Day 1,531: O'Highlands Jig and Jog 5K, a first!

Today my fiancee and I ran in the annual O'Highlands Jig and Jog 5K in our Virginia-Highland neighborhood.

Although I didn't run the hilly course in PR time, I did do something I'd never before done in any race -- place first in my age group.

We started the race sort of easy. It ended up being a 7:30 pace. The next mile was similar and I had saved enough to start to kick around the last six-tenths of a mile.

I guess it was enough. The second and third place people in my division were about 30 seconds behind me.

I was 17th overall in the men's division (about 500 people of both sexes in the race). My fiancee did even better -- she was third overall for women in the race and placed first in her age category.

I ran in the race last year even though I knew it was so close to the ING Georgia Marathon.

I'm still glad I did. This year, with even the Publix Georgia Half Marathon before us, I'm happy I participated in such a fun community event.

Time: 8 a.m.
Temp: 41 degrees
Gear: Tech T, long, Tech T, short (Junior League St. Paddy's Day 5K), shorts, Nike Air Pegasus 27.