~6.9 miles @ ~10.2 min/mi

"Half a mile to go, Sir!" Not much else to offer a runner who's retching into the bushes beside the trail. Hills, heat, and humidity slow everyone's pace in today's cross-country race, the MCRRC Little Bennett 10k (-ish) held in a park near Clarksburg Maryland. Comrade Barry kindly drives Ken and me there in the codgermobile, fueled outbound by much geezerly banter and during the return trip by a pause at Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins.

"Are we guaranteed to get wet feet? Yay!" My 'tude amuses RD Monika Bachmann as she describes the course pre-event. The race begins at 0730, after an acoustic guitar rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" and applause for the Park Service. Fast runners pull me along at a sub-10 min/mi pace for the first hour, aided by stretches of the course along gravel roads. Little Bennett Creek is only ankle-deep this year, fun to splash-dash across. Roots and rocks make Barry take a tumble and scrape his arm and shin. Ken's close encounter with Nature reminds me of Uncle Toby's wound in Tristram Shandy: when asked where he was injured, Toby always answered geospatially rather than anatomically.

Official result: 72nd of 116 total finishers - 3rd of 6 in the 60-64 year old male age group, 59th of 81 males - gun time 1:09:52. (photo by J Bird)

(trackfile) - ^z - 2017-07-25