First NoHo XC -- Tue. May 12

On the last day of classes, after giving a makeup quiz at 5 p.m., changed quickly and then to car and drove (slow traffic!) to Northampton, in enough time to go down to the river and park there. Finish changing, then set off in shorts and long-sleeve top: nice two miler there, get mainly warmed up, to find a good crowd, but no Ivan, 残念ながら。 Pay up and line up: aiming for sub-21, even if barely, and manage to hold back a bit at the start, but a strong young crowd: complete first mile sub-6:00. Ouf. Hills slow me down after that, and I have two target people: overtake one (Dave) at start of mile three, and he pursues up the steep short hill, and we tussle for last mile: final stretch he's really pushing and at the end I can't get any faster without risk of retching, while he powers past. Good close finish, in sub-20 time and 17th place:

Time: 19:47 (19:46)
Distance: 3.1 (3.16) miles
Pace/Speed: 6:15s/9.4 mph

Comment: chatted to Dave C (from HCC, teaches Eng) after, and Adrian S from UMass (Psych), and plan to race Dave C again next week. Good fast first run -- won't be easy to beat for me, but the last mile is the secret: 6:45 after a 5:55 first mile. Best ever on this course is 19:36, so still a way to go.

Completed the day with a run back to the car, for a total extra of 4.1 miles @ 31:13.