I traveled down to Mt. Vernon, in Jefferson County today, to run in the 33rd annual YMCA 10K. The race is very good, even if I did not run it well.
This is my first race in five weeks and during that time I haven't run much at all, due to work-related travel, a vacation and a slight touch of the flu. I thought about finding a 5K to run this week-end, but I haven't run a 10K in more than a year and I am tired of 5ks.
It was a beautiful day for running; a little humid maybe but the temperature was in the low 70s and there was cloud cover over the sun. Still, my time was a dismal 58:18,some seven minutes slower than the last 10K I ran last year. Boy, at my age, you just can't let up with the training.
My plan coming in was to start off slow and just take it slow and easy throughout. That should say something about how I knew I wasn't going to do well, as I came into a 10K with a "plan."
Overall, other than my time, it was a great race. You can tell that they have experience putting this on, as everything ran perfectly. The course was interesting (mostly downhill somehow), the shirts were very nice and the pre-race facilities at St. Mary's Church were superb. My only surprise is I can't believe they don't have more runners for this race, as it is so well done.
I have been through Mt. Vernon before (it is at the crossroads of I-57 and I-64) but never in town before, so seeing the town today was a treat, especially the Appellate Court Building where Lincoln once argued a case.
Jefferson County is the 63rd Illinois county I have run a race in, as I seek to run a race in all 102 Illinois counties. This was a good race. I just need to do better myself.