MHM -47/not a NoHo 5K -- Tue. Aug. 24

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Ouf. Headed out of work at 5, already changed, into the traffic to get to my regular NoHo spot down by the marina. I'd not eaten lunch, just trail mix and nuts, but for a 5K I was alright. Carried a shortsleeve shirt, water and with $5 bill tucked into strap of my Garmin, headed off to the gardens in good time (3 miles to cover slowly, with just about 30 minutes to do it in). Windy, cool, pleasant even if a bit muggy. Ran gently, keeping pace slow, taking slightly different route than previously to get mileage. Just as the gardens came into view, checked Garmin and noticed $5 bill was gone! Somewhere along the way, it had slipped out and blown away, and I'd not seen it. What to do? I backtracked, figuring if I found it within a mile or so I'd have time to run back and join the race -- if I didn't find it, couldn't enter the race anyway.

In the end I backtracked all the way to the car, with no sign of the folded bill. So, a speed workout? I'd done over 5 miles at this point, very slowly (8:30s max), so I dropped off the shirt and bottle and headed out running along the river, eventually hitting a rail trail and going as far as where 91 crosses over it, then doubling back. Aimed at 4 miles tempo, with only very mild hills and mix of road and dirt road surface: 6:45, 6:40, 6:29, 6:17. The last mile was great, cruising for a sub-6:00, but then just over half way through it got an awful stitch, and slowed way down (to 7:20s). Ah well, good workout, and equivalent to a 5K, more or less. Overall:

Time: 1:15:44
Distance: 10.09 miles
Pace: 7:30s

Comment: *bummer* about missing what was to have been my one shot at a NoHo race this summer. Maybe I'll get a chance next week, we'll see. Still, a good speed workout for me, and the ten miles I needed for the overalls. 頑張らなきゃ。