my makeup may be flaking

4.5 miles in 26:27 (5:53,5:33 adjusted)

Oxford Tempo in 44:49 (6:04 pace, 5:50 adjusted)

Splits:

18:11 for 0-3 (6:04 pace, 5:56 adjusted) Fairly easy terrain down the beltline after a couple of climbs to start. Pushed this part harder than normal and ended up doing it 30 seconds faster than previous best. Was starting to overheat a little before I even reached Monroe Street.

11:40 for 3-4.94 (6:01,5:43) As is typical I felt terrible on the piedmont park section, but also ran that section the fastest.

14:58 4.94-7.37 (6:10, 5:49) Brutal section along Georgia marathon course featuring 12% grades both up and down.

Technically this race was renamed to the 'Tailgate 5k'. Well' it's August 6th, it's too early for football, and Jog Days of Summer is just too perfect of a name.

This race is a classic ATC 5k. $0 entry fee, no tshirt and a brutal course. I took 16th last year with an 18:21 and I was pretty happy with that.

At the start line I looked around only saw one guy (Perry Griffith) whom I definitely couldn't beat, so I knew second was a possibility.

Perry jumped out to a quick lead at the start. Ivan Martinez also was out fast, like in every single race, and another shirtless guy. I stayed in 4th place running stride for stride with Masato Kan and a younger guy I didn't recognize.

The first mile has a moderate climb and then a pretty solid downhill for the second half so that the mile mark is at the lowest point in the course. During the downhill, Ivan dropped back but another younger guy joined us. Hit the mile in 5:23 (5:26 adjusted), only about 5 seconds back of Perry, with the second place runner halfway in between.

Right at the mile mark, the course starts to climb. After about 800m at a 1-2% grade, we get 400m at 2-3% grade. The three guys that I'm with all surge a little on the uphill and I tuck in behind. However, after 1200m of climbing we turn a corner and we're greeted by the actual climb 400m at a 7% grade. Here I'm very glad that I ran the entire during my warmup so I knew exactly what to expect. I surge hard up the hill and everyone around me gradually drops off. Perry has opened up a huge lead on everyone. Second mile is 5:54 (5:18 adjusted!).

The last mile has two long downhills and two tough uphills and I basically just try to hold on. I can still here lots of footstep behind me, but not that close. Last 1.1 in 6:17 (5:43 pace, 5:18 adjusted again).