This past Saturday I ran in my company’s annual 5K.  I wasn’t going to run in the event but a few coworkers of mine were running so I decided to join them.  When I signed up my biggest worry was the weather.  The mornings have been very cold here lately (in the 30s) and I was concerned that Saturday would start very cold.  Fortunately by the time the race started the temperature had climbed into the 50s.

With this being my third race I knew my biggest problem from past races was determining a good pace. One of the people that I work with often started just in front of me.  I had informed him that I was going to beat him this race so he better keep up with me.  I have been saying this for a while because he is a very strong runner and has some very excellent times (although he says he hasn’t been training for a while).  We kept a steady pace with me just behind him.  As we crossed the first mile I was very excited; I was doing seven minute miles.  I was very pleased with this and I felt that I could keep that up for the next two.  The race continued on and I was still on pace at about the two mile mark.  I was going strong.  Between the first and second miles I had overtaken my friend.  He wasn’t far behind though, I could hear his steps as he was right on my heels.  At about the two and a half mile mark I felt it; I was wore out.  I kept running strong though but I could feel myself tiring.  My friend as this point overtook me.  I wasn’t overly concerned about this.  I figured even if I didn’t beat him I was going to be near twenty one minutes when I finished.  Unfortunately this wasn’t true.  When I caught my first glimpse of the clock it had already passed the twenty two minute mark.  Now I was just frustrated that I had been going so strong and fell apart in the last half mile.  I crossed the finish line at twenty two minutes and thirty one seconds.  That was disappointing.  My friend finished just a few seconds ahead of me.

I really can’t complain much about my time.  Out of 553 racers (some where walking) I came in thirty sixth.  Not to shabby.  My overall pace for the race was seven minues and fifteen seconds a mile.  That is definately a personal best (for a 5K and only counting ones that are recorded).  In my age group I came in third and even got a medal.  All this without having been running in about two weeks.  The next race I know that I will run in is the art festival 5K and that is in April.  That gives me plenty of time to get out and do some training (since I don’t run if it’s cold).  My goal for the art festival 5K is a pace of seven minute miles or less.  I think that’s reasonable but I need to train hard for it since it requires me to run over the causeway twice!