I’ve returned from the Valley Great 8 race this morning, with another decent time in my pocket. I did the 8 miler in just over 1 hour (at 1:00:17) … if I would’ve looked at my watch I probably could’ve broken an hour, but by the time I saw the clock, there was no way I would beat it …

Regardless, I posted a few days back about someone on a local board saying this race was comparable to the Berwick Diamond Run. NO WAY! This race offered only one major hill in the first mile (in my opinion), and rolling hills the rest of the way. Compared to the last 3 races I ran (the Lehigh half, Pocono marathon and last weeks trail run), this was nothing. Someone who was in poor shape decided to give a BAD interpretation of the run, because it was nothing like they said.

There was one aspect of local racing again that I don’t look forward to, its the guys (one specifically that bothered me) that have to be right on the starting line, shirt ripped off, showing off that they are something they are not. Its funny because these guys treated an 8 mile race like it was a 5K, racing out in the first mile or two and then trying to sustain it. WRONG STUD-BOY, IT DOESN’T WORK. I’m not usually negative in my posts here on the blog, but this is all too common, just guys showing off. This same stud that needed to be in the start and showoff, I passed on mile 3 as he was struggling, out of breath, totally beaten up after only a few miles. I’m nothing special, I don’t try to be anything special, I just run my race and my pace, and I find it works. I really have the feel for how to run a race now with the uphills and the downhills.

Either way, I certainly like the marathon crowd better than these local-yocals who they are something, it takes away from the spirit of the race.

Anyway, enough ranting. I enjoyed my race today, I did well, and am looking forward to the Forty Fort Old Fort 5-miler next week on Memorial Day, it should be exciting and the weather is supposed to be decent (so they say).