42k relay race report and week 5 recap

The weather was more cooperative this year than last. It was a beautiful day - starting out in the low 60's and reaching low 80's late in the afternoon.

The team name for the relay was "2 Fast, 2 Furious" - a bit cheesy, but appropriate. Our team members were myself, my friend Jason, our co-worker Andrea and her husband John.

I was first to go again this year and also ran the last lap, so my total mileage during the relay was 8.2 miles. We all did a great job, though I started out a little slower than last year, my overall pace was faster - 7:42/mile. I was very happy with my results. Our overall team time for the relay was 3:24:31. About 6 minutes faster than last year.

I did have one mess up during the relay - John, who was last in the rotation ran much faster than he thought and caught me sitting down - I thought I had another minute or two before I had to be at the exchange zone. I was about ready to get up and go over there when I hear my name being screamed... oops. I think we lost about 15 second on that transfer... oh well, we still had lots of fun and are already talking about doing it again next year - but with maybe another team or two...

After we got done, we packed up and Jason, John and Andrea headed out for some lunch, but I, trying to stay dedicated to my training schedule, headed out to get the remaining 8.8 miles in. My plan was to go nice and slow and just get my miles done and I even ran it faster than I expected - at a 9:37/mile pace. Most of the path was shaded and it was very pleasant, but as I got to 6.8 miles, my legs just wanted to rest they were done for the week.

The good news is: I got all my runs in and just 2 mile short for the week, but I think that is still a victory. Next week is a step back week of sorts, so I can let my legs rest a little.