It was nasty cold and windy this morning. I generate a lot of heat running so warmth wasn't an issue once I got started, but my lungs are reactive to the cold, so I kept a neck fleece on over my face to breathe into.

I really held back on the first mile, because I knew the hills were all on the first part of the course, so I wanted to practice restraint at the start. I figured I'd really open up in the last mile, so my plan was to hold to about 7:30ish on the first couple and shoot for 7:12 on the third, almost entirely flat, mile. I finished the first mile in 7:37, which wasn't too far off where I wanted to be. I finished the second in 15:12, so I thought I was still fairly on target. I had enough left to pick up the pace, but I let my attention wander too much or something, because the last mile was actually a little slower. I think this is just a matter of my not having run and raced enough lately. I haven't really ingrained the feel of my pace and race effort. I know that the next race I can afford to push a little more. I had more in me at the finish line than I should have.

I finished 20th for women.

Go harder. :)