What do I mean by ‘burn a match’?  

In racing, you sometimes choose to push really hard; so hard that you use resources that are not easily replaced. When racing, we only have a limited amount of resources (matches) and once used (burned) they are gone.

On Sunday, I will be racing a 5K run.  It is over two years since I last ran a 5K, and I am curious to see how I will do, now that I am two years older.  My last race was a Turkey Trot and I ran a 5K personal best that day.  Since that race, I have run a faster 5K time, but not in an official race.

The race on Sunday is an out and back, along a flat, ‘rails to trails’ pathway.  It’s a crushed limestone pathway, so not the fastest surface to run on.  Hopefully the pathway is dry. If it is then it will be almost like running on asphalt.  

The other concern for Sunday is the temperature.  It is forecast to be right around freezing point at the time the race is due to start.  I will have to make sure I warm up effectively, and to time the warm-up well to ensure I don’t get cold again.

This is the perfect time of year to try something like a fast 5K.  I am well recovered from this past race season and next season is a long way off.  It really is a good time to go ‘burn a match’.