Brrrrr!

What a morning in Reese for a run. 7 degrees with a wind howling out of the north, but there was around 100 runners and walkers that braved the elements. There was even a guy that only had a sleeveless Michigan football jersey and headband on. I thought he must be a 5K runner, because he would be out here for a long time if he is walking the 5K or running the 10K.

Despite the cold, the roads were pretty clear except for running through the Reese High School entrances for the start, the 10K turnaround, and the finish. Once we got started, the crowd thinned pretty quick and we were moving a pretty good pace. I wanted to try and stay under 7 min/mile for the race. After the first mile, I realized that it was just too cold too push the limit and backed off a bit. I have not ran a 10K since really getting back into running and my previous 10K PR was 49:54. I switched goals to try and keep a steady pace and secure a new PR. I kept a steady pace from the second mile to the finish between 7:15-7:20. As I hit the 6 mile mark, I saw the sleeveless Michigan WALKER. I passed him about 20 seconds before I crossed the finish line and talked with him a bit after the race (inside the school). He said it didn't get too cold out there. I was thinking, "Whatever, I was freezing and I was bundled up like an Eskimo."

I finished with a time of 45:04 for a 4:50 10K PR. I ended up 15th out of 44 10K runners and 6th in my age group, but I will take it on a frigid day.

I talked after the race to a local runner that has run the Winter Wolf in Omer which is a 15 mile combination trail and road race. I was debating doing this race in late January. I was 50/50 but due to his description, I am going to add this race to my schedule. I will be running this race after my next race. Next up barring an additional race next weekend, is the New Year's Resolution Run in Menominee, MI on January 16th.