Did the Fort Collins Thanksgiving Day 4-mile race this morning. This is a great race...lots of competition and depth. Usually takes sub-20 to get in the top 10. I wasn't sure if I was up for under 20 minutes today, as I'm still getting my feet under me after the marathon. Goal was to go out slow, and then negative split, try to hammer the last 2 miles.
Warmed up on the course (4 miles), did some strides, and then started the race. I kept myself in about 25th place or so over the first mile...deliberately tried to keep it slower and relaxed. Was surprised to still be 5:05 at the mile, which is a very gradual uphill.
Started to steadily pass people, and then locked into a pace behind a pack of 5 and laid low until the 2-mile mark. 2-mile split was 4:57, which seemed short, as I didn't pick up the pace, and it's still a slight uphill.
Feeling good at 2 miles, and now with a net downhill the rest of the way, I opened it up during the 3rd mile. Threw a big surge right at 2 miles, and left the pack behind. Managed to catch and pass another 3 people during the stretch on Mountain Ave. Mile 3 was 5:05, which I'm sure was long.
Tried hard to keep pushing for the last mile, and this was the fastest stretch of road in the race, but more-or-less just hung on. Caught up to Lee Troop with about 1000m left, but he ended up out-kicking me over the last quarter mile (no shame in that, since he's a former 13:14 5K guy). I didn't have a great finish, as I had lost a lot of my drive. Oh well, it's an off season race. Last mile was 4:59.
I ended up 20:04, 12th overall and 1st in my age group. Money was 6 deep, but I believe I won a pie for my age group win.
Technically, this is a 4-mile race PR, although I've run faster in 10K's, and even in the half marathon. But I'll take it, pretty happy with it.
David McNeil won with 18:49, Fernando Cabada with 18:50, then Brandon Birdsong 3rd with 18:59. My training buddy Mike was 4th with 19:22, his best time on that course.
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