Johnsonville Charge, 5-Miler

Saturday marked our sixth race in this year's state running tour. This week's stop took us to Johnsonville State Historic Park in New Johnsonville, Tennessee. After most recently running 6-, 7-, and 8-milers, I was relieved that this was a five-mile course. Described as "flat, fast and easiest of all" the tour courses, I was prepared to take it up a notch and achieve a new PR.

The morning was quite cool, but not as cold as it has been around here. Still, I decided to run with gloves and a stocking cap. A musket shot set the clock in motion, and we dashed off towards a historic road built upon an old railroad bed once used to transport Union supplies between the Tennessee River and Nashville. This was a simple out-and-back course which, thankfully, was indeed flat. Running with no pain for the first time since November, I felt like I was off to a (relatively) fast start, which perhaps explained why I was heating up so quickly. Before the two mile mark, my gloves and hat came off and spent the remainder of the run alternating between my right and left hands.

There was water at the two-and-a-half mile turnaround point, but I declined - as I always do - needing instead to suck in as much oxygen as possible to keep my legs going. I lied to myself the entire race, telling myself I would slow to a walk at the turnaround cone before pushing this carrot-on-a-stick mirage back to the end of mile three and, ultimately, mile four. Once I found myself still running at the beginning of mile five, I ceased with the all the lying and admitted to myself I would fight through the pain now originating in my left knee and finish this thing like somebody who writes a fitness blog would.

I pulled in at the finish line with a time of 43:56, twenty-nine seconds shy of my personal best. Finishing 16th out of 19 runners in the men's 40-49 bracket and 66th out of 116 overall was a disappointment to which lately I've become accustomed. My daughter's performance, however, helped brighten the otherwise cloudy and chilly day. With a time of 51:10, she finished third in the girls' 10-14 year-old category, earning herself yet another tour medal.

Showing off her 3rd place medal

 



The post-race meal, provided by the Friends of Johnsonville State Historic Park, featured stew and chili. There was an abundance of each and both were delicious. Many thanks goes out to the Friends group for all of their efforts. It was nice having a hot meal outside in the cold and the perfect way to close out the 2014 Johnsonville Charge.

Crowd gathers around the food after the race

 

With the race director, Coach Redden