Benicia 10K Time Trial

Benicia Run for Education

(Event #9 of 10)

Sunday I ran a local 10K race that I had selected because it was nearby and 3 weeks away from my last Event of my year-long journey: The Avenue of The Giants Marathon on Sunday May 5 (coincidently, also my 66th Birthday).

A beautiful, cool, windy clear day in the historic town of Benicia on the northwestern edge of the San Francisco Bay. Small town feel, with proceeds from 1,500 Benicia Run for Education entrants (10K, 5K and Kids' 1-miler) all going for their local schools. 

The course was an out & back, with several hills, but the main reason I had chosen the 10K was it is a commonly-used time trial or predictor for marathon finish times (and also for realistic pacing). 

My 10K time of 51:12 converts to predicted marathon finish time of just under 4 hours. 

It had always been my intent to use the only marathon I'd run during this Comeback65 year as a qualifier for the following Boston Marathon. 

60-69 Age Award 2nd Place. 

I need a 4:05 to be confident of an entry (though my official qualifying cut-off is 4:10). 

But I have run enough marathons to know 'certainty' is not part of marathoning and to take nothing for granted 19 days from now.

2013 Boston Marathon

In Memory of  those who lost their lives at the 2013 Boston Marathon.

I am devastated by yesterday's bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon. 

My heart goes out to those who lost their lives, their families and the many, many others both physically and emotionally injured. Whoever is responsible, they have no value for life.

The first of my 10 events was originally to have been last year's Avenue of the Giants Marathon to try to qualify for this year's 2013 Boston Marathon.  But then a muscle injury in early April last year required my reordering the planned events. 

The Boston Marathon finish line clock yesterday read 4:09 at the time of the first blast (approximately 1 minute from the finish line). I could very well have been there at that time, and thank 'serendipity' for that not being the case.

What's Next

I am going to run The Avenue of The Giants Marathon with all I have, so that next April 2014 on Massachusetts Patriots Day, maybe I will be privileged to then join thousands of runners and hopefully the largest spectator turnout in the 118 year history of the Boston Marathon to communally say No to senseless violence -- and Yes for respect of life and for the freedoms, values and traditions that Americans celebrate.