The 2021 Suffield Summer 5km Series at Bruce Park kicked off tonight.

I showed up, since much of the fitness battle is just that, "Showing Up".  The difficult part was the temperature was in the middle to high '90's at race time, with brutal humidity.

I had attended two of these sessions back in 2019 (no events during 2020's COVID Restriction Season).

I had managed times of 28:04 & 27:32 during 2019.

For tonight's run, I was hoping to:

• Run a steady pace
• Not drop due to the heat
• Be smart and not get hurt

I began, by later on reviewing the video of the start, not in last place but roughly about 9th from the rear.  Honestly, the heat had me worried.

I stuck to a steady pace, feeling just about uncomfortable but not to the point of wanting to quit.  When I got to the finish of the first loop (the route has changed slightly, it is now only two equal loops) I believe the timer shouted 13:19.  That seemed about right for how I was feeling.  The question was, how much could I hang on for Loop Two?

The answer was fairly well.  I finished exactly at 27:00 for a 8:41 pace per mile.  Nothing exciting, but considering how long it has been since I went at race-pace (two years) and the extreme heat and humidity, I was plenty satisfied.  Plus, I didn't pull anything.