I've been in quite a funk lately and was hoping for a big breakthrough race to help me snap out of it. I ran 2 miles to warm up and was feeling pretty fatigued. It was warm (80 degrees) but there was a nice cloud cover so the sun wasn't beating down on us. As is always the case when I run 5k's I just want to hold 6:00/mile pace the entire race. The first mile has a nice little climb so I expected the split to be around 6:15 then hoped to make up the difference the rest of the race. Started out running with Jeremy Holt (Dave's cousin) and we stuck together for the first mile. Started out in the top 10 (I think) and pretty much stayed in the same position the entire race. First mile was 6:13 and felt decent. The second mile has a nice little downhill section and I thought I would come in under 6:00. It felt like I picked it up but the split was 6:03. I just couldn't dig in and force myself to push the pace. Averaged 5:58 over the last 1.1 but was passed by two runners. One was early in the 3rd mile and the other was coming down the home stretch. He was really moving and I knew that I didn't have the foot speed to beat him so I let him go. Crossed the finish line in 18:50 - pretty much right on with what the course tool predicts for a 6:00/mile 5k. I started dry heaving after I finished so I guess that means that it was a good effort. I don't know my exact finishing place but I think it was around 10th. I took first place for my age group (M35-39) which was a surprise because I thought a couple of the guys ahead of me were older. I didn't stick around for the awards ceremony because I had to rush home to get the kids ready to go to the parade. I seem to be stuck at 6:00/mile pace for 5k's. I know that physically I have more but I just can not convince myself to deal with the discomfort. This is most likely due to running so little at a faster pace. So, it wasn't the break through that I was hoping for but it was still a decent run.
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