Bet Shemesh 5km Community Run

The Bet Shemesh 5km Community Run on behalf of, this year, the Benjamin Library, was a blast. I went into it thinking I would take it easy. The course is half uphill and half down. I figured the uphill would be tough and I would take it slow, and then down I would make up some time, but take it easy. It is always fun watching the crowds at these events. Lots of children, old people, families, etc.

I started off by running 7km from my house to the starting point of the race. I figured that would turn it into a reasonable distance for a Friday morning run.

that's me in orange

I started off on the uphill and felt great. I picked up speed to a regular pace and felt strong. I decided halfway up that I was feeling strong enough to run hard and try to finish well.

After the long climb, I made it to the top and then across to the 2.5km marker and turn. The rest of the way, except for one small stretch right before the end, was downhill. I was now turning on my motors and running hard. I was flying, passing everyone in sight. I skipped the water station, despite the heat, and kept motoring on. I was running at speeds I normally don't run at.

It is far easier to run a breakneck speed when your distance is limited to 5km, than it is when it is longer or more open-ended.

I pulled into the finish line at 24:57 or so, having run a pace of 4:55 minutes per kilometer. I finished 7th in my category and 43rd overall.

It was a lot of fun. If you are in Bet Shemesh you should be sure to participate next year.