Alright, not too bad a race, but I still did not feel full throttle. I decided to actually use strategy this time, unlike past races which I would run like a madman and slow down as the race progressed. There was a very good field of runners (probably around 20-25 solid runners) who were all running some good pace. I decided to go out and find a place mid-pack, and go more for placement rather than time. After mile one I was in 10th-11th place, crossing the mile mark in 5:05 (not too fast). Between mile one and two I passed one runner to go into 10th place. Between mile two and the finish was my strongest time (unlike any other race I have ran). I passed two runners, and hit the last mile in 4:55, ultimately finishing in 15:42 (my watch said 15:37, but I guess I must have been a bit off). Although this was no "huge" time, I was still happy with my finish placement. Everyone who beat me was 24+ yrs. old, so I was not too dissapointed. This strategy of racing seems far more effective. If you properly pace yourself to finish at starting speed (or even a bit faster), you can really edge some of those "just hanging on" runners at the end. This tends to give me a confidence boost, which in turn, can help you really push the pace. Overall, a decent race! | 