Event: Wayzata Alumni Cross Country Race Date: Saturday, August 17, 2013 Location: Wayzata High School Hotel: Home, sweet home Weather: 66F, wind at 7 MPH from the south Official Results: Overall Results Previous Results: First time at this event Personal Result Goal: Speed Workout Official Result: 13:39 (6:49 per mile pace) Overall: 77th (182 total) Podium Boy Result Last Year: 14:35 (107th out of 200) Goal: Under 13:30 Official Result: 13:34 (6:47 per mile pace) Overall: 72nd (182 total) Garmin Direct Garmin Results Link Splits Elevation Summary I made a big jump this past week. From 1984-1997 I worked retail pharmacy. If you count the years I spent working retail as a pharmacy intern whilst in college at North Dakota State University, I had spent 17 years in this particular chapter of my life. In 1997, I started writing a new chapter when I landed a job with a pharmacy benefit management company. For the next 17 years, I applied my trade in an environment where I no longer needed to work nights, weekends, and holidays like I had while in retail. During this time, Podium Boy was born (April 2000) and I also started working from home part-time, and then finally was full-time from home for the last three years. This was greatly advantageous as any parent with a youngin' can attest to. This past Friday was my last day with this company. The time had come for me to close that chapter and write the next one. One that hopefully take me through to retirement. And more importantly, leave a legacy, be more rewarding, and be much less stressful than the past employment. I embark on this period of unemployment with a blank piece of paper, with no idea what career I might attempt to pursue. But to start with, I'm actually going to be a volunteer coach for the Wayzata Middle School cross country team. And first up was the annual Alumni race, pitting the current 7-12 grade class versus the past alumni, or parent of a current runner. Somehow, the alumni always manage to win. It was no different today. Start of the Alumni Race I ran this race with the sole purpose of being a rabbit and pace setter for Podium Boy. We planned to go out at about 6:30 or better pace and then hold it as best we could. There are two fairly significant, albeit short, climbs that really sap the legs. I'm in the white cap, Podium Boy in blue shirtWe went through the first mile in 6:28 and I was really happy with our position and with how Podium Boy was responding to several mini-surges. Much of the course was on a single-track wood chip trail and often we'd have to surge past slower runners when the opportunity presented itself as the trail was lined by trees on either side. The wood chip trail was nice on the old bones Just a little over one mile inWe came to the last hill with about one-half mile to go. I was started to struggle and Podium Boy was laboring on the hill. However, upon cresting I told him to go if he had gas left and he went. This was very pleasing that he was able to pick up the pace after a climb this early in the season. He opened up around 10-yards on me and maintained that going into the finish. Podium Boy zooms for the finish line Podium Boy beats me fair & squareIt was a great day to be running cross country as the weather was ideal. And it was a great way to begin my new chapter in the book of life. Next Race August 25 - Minneapolis Duathlon On Deck September 14 - Park Tool "Fall Classic" Duathlon September 21 - Trees and Trails 5K