Upcoming Weekend Race: O'Gara's Irish Run 8K
>> Wednesday, March 16, 2016
There are 2 big things about this race for me:
First, it's my first shorter, harder, "all-out" race (without my boys) in a WHILE. Seriously, it's been a long time since running a mid-distance road race without my boys. I've done the TC 10K and TC 5K the last 2 Octobers, but those weren't all-out because it was part of the Loony Challenge weekend. My last all-out non-stroller-pushing road race between 2 and 10 miles was a 2 miler in 2013!
Second, it will be my first race as a USA Track and Field (USATF) member as I race for my team: the YWCA of Minneapolis Endurance Sports team. This doesn't give me any added stress because we're pretty much a "just have a good time" team, but it feels more "official" to be racing for a team.
This race used to go down (beautiful) Summit Ave, and now it goes down (ugly) Selby Ave. It goes from near our current neighborhood to our old neighborhood and back. The turn-around is actually right in front of one of my old college apartments, just a half block from my old undergrad (now closed). I've done this 8K (on it's old course) twice before: once in 2008 in 30:30 (6:08 pace) as I was just getting back into running, and once again on a hot day in 2012 in 29:15 (5:53 pace) as I was racing the Grand Prix series. I THINK I can PR this weekend mainly because in 2012 the heat slowed everyone down. I'd LOVE to run about 5:50 pace, which would put me just under 29 minutes (28:59.5).
Keep an eye on my twitter and/or my instagram page for updates pre- and post-race on Saturday morning!
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2 comments:
Although it's the same weekend (different day) as the Summit Ave race they are actually totally different races. The O'Garas race was new in 2015, organized by totally different people, and probably contributed to the folding of the long-standing (since the 1970s) Irish Run.
It'll be interesting to see if O'Garas can continue the competitive tradition of the original event, getting the USATF and MDRA competitions into it gives hope.
I know they are different races, but I swear I remember seeing something about "the Irish Run is now O'Gara's Irish Run." I thought they sort of did a transfer. Maybe not. Oh well, at least we get to run an ugly course....
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