I tried to negative split. I went out the first mile at a 7:10 pace which was 15 seconds slower than my goal pace. On mile 2 when I went to turn up the gas a little to break a 7 minute pace I felt like I could not maintain it. I backed off and went back to the 7:10 pace. By mile 3 I was holding the 7:10 but barely. I had to slow down in the last half mile for fear of just making myself puke or pass out. I was able to sprint the last 100 meters.

I raced a week before the race so I may not have been fully rested. I really didn't train for this at all, it was supposed to be just for fun. Still, I had 6 months of sprint tri training under my belt so I expected to go faster.

I walked it off for 1/4 mile and stretched.


Probably lack of speed work since my last triathlon about a month prior to this race. Not knowing how fast I could really go for this distance. I hadn't done a stand alone 5K in years. I just assumed it would be about a minute faster than my last sprint tri run a month ago but it was roughly the same.


Great cause. There were booths for families who had lost loved ones to narcotic use. We released balloons for all those lost to drug use and it was sad to see them all floating away. Several families raced with shirts dedicated their lost loved one. There were many recovering users also supporting the cause. It was uplifting to hear them tell their stories as a camera and interviewer broadcast them on a big screen.

I would do the race again, it was a fun group. Not my best day but not my worst either.