I am still too young...

Last saturday I had the pleasure to join other fellow runners in the 5th Memorial Malcolm Phillips 5km Race, which is the only race in the territory to use "age graded" timing to classify the runner...

So, once you run your 5K, all the times are equalized using the WADA tables. In this way, also Veteran runners have a fair chance to win the race...

So it is a bit tricky to "younger" runner to pace the effort, because you never know if some "old chap" running in 21' is anyway ahead of you in age-graded terms.

Anyway a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon and I was curious to see where my fitness stands after 2 months or relaxed training.

Running at 4pm in Summer on a very hilly course in SaiKung is not exactly the recipe for a PB, so I just aimed to push the pace from the start without caring too much of pacing and the risk of blowing up...

To cut it short, I run at the front with another guy, until I decided that he was suffering more than myself, so it was time to attack.. I cut the finish line 1st in 17'11", which is really a positive surprise considering the heat and hills...

Once the results were out, I ended up 2nd (with an equalized time of 16'00"), missing out the win by a mere 6 seconds to a 62-yo runner who completed in a very respectable 20'07" equalized to 15'54"..

So I still have another 20 years ahead to eventually win this race.....

All the top 5 Women and Men..(the winning women was a GB International in her prime, marathon PB of 2h32'...) 

The effect of running at 4pm + the added dehydration of putting down some coffeine to digest the lunch were that from 4.20pm to 8pm I probably drank 4-5 liters of liquids until my stomach could not take it anymore...

At least another week of summer gone...