I am probably heading down to the race in about an hour and a half in order to try to find a convenient parking spot, so I suppose I’d better talk about the race.

I’m nervous. It’s hot and I don’t think it’s going to cool off anytime soon. I have trained in hot weather, but not consistently, and the last few days it has been cooler. This is also the longest race I have run. I know I’ve set my sights on even longer runs, but this is a longer race at a fast pace, which is a lot different than, say, running a marathon at a more sustainable pace.

Unlike the other races I’ve done lately, this won’t have many walkers, if there are any at all. This is a small race, and I am going to be one of the last people to finish, based on the results of previous years.

I think this to myself before every race, but this race especially: I can not go out hard. I need to be smart about my pacing and hold back a bit. A lot. And probably not speed up until the turnaround.

Timewise, I don’t know what to expect, so I’m giving myself a broad range between my A and B standards.

A Standard: 56:00
B Standard: 59:59

I was going to write an hour, but I realized no matter what, I want to come in under an hour and I will be extremely disappointed if I don’t. I realize that is almost a minute slower in pace than my 5K PR, and I have been training like a fiend for this race, but I’m lacking confidence at the moment.

This is the first race I’ve ever trained for in such a focused manner, and I hope I see the benefits of my efforts over the past 9 weeks while I’m out there on the road. If it wasn’t so hot and humid, I would feel a lot better about my chances of a successful race. Come on, Lake Superior, give me a nice breeze!