a dirt path...

Although my finishing time was about 13 minutes slower than my effort here a year ago, I am more satisfied that I resisted the temptation to get hypercompetitive, especially early on.  When I did pass other runners, it was simply because the pace I had set for myself dictated it.  I think this is the way to go with future races, especially those that are 10K, 15K, and half-marathons.  Next month on February 21 will be Gainesville's Five Points of Life Half-Marathon, which I've run in 2010, 2014, and 2015.  With my renewed confidence in my ability to discipline my pacing in competitive situations, I'm looking forward to another go at it.  My main goal with distance running is to be able to sustain a reasonable degree of activity for as many years possible as I age...

Here is a link to the results from the 2016 Newnan's Lake 15K...