Today did my first race of the year. I wasn't sure what I'd have today, as I was sick last week and had not been doing as many workouts due to the cold. However, things went better than I expected. We went through the first mile in 5:01 - at this point there was a pack of 5 or 6 runners, including Teren. Then, out of nowhere Nate Hornock surges past everyone - opening a gap of at least 10 meters. I wondered what he was up to, and decided to believe he was bluffing. At least, I sure hoped he was.
The pack stayed together until the half-way point, which I had as 7:51. I made a move, and Jace Nye went with me. We ran side-by-side, with a pack of 3 or 4 pretty close behind. I didn't like the idea of Teren drafting behind me, so after we caught Nate (somehere before two miles), I surged and moved over to the side - a trick Nate had used on me in this very same race some years earlier. This let the chase pack take the wind.
By mile 2, (5:08) the chase pack had dropped back. It was just me and Jace. That is when I started kicking. I'm not a sprinter - so I needed to break him before we reached the last 400. We surged back and forth, but by about 1K he was gone. I ran scared, not looking back. Soon, the finish line came in sight. I realized he wasn't going to get me, but took no chances. I ended up with a time of 15:39, running the last mile in under 5:00.
I'm happy with this result - as I realized that I was stronger than I thought. Also, this is the first time I've won a competitive 5K in Utah. Ended up with a total of about 13 for the day.
| 