AM: 500 FESTIVAL 15k - Did this race a few days after my grandfather died two years ago, so I wanted to run it even as as workout. The cost of the series (5k, 10k, 15k) is something like $38 and you get good support and it has been competitive enough as I have started getting faster over the last three years.
Goal was to run the Garmin at marathon goal pace to a touch faster (steady state pace), keeping splits and effort slower than half marathon pace, then pick it up when and if I felt like it to catch the bleeders in the final 5k. That's pretty much what I did. Fast to start because I was monkeying with my Garmin and it ended up "jumping" down in the last few hundred meters. If it wasn't so expensive I would throw it out. I thought 6:20-6:30 was feeling a little too fast (feel versus watch pace) even on tired legs and without a proper warmup. Started passing people around mile 3 and caught 4-5 dudes in the last 5k. Had some fun after mile 8 to the finish (elevation really doesn't change much).
I offered to block the wind for a few people, but their paces weren't quite in my groove so I helped them out for a few miles and then did my own thing.
The rich chocolately goodness (sweeter because I can put most of them down as "marathon pace"):
6:04, 6:17, 6:18, 6:18, 6:18, 6:11, 6:07, 6:15, 5:46, 1:44 (5:15 pace)
~2 up/4.7 down
PM: North side - 5.25 miles, averaged 7:56
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