We got to the race and I did a mile warmup. Would have liked more, but I wasted time for no reason. I don't know why. I guess I just thought I had more time than I actually did.
Only got about 3 strides in at the line. We started then had to restart which worked out for me cause I wanted another stride :) Then we started for real. Our box was on the left side, I originally thought that it was a bad spot but it worked out great cause I was able to pass the huge group of people along the side. People start out races way too fast I've decided. I was in the middle of the pack 50 meter in, then with the front pack 100 meters in. Then I felt the group start to slow down and I was like "heck no." I had found my pace and was sticking to it. There were two girls a little farther ahead and I caught up to the second place girl. Then she faded and I went to the first place girl and sort of just stuck behind her. I wasn't completely sure of the course anyway so I followed her. Came through the mile at around 5:50. Apparently some people thought we went out too fast but I don't think so. I've always had a fast first mile in the races I do well at. Started struggling mentally at 1.5 like usual. I think at this point a couple girls were close behind or maybe one or two had passed me. Two mile was 12:15 so I had slowed down to a 6:25. But I told myself that was okay cause I could still get a good time, just a little off. Bill yelled for me to pick it up at what was apparently 800 left, so I did. Then he said to start kicking and I was like, "what? We still have a long ways to go." But I did anyway. It was a long steady kick. When I hit the ditch I was running out of gas but I wasn't gonna let myself crash when I was 300 from the finish. A couple more girls passed me somewhere with 800 left I don't know where really cause it's a blur now. I got to the final stretch, past the 3 mile mark and gave whatever I had left, maintaining my position. Ended up 9th in my heat. I kind of wish I was in the second heat cause those times were faster and I feel like it would have pulled me along better, I was gauging off of the others around me and how I felt. But running in the heat we did had its advantages, I was able to run freely and not get boxed in.
Overall I think it was a decent race. Didn't turn out like I wanted, but I did work hard and actually ended up being my second fastest 5k. The 3 mile would have been around 18:50. I was disappointed with it because I have been comparing it to last weeks race, but effort wise this race was one of my better ones. It was actually harder than you'd expect from such a flat course. I think I could have worked harder in the second half to push through the pain, it frustrates me because I know I have to hurt in races but every time I just don't want to, and it's always the second half that suffers. I have been getting better at it, but lots of improvement can still be made. I didn't like the course much because of all the out and backs, last years course was much better.
Cooled down 3 miles on my own cause I thought we weren't gonna get much from cheering the boys on, but I was wrong. Ended up getting 6 miles. As for my knee, on the warmup it hurt a little for the first .5 then was fine. I took ibuprofen before just to make sure it wouldn't be an issue in the race.
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