So best run ever.

I started near the front, in the heat of things, for the first time ever. I usually just start in the back and pick my way through but I didn't want to deal with that this time.

So, BANG, no warning and we are off. Couple people in front of me fumble with their watches, and we are off. Within the first 500 meters People stop passing me and everyone pretty much settles in. A long line of people in front of me. My pace is about 4:35-4:38 so I am trying to slow it down. I am feeling good, breathing a little harder than I would like but not as hard as those around me. I get it around 4:42 once we hit the major climb at 2-3k. So I am happy.

I get up that climb, down the other side and up the other side and I am feeling good. I did it pretty quick. My 5k split was 23:58 or something, but I think they were off. I can't remember but I think it was about 23:30 by my watch. Anyways feeling good. My pace is about a 4:38 or 4:39 now and I am thinking, well, half way, better keep that pace.

So going along, pretty steady, into the wind for 1k then a turn around with the wind for 1k. So around 6k, I am feeling good. Consistently have been passing people for the last 5k or so. No one has passed me. Then this chick is on my shoulder and I am like, WTF, right. Like who is she. She is running fast. I am just game to her. HA.

So I don't look, I don't even see her. I mean I know it is a chick because of how she is running and breathing. I am like, you are not passing me. And she doesn't. I hold her off. She tries to surge a couple times but I surge right back. I am not even looking at my watch now. I know I am flying though. We are passing people. And man it hurts, not super bad, but it hurts. In my gut right, there is this plea "please stop".

We hit the mile out mark at like 37:xx min. I check my watch and I am like, wowza. That is fast. And we are flying. Just flying. And she is right friggin there. Up and down the little hills. I think she gains a bit on the up hill and I gain on the down hill.

Oh and it is hurting now, and we are passing people. I am not even noticing the people we are passing, just trying to keep her in my mind. Keep having her drive me.

Thing is she keeps saying thank you to volunteers. Not me, I don't have the energy, but she is like all peppy and "thanks, oh thank you, thanks so much." Seriously I am like just pass me.

But she isn't passing me, she even stops surging. But I am feeling it and at 1k out she is level with me. And I am hurting. She is hurting though too, I can tell. So I go to her, "we gonna do this or what?", and she says, all exhausted like, "I don't know if I have it in me, " and I am like, "course you do." and I speed up a bit and she is with me.

And I am like good, because seriously all I want to do is walk. So we are racing. But I can't really get into it because I know I am going to crush my A goal of a sub 47. But whatever. I got to just run. But I am thinking too much. And I am losing it. But she is too. So I go to her, "you only have to beat me." And then she is off, she passes me, and I take her back and it is wild. And it hurts so much. And we come around the corner with 400 meters or so to go. And I have nothing. Nothing. And she sees these people she knows and they give her a little cheer and bang, she is off. And I am crushed. And I slow to a jog for 5 seconds. I just couldn't do it. Maybe if the crowd was more in it. Then someone says, don't give up, you are almost there, and I fly the rest of the way in. passing 3 people in the last 100 meters. Finishing 5 seconds behind that girl.



I don't know. I have never ran any race as fast as this one. I ran the second 5k 1 min faster than the first 5k. If that chick wasn't there I would have for sure been 46 or 47 min. I know I would have given up because my sub 48 B goal was more or less guaranteed at the half. I owe her a lot.

cheered some people in. Giant plate of food.


No real taper. Early morning. Little sleep. Never really raced before.


awesome as always.